Talati

A village accountant or karanam (Andhra Pradesh), patwari (Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal), patowary (Assam), talati (Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra), lekhpal (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand) is a government role in rural areas of the Indian subcontinent. Introduced during the early 16th century, it was maintained by the British Raj. The official, as a representative of the state, is responsible for keeping land records, agricultural records and collecting taxes and acting as the revenue police in certain areas where they were given special jurisdiction.

History

Mughal emperor Akbar improved the ''patwari'' system, which had been introduced in the Indian subcontinent under the leadership of Sher Shah Suri. The East India Company and subsequently British crown continued with the system with some administrative changes. It denotes the office of the ''talati'' in rural Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The office and its holder are known as Talatis, and holders of the office have adopted it as their family name. The ''talati'' replaced the ''kulkarni'' in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The duties of a ''talati'' are performed under a different title in other Indian states; a ''talati'' is known as a ''patwari'' in Telangana, Punjab and Haryana. Originally a land-holding clerk, the ''talati'' is now a paid, government-appointed official. A '' patil'' (''patel'' in Gujarat) is an outsider who assists the ''talati'' in collecting revenue. It has been alleged that records maintained by the ''talati'' do not reflect actual positions, because the ''talati'' did not take into account the tribal custom of using the name of the adult male family member for land possession.

In 1814, duties of the ''Talati'' included preserving village records, monitoring daily activities, and gathering information about individuals (including '' mukhis'' and other village elites). The 1882 ''Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency'' records the ''Talati'' as a village accountant, in charge of eight to ten villages, whose annual salary was £12-£18 (Rs. 120–180). The ''Talati'' was expected to live in one of the villages and visit each village every month to learn villagers needs and report them to the sub-divisional manager at the sub-divisional office. The ''Talati'' was also required to give each landholder an account with the landholder's dues. In August 1891, a ''talati'' salary was recorded as low.

In 1884, Mountstuart Elphinstone was reported as saying that the ''talati'' promoted the government but reduced the authority of the ''patel''; Elphinstone recommended minimising the interference. The appointment of a ''talati'' was viewed negatively by village chiefs, who saw him as a government representative in the absence of a ''kulkarni'' or '' watandar''. The ''talati'' was also involved in collecting annual census data after Mrigashīrsha. ''Talatis'' are known as ''patwari'' in Bengal, '' karanam'' in Andhra Pradesh and North India, and ''kanakku pillai'' in Tamil villages.

Etymology

Known as lekhpal in Uttar Pradesh, the word is derived from the Sanskrit root ''tal'' (to accomplish a vow, to establish or to fix) and has the same meaning in Marathi.

Duties

The duties of a ''talati'' include maintaining village crop and land records and collecting taxes and irrigation dues.

Among the administration, the ''talati'' has the closest connection with the villagers. Generally in charge of a group of villages known as a ''saza'', they are required to reside in the ''saza'' unless authorized by the Collector; however, most ''talatis'' were found to be in violation of the rule. Part of the Brahmin caste in most cases, the ''talati'' is generally considered a representative of the government.

As the lowest state functionary in the revenue-collection system, their job encompasses visiting agricultural lands and maintaining a record of ownership and tilth. The government of India has developed a Patwary Information System (PATIS), software which was deployed in at least two districts by 2005; deployment at the tehsil level is underway. A patwari reports to the tehsildar, a higher-level tax officer. A patwari can wield significant power and influence, and corrupt patwaris have escaped punishment due to their political connections. They have three main duties:
* Maintaining records of crops harvested
* Recording land-rights changes
* Accounting for the preparation of the above data

In the hilly regions of Indian state of Uttarakhand, British administration had given additional law enforcement powers and functions to ''patwaris''. Known as income police, these officials continue to have the primary jurisdiction of law and order in these areas.

Terminology

The ''khewat'' number (Urdu کھیوٹ ) is assigned to village land, and changes when the land is sold. The ''Khatami'' number (Urdu کھتونی نمبر ), an additional number assigned to village land after the ''khewat'' number, also changes when the land is sold. ''Girdawary'', the record of land cultivation (crops and ownership), is maintained by the ''patwari'' in Telangana, by the ''Talati'' in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka, and similar officials in other Indian states. If a non-owner cultivates the land for an extended period, they may claim possession of the land.

In India and Pakistan, ''jamabandi'' are land records maintained for each village in a tehsil (township).Jambandi Haryana
, Haryana Revenue Department.
. A ''jamabandi'' includes the name of the owners, the area of cultivation (or land), owner shares, and other rights. It is revised periodically. A ''jamabandi'' is prepared by a ''patwari'', and certified by the division revenue officer. Two copies are made: one for the government's record room, and the other for the ''patwari''. In a number of states, land records have been computerized and are available on the Internet.

''Lal Dora'', a term introduced by the British Raj in 1908, is a red line drawn on revenue maps that delineates the village population from nearby agricultural land. It enables villagers to build houses without the Change in Land Use (CLU) authorization which would otherwise be needed to convert agricultural land to commercial or residential use.What is Lal Dora
, Daily Pioneer, 11 June 2013.

See also

*Adverse possession
* Khasra
*Lambardar
* Munshi
*Zaildar

References

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Indian feudalism
Union councils of Pakistan
Tehsils of India
Land management in India
Local government in India
Government occupations
Indian words and phrases
Feudalism in Pakistan
Pakistani words and phrases