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23-534: Thakur is a historical feudal title of the Indian subcontinent . It is also used as a surname in the present day. The female variant of the title is Thakurani or Thakurain , and is also used to describe the wife of a Thakur. There are varying opinions among scholars about its origin. Some scholars suggest that it is not mentioned in the Sanskrit texts preceding 500 BCE , but speculates that it might have been

46-499: A high fortress called as Gadi , for entering it they leave their footwear at the threshold of the gadi. The Madigas and other lower castes were required to carry their footwear in their hands if they were passing in front of the gadi or dora. The phrase “Banchen Dora née Kalmoktha“ became a popular saying during the rebellion, capturing the peasants’ deep-rooted resentment towards the feudal lords. The phrase literally means “I am your slave my lord, I bow to your feet” and reflected

69-482: A holder was entitled to wield some power in the state". However, some other academics have noted that this title had been used by "petty chiefs" in the western areas of Himachal Pradesh . The title was used by rulers of several princely states , including Ambliara , Vala , Morbi , Barsoda , and Rajkot State . Sons of thakurs were given the Sanskrit title of Kumara ('prince'), popular usage being Kunwar in

92-401: A landowning caste". Wadley further notes that Thakur was viewed as a "more modest" title in comparison to " Rājā " (King). S. K. Das noted that while the word thakur means "god", it is also used to refer to the father-in-law of a woman. It is also used for a Brahmin , Rajput , Koli and Charan . Some academics have suggested that " Thakur was merely a title and not an office whereby

115-682: A part of the vocabulary of the dialects spoken in northern India before the Gupta Empire . It is viewed to have been derived from word Thakkura which, according to several scholars, was not an original word of the Sanskrit language but a borrowed word in the Indian lexis from the Tukharistan region of Uzbekistan . Another view-point is that Thakkura is a loan word from the Prakrit language. Scholars have suggested differing meanings for

138-482: Is a title denoting the Prince. It is feudal title originating from the Indian subcontinent meaning "Son of Thakur " where Thakur means "Lord", “God” or “Master of the estate.” It is a title that belongs to a Rajput , a caste in western, central, northern India and Pakistan. The title is also adopted by Thakuri royals of Western Nepal. . People with title Kunwar includes: This India -related article

161-523: Is not a popular term obviously because of its Tukhara or Turuska background." Byomkes Chakrabarti noted that the Sanskrit word Thakkura finds mention in "late Sanskrit". He doubted, however, that Thakkura is "an original Sanskrit word" and was of the opinion that Thakkura is probably a loan word from the Prakrit language. Susan Snow Wadley noted that the title Thakur was used to refer to "a man of indeterminate but mid-level caste, usually implying

184-714: Is still gross injustice to the land tillers of the region, the villains, in this case, being the landlords of Telangana and not those of other regions. There were a number of feudal states in Kerala in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Era between the rule of Chera dynasty and the British Raj (smaller feudal estates remained even during British rule). In Kerala , Kshatriyas , Nairs , and Samantha Kshatriyas were prominent during feudalism. Nairs acted as both feudal lords as well as warriors . Initially, Madhya Pradesh

207-522: The Malwa Sultanate and Bijapur Sultanate . Gond chieftains such as that of Lanji in Balaghat district ruled from strong forts called garhs . These tribal zamindars served their overlord kingdom in times of war but could also be a nuisance when they rebelled. These zamindars enjoyed privileges under the native Gond kingdoms such as Garha-Mandla , Chanda and Deogarh . However, after

230-637: The Maratha conquest of these regions by General Raghuji Bhonsle , these zamindars were displaced from the plains and were forced to retreat into the forest areas. They had to pay tribute to Raghuji Bhonsle and his descendants from then on, and often rebelled against the later oppressive Maratha rule. Many of these zamindars rebelled in the Revolt of 1857 against the English East India Company , were defeated, their leaders executed and

253-518: The Nepalese version of the word Thakur is Thakuri . The meaning of the word Thakur was suggested to be "god" by S. K. Das; "lord" by Blair B. Kling; and "master of the estate" by H. B. Gurung. Nirmal Chandra Sinha stated that the word Thakura is "unknown" to the Vedic and Classical Sanskrit and finds no mention in the Sanskrit literature preceding 500 BCE. He suggests, however, that "the word

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276-468: The peasants ( villeins or serfs ) were obliged to live on their lord's land and give him homage, labor, and a share of the produce, notionally in exchange for military protection. The term Indian feudalism is used to describe taluqdars , zamindars , and jagirdars . Most of these systems were abolished after the independence of India and the rest of the subcontinent. D. D. Kosambi and R. S. Sharma , together with Daniel Thorner , brought peasants into

299-568: The North and Kumar in Bengal and southern India . The territory of land under the control of a Thakur was called thikana . Indian feudalism Use of the term feudalism to describe India applies a concept of medieval European origin, according to which the landed nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service, and vassals were in turn tenants of the nobles, while

322-511: The feudal lands annexed to direct British territory as a result. However, some of them were still ruling after 1857 but their family lines died out and those who survived gave up their estates in exchange for pensions. Several zamindaris were established in the Madras Presidency (present-day Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas) from 1799 onwards. The largest of these were Arni , Ramnad , Ganapur and Sivaganga . The zamindari settlement

345-608: The feudal lords. The peasants had very little security and were often subjected to high taxes, forced labor, and various forms of abuse and exploitation. The oppression experienced by the lower class in the Telangana region (now a state) ultimately led to the Telangana Rebellion against the feudal lords (known in Telugu as Vetti Chakiri Udhyamam ) which took place from 1946 to 1951. The feudal lords used to reside in

368-530: The severe exploitation of the peasants under the oppressive feudal system. Shyam Benegal's films Ankur and Nishant graphically depict feudalism in Telangana, while the Telugu film Maa Bhoomi accurately portrays the lifestyle of peasants under feudal lords as well as the socio-economic struggles which led to the rebellion. The Srikrishna Committee on Telangana has stated in its findings that there

391-473: The study of Indian history for the first time. The Bihar region (now a state) of India was a hotbed for feudalism. Feudal lords ruled the region for decades; semi-feudal conditions still exist. As a result, child malnourishment is common, in spite of modern Bihar's status as having the fastest growth in gross domestic product in India. The region implemented a feudal system known as the ‘Zamindari system’ and

414-525: The word, i.e. "god", "lord", and "master of the estate". Academics have suggested that it was only a title, and in itself, did not grant any authority to its users "to wield some power in the state". In India, the social groups which use this title include the Rajputs , Bengali Brahmins , Bhumihars , Charans and Koli . Sisir Kumar Das stated that the word Thakur is derived from the "late Sanskrit " word Thakkura . Harka Bahadur Gurung noted that

437-434: Was based on a similar settlement established in Bengal . The Zamindari settlement of Madras was largely unsuccessful and was wrapped up in 1852. However, a few zamindaris remained till India's independence in 1947. North Arcot region was under jagirdars until the Indian independence. The largest estate was that of Arni, a Deshastha family. Arni estate was larger than Sandur princely state. The Northern Andhra region

460-584: Was inhabited by numerous tribes who lived in densely forested regions with no semblance of authority. However, sometime after the fall of the Yadavas of Devagiri , a feudal structure began emerging among these tribes. Many petty chieftains belonging to tribes such as the Gonds began ruling small areas in Madhya Pradesh which they sometimes fortified as a defensive measure against Islamic kingdoms such as

483-486: Was largely controlled by doras and deshmukhs until Hyderabad's annexation. The landlords or feudal lords held large tracts of land in their fief and were responsible for collecting taxes from the peasants who worked the land, a portion of which would be paid to the Nizam of Hyderabad . The peasants were tenants under the feudal lords and cultivated this land, paying rent in the form of a share of their produce or money to

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506-676: Was possibly current in many north Indian dialects before the Imperial Guptas". Sinha notes that many scholars, such as Buddha Prakash, Frederick Thomas , Harold Bailey , Prabodh Bagchi , Suniti Chatterji , and Sylvain Lévi , have suggested that Thakura is a borrowed word in the Indian lexis from the Tukhara regions of Current Uzbekistan. Sinha observed: "It may be noted that in South India among orthodox Brahmins, Thakura or Thakur

529-662: Was under Telaga doras until the Indian independence. The largest estate was that of Vizianagaram under the Poosapati kshatriya family which was liberal and enlightened. The Rayalaseema region was under Ayyagaru until the independence. The largest estate was that of Panyam; which was ruled by a Deshastha family of Vishvamitra gotra (lineage) and was liberal and enlightened. The feudal lords in Vidarbha region are notorious for their oppressive rule. Kunwar (title) Kunwar (also spelt Kanwar or Kuar or Kaur )

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