A low-ranking official or administrator in India during the British colonial period, often responsible for collecting taxes or maintaining irrigation systems.
From Hindi/Urdu 'arain' or 'arian,' related to water management and agriculture. The term became established in English colonial vocabulary in the 18th-19th centuries.
Arains were crucial figures in Indian villages—they managed water systems that had been in place for centuries, and many arains became powerful local leaders because everyone depended on them for water access!
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