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