A jagir (Devanagari: जागीर, Persian: جاگیر, ja- meaning "place", -gir meaning "keeping")[1] was a type of land grant bestowed by an Indo-Aryan monarch to a Sardar (or Sirdar) in recognition of his loyal military service.
A jagir was formally a life estate, as the grant lawfully reverted back to the monarch on death. However, in practice, many jagirs became hereditary by primogeniture. The recipient of the jagir (termed a jagirdar) was the de facto ruler of the territory and was able to earn income from taxes. The jagirdar would typically reside at the capital to serve as a court minister, typically appearing twice a day before the monarch. Consequently, the jagirdar preferred to receive his share of the dues from the estates in coin rather than in-kind.
This feudal system of land ownership is referred to as the jagirdar system. It was first established in the 13th century by the Sultans of Delhi, and was later adopted by the Maratha Empire in the early 17th century. Following independence from the British Crown, the jagirdar system was abolished by the Indian government in 1951.[2][3]
The grants were of several kinds and were known under different expressions, including:[4]