Chaudhary

Chaudhary (or Choudhury; also: Chaudhuri, Choudhary, Chowdhury) is a title of honour and a common surname in the Indian subcontinent, originally derived from an Indian hereditary title. "Chaudhary" is a term adapted from the Sanskrit word ''caturdhara'', literally "holder of four" (four denoting a measure of land). 'Chaudhary' was first bestowed by the various rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, and the custom was continued by the breakaway Bengal Sultanate. Later, the Mughals and the Nawabs conferred the same title in great numbers. Chaudharies were "local magnates" responsible for land taxes alongside an ''amil'' (revenue collector) and a ''karkun'' (accountant) in the local-level administrative units known as parganas . In Odisha "Choudhury" surname holders are mostly Karanas and Utkal Brahmins . Chaudhary is also common last names among the Tharu community of Nepal. Provided by Wikipedia