|Regions with significant populations|
|• India • Pakistan|
|• Urdu • Hindi • Khari Boli • Awadhi •|
|• Islam 100% •|
|Related ethnic groups|
|• Shaikh of Uttar Pradesh • Shaikhzada • Jhojha • Shaikh|
The Zamindara or Rautara are a distinct Muslim community found mainly in the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh.  Members of Zamindara community who migrated to Pakistan after the independence in 1947, are settled in Karachi, Sindh.
History and origin
The Zamindara are the sub-group within the wider Shaikh community. Zamindara in Urdu means a landowner, and was a name given to a community of diverse origin in what is now present day eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Zamindara are said to be descendants of Turk and Kshatriya castes and Pathans who migrated to the region from Khorasan. Many Zamindaras were substantial landowners, and reference is made to this community in Abu'l-Fazl's, 16th-century magnum opus, Ain-i-Akbari, as the landowners of pargana Nizamabad.
By early 19th century, Zamindara's owing to their industry and enterprise, had substantially increased their landed possession. In addition, number of them were educated and had obtained good position in the professions and government services in erstwhile British India. 
The Zamindara today are mainly concentrated in district of Azamgarh but are also found in substantial number in neighbouring districts of Mau and Jaunpur, and in certain pockets of Gorakhpur and Sultanpur. They are essentially a community of landowners and prior to the abolition of the Zamindari system, held large tract of lands. They speak a distinct dialect of Awadhi among themselves, but Urdu with outsiders. They are an endogamous group and practise strict form of endogamy. The Zamindara's usually have Shaikh, Khan and Azmi [chaudhary] as their surnames. The population of Zamindara community in Azamgarh and Jaunpur are approximately 2.5 million of which 1.7 million are Pathans and 1.3 million Shaikh.
- A Gazetteer of Azamgarh District pages 93 to 94