What Is Shamlat Land?

Hey Pal,

Do you want to know, what is Shamlat land meaning? Let me assist you with this. According to Jammu and Kashmir (Revenue Manual), written by Justice H. Imtiyaz Hussain, when the village community system evolved into the traditional family system—i.e., the land started to be owned by the families rather than the entire community—a certain portion of the land was still retained as community property for common use. This community property became known as village common land or Shamilat land.

The village panchayat is the owner of the Shamlat land in J&K. Jumla Mushtraka Malkan is land in a communal pool that was built with private donations from villagers and is overseen by the panchayat. The panchayat also owns "Gau charan," which is used for livestock grazing.

According to the Revenue Manual, the village common land is divided into the following land regions and does not consist of a single piece of land protected for all common uses:

• Chaupal or hujra 

a gathering area for village flocks where most social and cultural events are held as well as where political meetings are scheduled;

• Abadi Deh

the inhabited village sites, includes the land intended for Dharamsala, mosques, temples, and gurdwaras, for burning ghats and graveyards, for tanks, and other structures.

• Shamilat Deh

is used for grazing cattle, a place from which the owners fetch wood, grass, and similar items, and it includes all the Banjar land of the village. I hope this clarifies your query about the Shamlat Deh land meaning.

• Gora Deh

is where the cattle gather before going to pasture

I would like to conclude here about the Shamlat land meaning. I hope this helps:)

Read More:

I have been a student at Jamia Millia Islamia and became good friends with a student from Kashmir. He invited us to his sister’s wedding, and that is when I came to know about the shamlat deh land meaning. He explained that his village, under the village community system, got transformed into a customary family system. It meant that it was owned by the families only, but portions were still retained for the common use of the community. 

What is Shamlat land in J&K?

Shamlat land refers to the common land in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India. Shamlat land is essentially community-owned land that is meant to be used for the benefit of the entire village or community. It's often used for common purposes such as grazing, collecting firewood, and other communal activities. 

Shamlat land in J&K is not just one patch of land but consists of several chunks. For example, Gora Deh is where cattle are gathered, and Abadi Deh is where houses, mosques, temples, or gurudwaras are constructed.

There are multiple types of lands in different states and each has a different purpose and meaning. One of the types of land I came across is Shamlat land. Then I consulted one of my friends about what it was. He shared quite a lot about it. He said it is one of the many types of land in Jammu and Kashmir.

What is Shamilat land meaning?

The traditional family system, which replaced the village community system, is held by the families but still preserves some areas for communal usage is locally known as "Shamilat Deh" and this area is referred to as village common land. It is not a single piece of land, it is made up of multiple pieces that have been divided into several land types.

What are the ownership rights of Shamlat land?

The Courts have occasionally accepted and recognised a villager's ownership rights over land in Shamilat-Deh. When it comes to the rights of the owner of Shamilat-Deh Land, the Court has made the following observations:

According to this arrangement, the landowners in a specific Mahal would be entitled to a share of the land that was classified as Shamilat pro rata their holdings. This means that they would divide ownership of the property that was declared as Shamilat with the other landowners. This is the Shamlat land act in Jammu and Kashmir.

Can Shamlat land be sold?

Every landowner who owns Shamilat land that is classified as Section 5 may sell that land to a third party after conducting a legal sale on it. Section 4 Shamilat land is classified as grazing land or land used for communal purposes.

You are now aware of the types of land in Jammu and Kashmir.