tehsils

Tehsil, also spelled tahsil or taluka, is an administrative division used in parts of the Indian subcontinent. It functions as a subdivision of a district and is typically the level at which revenue collection, land records, and local administration are organized.

The term derives from Persian tahsil, meaning collection or attainment. The concept dates to the Mughal era and was standardized under British colonial administration. Names and structures vary by country and region; in India some states use taluka or mandal instead of tehsil, while Pakistan uses tehsil as the standard term.

A tehsil has a headquarters town or city from which the tehsil’s offices operate. The tehsil is headed by a tehsildar (or tahsildar), a revenue and administrative officer who oversees land records, tax collection, and civil registration, and commands subordinate revenue staff such as naib tehsildars. The tehsil is part of a district and contains numerous villages and towns, often grouped into union councils or panchayats for local governance.

Key tasks associated with the tehsil include maintenance of land and revenue records, collection of land taxes, census data, issuance of certain certificates and licenses, civil registrations (births, deaths), and coordination of development schemes. Law and order is typically handled at a higher level by district or sub-divisional police, with the tehsil providing local administrative support.

Variations exist across regions. In India, tehsils are sometimes referred to as talukas, taluks, or mandals depending on state; in Pakistan they are standard units within districts and subdivide into union councils. The precise powers and structure can differ regionally, reflecting local constitutional and administrative frameworks.