write the contribution of SherShah's administrative Organisation in Indian history
Answers
1. The Central Administration:
The Sultan:
Sher Shah paid due respect to the sentiments and traditions of the Afghans with a view to win their respect and loyalty. But, he knew that the Afghan theory of kingship was not workable in India. Therefore, he changed the traditions of the Afghans and, in practice, came nearer the Turkish theory of kingship.
Therefore, he concentrated all administrative powers in his own person. His ministers enjoyed even less powers as compared with the ministers of the Mughuls. His ministers did not make decisions themselves.
All major decisions were taken by Sher Shah himself and the ministers and the nobles simply carried them out. Thus, Sher Shah was a despot whose aim was to do good to his subjects. For that purpose, Sher Shah worked hard for sixteen hours a day and looked after the working of every department of the state.
The ministers:
Though the ministers were, in fact, secretaries of Sher Shah as they had no power of initiative or final decision of any policy but they were there simply because of the convenience of the administration. There were departments whose administrative heads enjoyed the position of ministers.
They were as follows:
(i) Diwan-i-Wazirat:
The head of this department was the Wazir (Vazir). He was, primarily, the finance minister and looked after the income and expenditure of the state though he enjoyed a general supervisory authority over other ministers.
(ii) Diwan-i-Arz:
This department was under the Arz-i-Mumalik who was the army minister. He was not the commander-in-chief of the army but looked after the recruitment, organisation, discipline, disbursement of the salaries of the soldiers and officers and all sorts of supplies to the army.
(iii) Diwan-i-Rasalat:
The incharge of this department worked as foreign minister of the state. He received foreign envoys and ambassadors and maintained correspondence with foreign states. Sometimes, the charity and endowment department was also placed under him.
(iv) Diwan-i-Insha:
Its head was called Dabir-i-Khas who looked after internal correspondence of the state. The royal proclamation and despatches were sent by him to governors and other officers. He received their communications as well and reported them to the Sultan.
The other was Diwan-i-Barid which was presided over by the Barid-i-Mumalik who was the head of the intelligence department. He looked after the newswriters and spies of the state who were posted at all important places in the empire. He also arranged the news carriers to carry the royal dak. There seems to have been another high official who looked after the royal household and personal safety of the Sultan.
2. Provincial Administration:
(i) Suba or Iqta:
The entire Suba was divided into Sarkars (districts), each being looked after by a military officer called the chief Shiqdar. Above all chief Shiqdars there was appointed a civilian officer called the Amin-i-Bangala with a small military force to supervise the administration of the province. Thus, there was no military governor in Bengal and there was no other officer commanding a sufficiently large force so as to be in a position to revolt against the Sultan.
(ii) Sarkars:
Every Iqta or Suba was divided into several Sarkars or districts. There were two chief officers in every Sarkar. The one, Shiqdar-i-Shiqdaran or chief Shiqdar was a military officer. He maintained peace in his Sarkar, supervised the work of his subordinate Shiqdars and helped in the collection of revenue and other taxes.
The other officer was the Munsif-i-Munsifan or the chief Munsif. He was, primarily, a judicial officer who decided only civil cases and looked after the working of his subordinate judicial officers in the Parganas. Certainly, both these officers must have been getting assistance from a large number of junior officers and other subordinates in carrying out their duties.
(iii) Parganas:
Each Sarkar was divided into smaller units called Parganas. There was a Shiqdar (military officer), Amin or Munsif (Civilian Judge), one Fotahdar (treasurer) and two Karkuns (clerks or writers) in each Pargana.
(iv) Village:
Sher Shah left the administration of villages in the hands of their hereditary officers like Chaukidars, Patwaris, etc. The village-panchayat (assembly) also enjoyed a large measure of independence in looking after the welfare of the people. All of them assisted state officials in collecting revenue and maintaining law and order.