zam·in·dar also zem·in·dar 
(zămən-där′, zĕm-, zə-mēn-där)
(zămən-där′, zĕm-, zə-mēn-där)n.
1. An official in precolonial India assigned to collect the land taxes of his district.
2. A landholder in British colonial India responsible for collecting and paying to the government the taxes on the land under his jurisdiction.
[Hindi zamīndār, from Persian : zamīn, earth; see dhghem- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + -dār, -holder; see dher- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]