Paragraph Web StoriesTOC pIndia's land record system was primarily organised during the Mughal period. Although a lot has changed since then, vis-à-vis land and revenue record keeping in India, the terminology remains much the same, with many terms having their roots in Arabic, Persian and Hindi. We look at such terms commonly used in India's land and revenue record system and find out what they mean in layman’s terms. While there are numerous land and revenue record terms in India, some are referred to more often than others, especially if you are trying to check land records online. Here are some of the top commonly used terms. Top 10 land record terms Term Hindi English Jamabandi/Fard जमाबन्दी It is the records of rights (RoR), containing information about the land, its owners and its cultivators, etc. Khata खाता Khata describes all landholding of a family or individuals. Khasra खसरा This is the survey number or the plot number assigned to a land parcel. Khatauni खतौनी This document has details of about land holdings of cultivators. Khewat खेवट This is a list of a landowner's entire landholding. Nakal नकल A copy of land records, a nakal contains every information about, land, ownership pattern, revenue, etc. Khudkasht खुद काश्त This signifies that a land is being cultivates by its owners and not by cultivators. Mauza मौजा This is the term used for village. Bainama बैनामा This is the term used for sale deed. Patta and pattanama पट्टा, पट्टानामा When a land parcel is given on lease, it is known as patta. Its mutation is known as pattanama. See also: Know all about bigha 15 land ownership record terms Here are some other complex terms you would come across, while checking land records in India: Term Hindi English meaning Batai बटाई While this could loosely be translated into 'division', the system actually means an arrangement between the owner and cultivator, to grow crops and share it on certain terms. Intkal इन्तकाल In land records, this stands for mutation, i.e., a change in ownership of land due to its transfer in the records of rights register. This change in title could be because of transfer by a registered deed, inheritance, survivorship, bequest or lease, in the records of rights. Dakhil Kharij दाखिल ख़ारिज Property mutation is also known as dakhil-kharij. Varsal वरसाल This is property mutation upon the death of or through a will of the owner. Virasat विरासत Virasat is basically inheritance. Hibba हिब्बा Mutation when the land is gifted to someone. Tabdeel Malkiat तब्दील मलकियत Mutation, after the settlement of dispute by a court order. Fard Badr फर्द बदर The process of making a correction in land record is known as fard badar. Shajra Nasab शजरा नसब A table showing succession to ownership rights occurring from time to time. Shajra kishtwar शजरा किश्तवार An updated version of an original map is known as shajra kishtwar. Shajra parcha शजरा परचा A piece of cloth/paper used by patwaris, to draw maps incorporating all changes in land ownership. Lagaan लगान If land is not cultivated by the owner, the person cultivating the land is liable to pay to the owner on agreed terms. This agreement is known as lagaan. Lal dora लाल डोरा The non-agricultural land meant to be used by villagers to support them. Bahissa barabar बहिस्सा बराबर Equal division of land. Rafai-aam or revenue raasta रफाइ आम In government records of northern states, access roads are referred to as revenue rassta or rafai-aam. See also: All about Jamabandi Haryana 25 common land and revenue records terms Here are some other commonly used terms you must familiarise yourself with: Term Hindi English meaning Nambardar नंबरदार The village headman Tatima ततीमा Division of plot Khaka खाका Layout or sketch Kurki कुर्की Impounding a property Jamaan जमां Land tax Hadbast number हदबस्त Village serial number Had हद Village/land boundary Kanungo कानूनगो Head of patwaris Kashtkar कास्तकार Cultivator Malguzari मालगुजारी Land tax Medh मेण्ड Field boundary Shajra शजरा Detailed village map Tatima Shajra ततीमा शजरा Map prepared after the division of a plot Paimaish पैमाईश Land measurement Rapat रपट Mutation Rahin रहन Mortgage Deed Marusi मौरूसी Permanent cultivator Mukhtiarnama मुख्तियारनामा Licence Chahi चाही land irrigated using well water Chak tashkhish चक तशखीश Land type Kilabandi किलाबंदी Rectangular measurement of land Khaka dasti खाक दस्ती Hand sketch of map Patwari पटवारी Village accountant Mustari मुस्तरी Land buyer Musavi मुसावी Original map See also: All about Bhulekh UP Additional terms Murrabha (मुर्राभा): Plot comprising of 25 acres of land. Gair dakhildar (गैर दखिलदर): Unauthorised permanent possession. Rehan (रेहन): Mortgage with possession. Chakautha (चकौता): Land revenue in cash. Gerinda (गेरिन्दा): The receiver of a gift. Chak tashkhish (चक तशखीश): Land classification. Do fasali (दो फसली): Land which produces two crops every year. Barani (बरानी): Land that depends on rain for irrigation. Chahi (चाही): Land that depends on wells for irrigation. Baya (बाया): Seller of land. Khaka dasti (खाक दस्ती): Hand sketch. Najul (नज़ूल): land belonging to the government See also: All about Bhumi Jankari Bihar FAQs [sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0="h3" question-0="What is patta?" answer-0="When a land is taken on lease, it is known as patta." image-0="" headline-1="h3" question-1="What is mauza?" answer-1="A village is sometimes referred to as mauza, in land records. " image-1="" count="2" html="true" css

India’s land record system was primarily organised during the Mughal period. Although a lot has changed since then, vis-à-vis land and revenue record keeping in India, the terminology remains much the same, with many terms having their roots in Arabic, Persian and Hindi. We look at such terms commonly used in India’s land and revenue record system and find out what they mean in layman’s terms.

Table of Contents

While there are numerous land and revenue record terms in India, some are referred to more often than others, especially if you are trying to check land records online. Here are some of the top commonly used terms.

Top 10 land record terms

Term	Hindi	English
Jamabandi/Fard	जमाबन्दी	It is the records of rights (RoR), containing information about the land, its owners and its cultivators, etc.
Khata	खाता	Khata describes all landholding of a family or individuals.
Khasra	खसरा	This is the survey number or the plot number assigned to a land parcel.
Khatauni	खतौनी	This document has details of about land holdings of cultivators.
Khewat	खेवट	This is a list of a landowner’s entire landholding.
Nakal	नकल	A copy of land records, a nakal contains every information about, land, ownership pattern, revenue, etc.
Khudkasht	खुद काश्त	This signifies that a land is being cultivates by its owners and not by cultivators.
Mauza	मौजा	This is the term used for village.
Bainama	बैनामा	This is the term used for sale deed.
Patta and pattanama	पट्टा, पट्टानामा	When a land parcel is given on lease, it is known as patta. Its mutation is known as pattanama.

See also: Know all about bigha

15 land ownership record terms

Here are some other complex terms you would come across, while checking land records in India:

Term	Hindi	English meaning
Batai	बटाई	While this could loosely be translated into ‘division’, the system actually means an arrangement between the owner and cultivator, to grow crops and share it on certain terms.
Intkal	इन्तकाल	In land records, this stands for mutation, i.e., a change in ownership of land due to its transfer in the records of rights register. This change in title could be because of transfer by a registered deed, inheritance, survivorship, bequest or lease, in the records of rights.
Dakhil Kharij	दाखिल ख़ारिज	Property mutation is also known as dakhil-kharij.
Varsal	वरसाल	This is property mutation upon the death of or through a will of the owner.
Virasat	विरासत	Virasat is basically inheritance.
Hibba	हिब्बा	Mutation when the land is gifted to someone.
Tabdeel Malkiat	तब्दील मलकियत	Mutation, after the settlement of dispute by a court order.
Fard Badr	फर्द बदर	The process of making a correction in land record is known as fard badar.
Shajra Nasab	शजरा नसब	A table showing succession to ownership rights occurring from time to time.
Shajra kishtwar	शजरा किश्तवार	An updated version of an original map is known as shajra kishtwar.
Shajra parcha	शजरा परचा	A piece of cloth/paper used by patwaris, to draw maps incorporating all changes in land ownership.
Lagaan	लगान	If land is not cultivated by the owner, the person cultivating the land is liable to pay to the owner on agreed terms. This agreement is known as lagaan.
Lal dora	लाल डोरा	The non-agricultural land meant to be used by villagers to support them.
Bahissa barabar	बहिस्सा बराबर	Equal division of land.
Rafai-aam or revenue raasta	रफाइ आम	In government records of northern states, access roads are referred to as revenue rassta or rafai-aam.

See also: All about Jamabandi Haryana

65 common land and revenue records terms

Here are some other commonly used terms you must familiarise yourself with:

Term	Hindi	English meaning
Nambardar	नंबरदार	The village headman
Tatima	ततीमा	Division of plot
Khaka	खाका	Layout or sketch
Kurki	कुर्की	Impounding a property
Jamaan	जमां	Land tax
Hadbast number	हदबस्त	Village serial number
Had	हद	Village/land boundary
Kanungo	कानूनगो	Head of patwaris
Kashtkar	कास्तकार	Cultivator
Malguzari	मालगुजारी	Land tax
Medh	मेण्ड	Field boundary
Shajra	शजरा	Detailed village map
Tatima Shajra	ततीमा शजरा	Map prepared after the division of a plot
Paimaish	पैमाईश	Land measurement
Rapat	रपट	Mutation
Rahin	रहन	Mortgage Deed
Marusi	मौरूसी	Permanent cultivator
Mukhtiarnama	मुख्तियारनामा	Licence
Chahi	चाही	land irrigated using well water
Chak tashkhish	चक तशखीश	Land type
Kilabandi	किलाबंदी	Rectangular measurement of land
Khaka dasti	खाक दस्ती	Hand sketch of map
Patwari	पटवारी	Village accountant
Mustari	मुस्तरी	Land buyer
Musavi	मुसावी	Original map

Abadi Deh	Inhabited site of a village
Badastur	Unaltered
Banjar	Uncultivable land
Banjar Jadid	Land not cultivated for four consecutive harvests
Banjar Kadim	Land not cultivated for eight consecutive harvests
Bigha	A unit of land measurement
Biswa	One-twentieth of a bigha
Biswansi	One-twentieth of a biswa
Chahi Nahri	Land irrigated partly from a canal and partly from a well
Chaukidar	Watchman of a village
Chkota	Lump grain rent or a fixed amount of grain as rent during kharif and rabi seasons
Dholi	Deathbed gift or a small plot of land gifted to a Brahmin
Gair-Mumkin	Barren or uncultivable land
Girdawar	Supervisor of Patwaris
Girdawari	Harvest inspection
Gosha	Corner
Hadh	Land or village boundary
Kalar	Barren land
Kanal	A unit of land area measurement
Karam	Unit of length
Kharaba	Portions of crops that have failed to grow
Kharif	Autumn harvest season
Khasra Girdawari	Harvest inspection register
Khud Kashat	Land cultivated by the owner themselves
Kukri	Process of impounding a property
Latha Girdawari	Cloth copy of the patwari’s map
Marla	A unit for measuring area
Min	Part or portion
Misal Haqiyat	A record of rights
Nahri	Land irrigated by canal
Naib-Tehsildar	Assistant or deputy to the tehsildar
Parat Patwar	Patwari’s copy of the new settlement record
Parat Sarkar	Government’s copy of the new record of settlement
Sabik	Former or previous
Taccavi	Government loan granted to a landowner for agricultural purposes
Waris	Successor
Wasil Baqi Nawis	Revenue accountant at the tehsil level
Wattar	Diagonal line
Zamindar	Landowner

See also: All about Bhulekh UP

Additional terms

Murrabha (मुर्राभा): Plot comprising of 25 acres of land.

Gair dakhildar (गैर दखिलदर): Unauthorised permanent possession.

Rehan (रेहन): Mortgage with possession.

Chakautha (चकौता): Land revenue in cash.

Gerinda (गेरिन्दा): The receiver of a gift.

Chak tashkhish (चक तशखीश): Land classification.

Do fasali (दो फसली): Land which produces two crops every year.

Barani (बरानी): Land that depends on rain for irrigation.

Chahi (चाही): Land that depends on wells for irrigation.

Baya (बाया): Seller of land.

Khaka dasti (खाक दस्ती): Hand sketch.

Najul (नज़ूल): land belonging to the government

See also: All about Bhumi Jankari Bihar

Housing.com POV

Familiarity with India’s land and revenue terminology is crucial for anyone dealing with property records. These terms, while rooted in history, still hold relevance today and provide essential insights into the structure and classification of land. Understanding them not only clarifies legal and administrative processes but also empowers individuals to make informed decisions, whether for transactions, inheritance, or simply keeping track of ownership records.