What is "faujdar"

n. (context India English) An officer tasked with the administration of a sarkar.

Faujdar was a title awarded by Mughal and other Muslim rulers in South Asia to garrison commanders.

In pre-Mughal times, the term referred to a military officer but did not refer to a specific rank. With the administrative reforms performed by Mughal emperor Akbar, this rank was systemised. The empire as a whole was divided into provinces known as subah, which were further divided into sarkars, and then parganas. One of the names used to describe the officer posted to act as the administrator of the sarkar was faujdar.

Faujdar is mostly used as a title by Jat gotras such as Sogarwar, Chahar, Sinsinwar, Kuntal throughout Northern India and Pakistan. The Fouzder title is also found in Bangladesh specially in the Hindu Kshatriya community of Khulna division, though Varman/Barman/Varma was their main title. Some say that they are descendants of the General of the army of Nawab Alivardi Khan. There are still many examples of the Varman dynasty in Sylhet division. There is also a cadet college called Fouzderhat Cadet College in Chittagong.