ators ▁but ▁with ▁variations ▁in ▁different ▁provinces . ▁While ▁zam ind ars ▁were ▁land l ords , ▁ra iy ats ▁were ▁ten ants ▁and ▁cultiv ators , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁h ired ▁labour . ▁ ▁A ▁ra iy at ▁was ▁defined ▁as ▁someone ▁who ▁has ▁acquired ▁a ▁right ▁to ▁hold ▁land ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁cultiv ating ▁it , ▁whether ▁alone ▁or ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁his ▁family , ▁h ired ▁servants , ▁or ▁partners . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁succession ▁rights . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Ry ot ▁origin ates ▁from ▁the ▁H indi ▁word ▁ra ` ī y at ▁and ▁the ▁Arab ic ▁word ▁ra ` ī y ah , ▁translated ▁as ▁" f lock " ▁or ▁" pe as ants ", ▁in ▁turn ▁origin ating ▁from ▁the ▁word ▁ra ` ā , ▁meaning ▁" p ast ure ". ▁ ▁Class ifications ▁Under ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁system ▁of ▁land ▁control ▁there ▁were ▁two ▁types ▁of ▁ra iy ats : ▁k h ud k asta ▁and ▁pa ik asta . ▁ ▁The ▁k h ud k asta ▁ra iy ats ▁were ▁permanent ▁resident ▁cultiv ators ▁of ▁the ▁village . ▁Their ▁rights ▁in ▁land ▁were ▁her itable ▁according ▁to ▁Muslim ▁and ▁H indu ▁laws ▁of ▁succession . ▁ ▁The ▁other ▁type ▁of ▁ra iy ats ▁was ▁called ▁pa ik asta . ▁They ▁did ▁not ▁cultiv ate ▁land ▁on ▁a ▁permanent ▁basis ▁in ▁any ▁particular ▁m au za ▁( low est ▁re venue ▁plus ▁village ▁settlement ▁unit ), ▁but ▁instead ▁moved ▁from ▁m