Kiladar
Encyclopedia
Kiladar 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
.
word for fort "Kila", and the suffix "Dar", signifying an occupation. The military historian R.H.R. Smythies originally translated the term as "Custodian of the Fort".
as well as northern India. Most large settlements or strategic forts in the Maratha Empire
had a Kiladar. However, while in northern India the position of Kiladar implied sovereignty
, in the Maratha Empire the position was subordinate to the civil administration of a town.
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...
. The office of Kiladar had the same functions as that of Castellan
Castellan
A 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:...
.
Etymology
The title is composed of the HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
word for fort "Kila", and the suffix "Dar", signifying an occupation. The military historian R.H.R. Smythies originally translated the term as "Custodian of the Fort".
History
The position of Kiladar was used in the Maratha EmpireMaratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
as well as northern India. Most large settlements or strategic forts in the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
had a Kiladar. However, while in northern India the position of Kiladar implied sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, in the Maratha Empire the position was subordinate to the civil administration of a town.