Qiladar (Urdu: قلعہدار) was a title for the governor of a fort or large town in early modern India.[1] During the Maratha Empire, the title was commonly pronounced 'Killedar' (Marathi: किल्लेदार). The office of Qiladar had the same functions as that of a European feudal Castellan.[2]
The title is composed of the Urdu word for fort "Qila", and the suffix "-dar", signifying an occupation. The military historian R.H.R. Smythies originally translated the term as "Custodian of the Fort".[3][4]
The position of Qiladar was used in the Hindu Maratha Empire as well as northern India. Most large settlements or strategic forts in the Maratha Empire had a Qiladar.[5]
However, while in northern India the autonomous position of Qiladar implied sovereignty, in the Maratha Empire the position was subordinate to the civil administration of a town.[5]
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.
