Mouza
Encyclopedia
In Bangladesh
, a mouza is a type of administrative district, corresponding to a specific land area within which there may be one or more settlements. Before the 20th century, the term referred to a revenue collection unit in a pargana
or revenue
district. As populations increased and villages became more common and developed, the concept of the mouza declined in importance. Today it has become mostly synonymous with the gram or village. Most census
es and voter lists, for example, now use the names of villages rather than mouzas.
The term has a similar meaning in the Assam
region of India
, where a mouza refers to a locality in a district or within a large Assamese city. This term should not be confused with the term gaon (meaning village in Assamese
). In Assam, several villages typically form a single mouza. The head of the mouza is known as a mouzadar
.
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...
, a mouza is a type of administrative district, corresponding to a specific land area within which there may be one or more settlements. Before the 20th century, the term referred to a revenue collection unit in a 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...
or revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
district. As populations increased and villages became more common and developed, the concept of the mouza declined in importance. Today it has become mostly synonymous with the gram or village. Most census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
es and voter lists, for example, now use the names of villages rather than mouzas.
The term has a similar meaning in the Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
region of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where a mouza refers to a locality in a district or within a large Assamese city. This term should not be confused with the term gaon (meaning village in Assamese
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
). In Assam, several villages typically form a single mouza. The head of the mouza is known as a mouzadar
Mouzadar
Mouzadar is an Assamese term meaning the leader of an Assamese mouza. This term should not be confused with the gaonburha....
.