s. m. (M.), ) A division of land with defined boundries; the mouth; the circular wooden frame on which the masonry cylinder of a well is built; a circle:—chakdár, s. m. (1) The owner of the chak or circular wooden frame on which the masonry cylinder of a well is built. Hence chakdár means owner of the well, as opposed to owner of the land attached to the well. In this sense he is also called silahdár, i. e. owner of the bricks of the well.—(2) The proprietor of land on a tenure common in the south-western Punjab. Sawan Mall, finding the owners unable to cultivate their land, encouraged outsiders to sink wells and cultivate the fields. Those who sunk wells were called chakdárs, and the old proprietors zamíndars or mukaddams. When the proprietors (zamindars) were powerful enough they made the chakdár pay an investiture fee called pag, luṇgí, saropá, or jhúṛí on sinking his well. Sawan Mal secured to the proprietors the payment of a quit-rent called hak zamíṇdárí, and málịkáná, varying from about ¼ to 2½ seers of grain in the maund, from the chakdár whom the zamindar maintained in possession, or in the management of the cultivation if he (the chakdár) did not cultivate the ground himself. This description of tenure had existed before, but Sawan Mall was the first to regulate it and give the name chakdár (chakdárs were known as riáyá before his time.) The chakdár's tenure is heritable and transferable; he can locate tenants, and is not liable to ejection even if he fail to pay his rent to the zamindar. The rent paid by a tenant to the chakdár is called lichh on the banks of Indus, and kasúr on the Chenab and in Multan. Since the introduction of British rule the chakdárs have been called inferior proprietors (málikán adná) and the old proprietors (málikán álá) superior proprietors,:—chakdárí, s. f. The tenure of a chakdár; also see chakk.