ਲੰਬੜਦਾਰ

What does lambardar mean in Punjabi? A lambardar (ਲੰਬੜਦਾਰ) is the village headman in the land revenue system: a village officer who collects land revenue for the estate and acts as the link between the villagers and the government. The same post is also called nambardar or numberdar.

What does lambardar mean in Punjabi?

Wikipedia gives lambardar, also written nambardar or numberdar, in Punjabi as ਲੰਬੜਦਾਰ, and describes the lambardar as the village headman responsible for tax collection in the village during the British Raj, appointed under the Mahalwari system. The word is built from number, for the share or percentage of land revenue, and dar, a Persian word meaning holder or keeper, so a lambardar is the holder of a share of the land revenue.

What does a lambardar do?

The work is set out in the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 and its rules. TheLawmatics describes the lambardar as a village officer under section 3(11) of that Act, and as the link between the Collector and the village community for recovering land revenue, cess and taxes. The lambardar collects the revenue and pays it into the treasury, reports to the tehsildar, helps with harvest inspections and surveys, and assists officers during land consolidation. Magicbricks adds the everyday side of the post: helping with land records, mediating disputes and helping villagers reach government schemes.

Is a lambardar the same as a sarpanch?

No. A sarpanch is elected by the villagers for a fixed term to head the panchayat, while TheLawmatics notes the lambardar post is for life, unless the Deputy Commissioner dismisses the holder for misconduct or accepts a resignation. The lambardar works on the revenue side, with the patwari who keeps the land records, while the sarpanch leads the elected village council. In daily speech, though, lambardar is also used loosely for a big, influential man of the village, and the word is heard often in Punjabi songs.