Zamindars were powerful local chieftains who were appointed by the Mughal rulers to collect revenue and taxes from the peasants and give them to the Mughal Emperor. They acted as intermediaries between the rulers and the peasants. The Mughal Emperors did not choose the zamindars; instead, they lived genetically, with sons inheriting when their fathers died. They, too, had armies of armed supporters. They obtained a percentage of the revenue collected by the Jagirdars in the region and various permits from farmers and others. In dealings with the Mughal administrators, they worked as agents for locals. In some areas, zamindars exercised a great deal of power. They were so powerful that the exploitation by Mughal administration could drive them to rebellion. Sometimes the zamindars who were of the same caste of peasants allied with them against the Mughal authority. Historians have divided zamindars into three categories under the Mughal era who have rights according to their status. The zamindari system was more prevalent in North India as Mughals were less famous in the southern region.