taluka

A taluka, also spelled taluk or tehsil, is an administrative division used in several South Asian countries, most prominently in India. In Indian governance, a taluka is a subdivision of a district and serves as the local unit for revenue and administration. A district is divided into several talukas, each containing a number of towns and villages. The taluka center, often a town of the same name, hosts the taluka office, headed by a tehsildar or talukdar, who is the revenue and land records officer for the subdivision. The taluka office maintains land records, issues certificates, and coordinates local development schemes, public works, and revenue collection. In practice, responsibilities between taluka authorities and district-level agencies vary by state.

The taluka is often subdivided into smaller units such as hoblis, firkas, or revenue villages in some states, and villages and panchayats are the lowest tier of rural governance. In Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and other states, taluk is the standard term; in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the similar unit is called a mandal. The concept dates to colonial administration and continues as a basic layer of bureaucratic and land-record management, closely linked to rural governance and local planning.

In Pakistan, talukas (also referred to as tehsils) function as sub-districts within districts, serving as administrative and revenue units with local governance arrangements that support district-level administration and development programs.