jaghír

Jaghír is a historical term used in Persianate and South Asian administrations to describe a grant of revenue rights and land given by a ruler to a noble, official, or military commander in return for service. The jaghír did not always confer outright ownership of the land; rather, it designated the right to collect taxes and maintain a governable domain, with the holder responsible for administration, military provisioning, and allegiance to the crown.

Etymologically, jaghír is derived from Persian usage and entered Urdu, Hindi, and other regional languages through Persianate cultural and administrative practices. It is commonly transliterated as jagir, jagheer, or jagheer, and it appears in historical records and literature across centuries of empire-building in the Indian subcontinent and neighboring regions.

In practice, jaghírs varied in permanence and scope. Some were hereditary under stronger central authority, while others remained temporary grants tied to ongoing service. Jagirdars often held local power, exercised jurisdiction over land and people, and maintained retinues and military forces to support the ruler. The system helped finance governance and defense but could create autonomous power centers that challenged central authority.

With the expansion of British rule and subsequent land-revenue reforms in the 18th and 19th centuries, the jaghír system declined, giving way to new administrative arrangements and revenue systems. Today, jaghír is primarily a historical term, appearing in scholarly discussions of Mughal and Persianate governance, classical literature, and discussions of legacy land practices. In modern usage, it may also appear as a place name or family surname in some regions.