Kiladar

Qiladar 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'. 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.