Faujdar
Encyclopedia
Faujdar/Fouzder/Fouzdar/Foujdar was a title awarded by Muslim
rulers to people who had responsibility of protecting some territory.
In pre-Mughal times, the term referred to a military officer but did not refer to a specific rank. With the administrative reforms performed by Mughal
emperor Akbar, this rank was systemised. The empire as a whole was divided into provinces known as subah
, which were further divided into sarkars
, and then pargana
s. One of the names used to describe the officer posted to act as the administrator of the sarkar was faujdar.
Faujdar is mostly used as a title by Jat gotra
s such as Sogarwar
, Chahar
, Sinsinwar
, Kuntal throughout Northern India and Pakistan
.Fouzder title is also found in Bangladesh
specially in the Hindu Kshatriya community of Khulna
division.Varman/Barman/Varma
was their main title.Some say that they are descendant of the General of army of Nawab Alivardi Khan
.There is still many example of Varman dynasty
in Sylhet
division.There is also a cadet college,Fouzderhat Cadet College in Chittagong.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
rulers to people who had responsibility of protecting some territory.
In pre-Mughal times, the term referred to a military officer but did not refer to a specific rank. With the administrative reforms performed by Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Akbar, this rank was systemised. The empire as a whole was divided into provinces known as subah
Subah
A Subah was a province of the Mughal Empire in South Asia. The governor of a subah was known as a subahdar, which later became subedar to refer to an officer in the Indian Army...
, which were further divided into sarkars
Sarkar (country subdivision)
Sarkar is an historic administrative unit, used mostly in the Muslim states of the South Asia. It was a territorial division of a Suba or province. A Sarkar was further divided into territorial divisions for the administrative purpose which were called Mahallas or Parganas. The Mahallas or...
, and then pargana
Pargana
A pargana is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent, used primarily, but not exclusively, by the Muslim kingdoms.Parganas were introduced by the Delhi Sultanate, and the word is of Persian origin. As a revenue unit, a pargana consists of several mouzas, which are the smallest...
s. One of the names used to describe the officer posted to act as the administrator of the sarkar was faujdar.
Faujdar is mostly used as a title by Jat gotra
Gotra
In the Hindu society, the term Gotra broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor. Panini defines gotra for grammatical purposes as apatyam pautraprabhrti gotram , which means "the word gotra denotes the progeny beginning with the son's son"...
s such as Sogarwar
Sogarwar
Sogarwar , Sogaria or Sogarwal are gotras of Jats primarily found in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan....
, Chahar
Chahar (clan)
Chahar also known by variations like Chahad, Char and Chaharag, is a gotra or clan of Jats in India. People belonging to this clan are found in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh...
, Sinsinwar
Sinsinwar
Sinsinwar is a gotra of Jats found in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, India. The Bharatpur rulers of the Sinsinwar gotra have originated from Sini/Shini in the ancestry of Krishna; which itself is derived from Krishna's own gotra, Vrishni. They are Chandravanshi kshatriyas...
, Kuntal throughout Northern India and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.Fouzder title is also found in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
specially in the Hindu Kshatriya community of Khulna
Khulna
Khulna is the third largest city in Bangladesh. It is located on the banks of the Rupsha and Bhairab rivers in Khulna District. It is the divisional headquarters of Khulna Division and a major industrial and commercial center. It has a seaport named Mongla on its outskirts, 38 km from Khulna...
division.Varman/Barman/Varma
Varma
Varmā , Varman or Burman or Barman is an honorific title that was originally used by the Kshatriyas in India and South East Asia...
was their main title.Some say that they are descendant of the General of army of Nawab Alivardi Khan
Alivardi Khan
Ali Vardi Khan was the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during 1740 - 1756. He toppled the Nasiri Dynasty of Bengal and took power as Nawab.-Early life:...
.There is still many example of Varman dynasty
Varman dynasty
The Varman dynasty ruled Kamarupa from 350 to 650. Pushyavarman the first historical ruler of Assam established this dynasty in c350 AD...
in Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
division.There is also a cadet college,Fouzderhat Cadet College in Chittagong.
See also
- KotwalKotwalKotwal was a title used in medieval India for the leader of a Kot or fort. Kotwals often controlled the fort of a major town or an area of smaller towns on behalf of another ruler. It was similar in function to a British India Zaildar From Mughal times the title was given to the local ruler of a...
- KiladarKiladarKiladar was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in medieval India. The office of Kiladar had the same functions as that of Castellan.-Etymology:...
- CastellanCastellanA castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
- VarmaVarmaVarmā , Varman or Burman or Barman is an honorific title that was originally used by the Kshatriyas in India and South East Asia...
/VarmanVarmanVarman is a village in Sirohi District in Rajasthan state in India. It is 45 km from Abu Road and formerly known as Brahmana.It was a prosperous town in the past. The place was famous for Sun Temple known as Brahmana Svamin. The temple is also called Surya Narayana and was built in the seventh...