Chaudhari

Chaudhari is a Punjabi word which was traditionally used to mean "a head of a group or village" and refers to the position held my the person. During the sikh rule in Punjab and this title became very common and quite a few village headmen or 'Lumberdars' were given 'Chauhadry' as a title by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Ever since, the Chaudhrys of Chakwal style themselves as 'Chaudhrial' to distinguish themselves from the newly appointed men.

It is a title typically indicating the ownership of ancestral land found in the Punjab region. It is also a common surname used in the Punjab state.