Kiladar

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title: "Kiladar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["titles-in-india"] topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiladar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

Qiladar (Urdu: قلعہ‌دار) was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in early modern India. During the Mughal Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Persian: کیلدار). The office of Qiladar had the same functions as that of a European feudal Castellan.

Etymology

The title is composed of the Urdu word for fort "Qila", and the Persian 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 Qiladar was used in the Mughal Empire as well as northern India. Most large settlements or strategic forts in the Mughal Empire had a Qiladar.

However, while in northern India the autonomous position of Qiladar implied sovereignty, in southern India the position was subordinate to the civil administration of a town.

Ruling kiladars

In the case of Banganapalle, the Mughal-loyal qiladars ruled it as a princely state, which continued during the British Raj, until and after 24 January 1876, when Fath `Ali Khan was granted the higher style Nawab.

References

References

  1. Archaeological Survey of India. (1885). "Reports". Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing.
  2. (1920). "The story of my life". H. Milford, Oxford university press.
  3. Smythies, Raymond Henry Raymond. (1894). "Historical records of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment, now 1st Battalion the Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment).: From its formation, in 1717 to 1893". Printed for the subscribers by A.H. Swiss.
  4. (1887). "General index to the reports of the Archaeological Survey of India, volumes I to XXIII". Printed by the Superintendent of Government Printing.
  5. Chaurasia, R.S.. (2004-01-01). "History of the Marathas". Atlantic Publishers & Distributors.

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