E. Ind. Forms: 8 zemidary, 8–9 zemindarry, -aree, 9 zeme(e)ndary, zam-, zemindari, zumeen-, zemindary. [Hind., a. Pers. zamīndāri, f. zamīndār: see prec.]
1. The system of holding lands and farming revenue by means of zemindars; the office or jurisdiction of a zemindar.
1757. in Scrafton, Indostan (1770), 81. All the land lying south of Calcutta, as far as Culpee, shall be under the Zemindary of the English Company.
1758. in Jrnl. Ho. Comm., XXXIII. 850/1. Sunnud from the Dewan of the Subah of Bengal, for the Zemindarry of the Lands granted to the Company.
1783. Ann. Reg., Hist. Eur., 5/2. The zemindary was secured to the family … of Bulwant Sing.
1890. Times, 8 March, 4/1. The appellant, who was the eldest son of the late zemindar … contended that the zemindary was impartible.
attrib. 1790. J. Grant (title), An Inquiry into the nature of Zemindary Tenures in the landed property of Bengal.
1885. G. S. Forbes, Wild Life in Canara, 171. They now … cultivate the lands of some eight or ten zemindari estates.
2. The territory administered by a zemindar.
1764. Ann. Reg., St. Papers, 191/2. If the French come into the country, I will not allow them to … hold lands, zemindaries, &c.
1858. J. B. Norton, Topics, 165. The ancient zemindarry of Golugondah, which yields about 10,000 rupees of clear surplus annually.
1878. Macm. Mag., Jan., 250/2. For 1874 the actual extent of land cultivated in the Madras Presidency (excluding Zemindary), amounted to 14,236,072 acres of dry and 3,510,615 acres of wet.
