Wajib-ul-Arz(A major Source of Rural Society of the South-East Punjab)
Abstract
This paper examines the Shart-Wajib-ul-Arz, an essential document for understanding village records in southeast Punjab during the colonial period. Due to the loss of records from before the colonial era, our knowledge of earlier village documents is limited, although it is known that the Mughals emphasized keeping village records for revenue purposes, primarily in Persian.
The Wajib-ul-Arz serves as an authentic record of village life, providing details about the inhabitants and their caste composition. The writing style of the Wajib-ul-Arz varies by region, but these documents were regarded as the most reliable records at the village level, both during the colonial period and afterwards. While the language used in these documents has shifted from Urdu to Hindi, their significance remains.
When the British occupied Punjab, they aimed to understand local customs. For revenue purposes, when the first settlement reports were prepared at the village level, Wajib-ul-Arz documents were created. These records offer detailed information about the land, village characteristics, and customs such as grazing and begar (unpaid labor) provided by different castes. They also outline the duties and roles of various village castes, such as Lohars (blacksmiths) and Gujjars (pastoralists). Additionally, the documents include information about sanads (grants) issued by the British to states, explaining their powers and positions.