The term Mouzadar refers to a person who takes tax of a

mouza In Bangladesh, Pakistan and parts of India, a mouza or mauza (also mouja) is a type of administrative district, corresponding to a specific land area within which there may be one or more settlements. Before the 20th century, the term referred to a ...

(revenue collection unit). Historically, they were influential hereditary

aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

figures in Assam's socio-political landscape during the feudal era during the Kamarupa Kingdom to the Ahom Dynasty; similar to small kings. These mighty landlords played essential roles in administration and governance, maintaining their significance until fall of the British colonial rule.

Etymology and history

The name literally translates to ''

'' as 'a large unit of land', from the Persian suffix ''-dar'' (دار/দার) 'possessor'.

The feudal system

The mouzadars were central to Assam's feudal system, managing large landholdings and collecting taxes for the

monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...

. They acted as

intermediaries An intermediary, also known as a middleman or go-between, is defined differently by context. In law or diplomacy, an intermediary is a third party who offers intermediation services between two parties. In trade or barter, an intermediary acts ...

between the central authority and local populations, often commanding small soldiery forces for maintaining law and order. This diminished direct royal governance, empowering local leaders like the mouzadars to enforce policies and make administrative decisions. As landowners, they often enjoyed tax exemptions, enhancing their power and social status.

Role in administration

In governance, mouzadars collaborated with

officials An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of the ...

such as mandals and satradhikars. They were not just tax collectors, but also

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

authorities, resolving

disputes Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an oppo ...

and maintaining order in their jurisdictions. Their role as local guardians fostered stability and

social cohesion Group cohesiveness, also called group cohesion, social harmony or social cohesion, is the degree or strength of bonds linking members of a social group to one another and to the group as a whole. Although cohesion is a multi-faceted process, it ...

during conflicts. A single mouzadar typically oversaw multiple villages or considerable land areas, which could range from hundreds to thousands of

acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...

Influence

Mouzadars, particularly in the Lower Assam division, historically controlled large areas of land that were politically tense due to frequent minor attacks from central Indian ruling dynasties. Their role was crucial in defending the mainland, and they also imposed

taxes A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

as trade routes passed through their territories. Additionally, mouzadars often financed the war expenses of kings by providing loans, which the kings were expected to repay. If repayment did not occur, mouzadars would shift their support to the opposing rulers during conflicts, ensuring their own security and that of their

class. As a result, mouzadars became wealthy and respected aristocrats during the monarch era, wielding significant royal powers. Many maintained close relationships with royal families and the

aristocracy Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense Economy, economic, Politics, political, and soc ...

, which further strengthened their

socio-political Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...

standing. These connections granted them various privileges, such as tax exemptions and considerable influence in royal affairs. Their hereditary status created a local

that played a significant role in governance in Assam until British colonial rule transformed the political landscape.

Decline of power and transition

The influence of the mouzadars began to decline during the onset of the British Raj, when temporary non-hereditary mouzadars were introduced as

who, in some circumstances, could replace the hereditary mouzadars whenever the permanent mouzadars could not collect the required amount of tax in their

, for the colonial government. After India's independence, new administrative structures and land revenue systems disrupted the traditional feudal

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy ...

. Many lost their by-birth privileges, resulting in a transformation of local governance. However, some chose to support the struggle for independence, repurposing their influence for

social change Social change is the alteration of the social order of a society which may include changes in social institutions, social behaviours or social relations. Sustained at a larger scale, it may lead to social transformation or societal transformat ...

and leaving behind their privileged lifestyles.

External links

Assam History
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519033917/https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2022/vol8issue2/partb/8-1-147-132.pdf, date=2022-05-19 Feudalism in Bangladesh