Landed nobility

Landed nobility or landed aristocracy is a category of nobility in various countries over the history, for which landownership was part of their noble privileges. Their character depends on the country.

• The notion of landed gentry in the United Kingdom and Ireland varied over time.
• In Russian Empire landed nobles were called pomeshchiks, with the term literally translated as "landed estate owner". See Russian nobility for more.
• Junkers were the landed nobility of Prussia and Eastern Germany
• In Poland, szlachta were usually landowners, with magnates being the class of the wealthiest szlachta. Middle and smaller landed szlachta was called ziemiaństwo/ziemianie (from the word ziemia, land), usually translated as landed gentry.
• In some places, e.g., in Low Countries before Spanish rule, urban nobility with landed estates was distinct from landed nobility. In general, relations between landed nobility and towns was very complex in Europe.
• In the Indian Empire, jagirdar and zamindar were the landed aristocracies, which formed Indian feudalism. Sometimes, they were elevated to the status of Princes or Royals owning princely states. Sometimes royals were also reduced to the status of zamindars.In the south, Nairs constituted the Landed Gentry and owned vast amounts of Lands spread out in current day Kerala and Tamil Nadu.