The Zamindars of Bihar were the autonomous and semi-autonomous rulers and administrators of the Mughalsubah of Bihar and later during British rule. The zamindars of Bihar were numerous and could be divided into small, medium and large depending on how much land they controlled. Within Bihar, the zamindars had both economic and military power. Each zamindari would have their own standing army which was typically composed of their own clansmen. The majority of these zamindars usually belonged to upper-caste Hindu communities such as Rajputs, Maithil Brahmins, Bhumihars, Kayasthas or Muslims.
Relations with the Mughals
Mughal rule in Bihar was characterised as turbulent and volatile as many of the region's zamindars made continuous efforts to defy the imperial authority. Generally, the Mughals had great difficulty in subduing the chiefs of Bihar. Many of the major zamindaris and chieftaincies in the suba of Bihar were located in hilly and forested areas which proved beneficial in terms of dealing with potential conflicts. These zamindars had an obligation to pay tribute to the Mughal authorities but rebellions were common and in many instances the army would have to be sent in to Bihar to subdue the rebellious zamindar. A notable instance of this occurred in 1503 when Raja Sangram Singh of Kharagpur Raj rebelled and was subsequently killed in battle. His son was then converted to Islam and became a staunch ally of the Mughals. The nineteenth centuryBritish civil servant, John Beames noted about Mughal-ruled Bihar that "everyone who was powerful enough to rob the state or his neighbours, robbed to his hearts content". Zamindars refusing to pay the state and gathering forces to attack neighbouring zamindars was a common practice in Bihar during this period. This attitude to authority continued into the period when the Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad became the nominal governors of Bihar. Although Bihar had the potential to provide a large amount of revenue and tax, records show that the Nawabs were unable to extract any money from the chiefs of Bihar until 1748. And even following this, the amount gained was very low. This was again due to the rebellious nature of the zamindars who were "continually in arms".
After the collapse of the Mughals, the British East India Company held sway over much of South Asia. In 1781, their control of Bihar was disturbed when some of the zamindars started to rise in revolt following the rebellion of Chait Singh, the Maharaja of Benares state. Among the rebels in Bihar, were Raja Narain Singh of Seris-Kutumba, Akbar Ali of Narhat Samoy and Fateh Bahadur Sahi of Huseypur. Among the motivations for the rebellion was the reluctance of these zamindars to provide revenue to the British. However, many zamindars in Bihar were also loyal to the British and refused to take part. Eventually the British were able to subdue the rebellion without too much trouble.
Abolition
Following independence in 1947, there was large-scale support in Bihar for the abolition of zamindari especially among peasants, agricultural labourers and the urban middle-class who stood to gain the most from this. This culminated in a large-scale movement in support of abolition led by lower-castes. The Bhumihar zamindars realised that abolition was going to occur and planned for abolition to be on their terms. However, the Rajput-Kayastha zamindars strongly resisted this. Eventually, the Bihar Abolition of Zamindaris Act was passed in 1949.
