Administrative and economic reforms of Sher Shah.
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Administrative and economic reforms of Sher Shah.
Sher Shah's system of governance:-
Historian Keen has mentioned in his book "Turks in India" that no government - not even the British has shown so much wisdom as this Pathan. For a very short time (1540 - 1545 AD) he emerged as a bright star in medieval India. But the wisdom he left in his governance during this very short time influenced the rulers of the later times.
Sher Shah's ideal of kingship:-
Sher Shah was not a despot like his predecessors. He was an enlightened despotic ruler. His ideal of kingship was to employ all his power for the welfare of his subjects. Among the Muslim rulers of India, Sher Shah was the first who attempted to found an empire based on the will of the people. In the words of historian Crooke, '' Sher Shah was the first who attempted to found an empire broadly based upon people's will . ''
Comments of Kanungo, Tripathi and Sharan on the nature of the government:-
According to Dr. Kanungo, Sher Shah had much more organizational talent than Akbar. According to Dr. Tripathi and Dr. Sharan, Sher Shah was only a constitutional reformer, not an inventor. He only reintroduced the system of government of Alauddin Khalji; no originality was found in his system of government. Dr. Tripathi wrote - '' Sher Shah was not an innovator . His sole aim was to revitalize the government and introduce efficiency.''
Harmony between Hindus and Muslims in administration:-
The basic principle of Sher Shah's governance was to achieve harmony between Hindus and Muslims. A review of his policies reveals his political foresight. He had gained experience of the defects of Indian life and governance. His various administrative reforms and public welfare works have given him immortality.
‘’The whole of his brief administration was based on the principle of Union.’’ - keen.
Central governance:-
The central government, that is, the Sultan himself was at the top of the entire state. But for the smooth running of the administration, Sher Shah appointed four ministers - Diwane Uzirat, Diwane Arj, Diwane Risalat and Diwane Ins. Each minister was responsible for a department. Apart from the ministers, two other high-ranking civil servants are mentioned - Diwane Qazi and Diwane Barid.
Division of the Empire:-
For the convenience of administration, Sher Shah divided his empire into 47 Sarkars or parts. The power of the regional government was vested in the hands of two high-ranking royal officials named Shikdar - Shikdaran and Munsif - Munshifan.
Each region (Sarkar) consisted of several parts (Parganas). Among the notable officials of the Parganas were Shikdar, Amin and Munsif. In addition, to maintain the connection between the state and the government, there were some officials named Patwari, Chowdhury and Mukaddam. In addition, the administration of the village was vested in the local Panchayat.
Revenue Policy of Sher Shah :-
Land Survey System:- Sher Shah made necessary reforms in the revenue policy. For the convenience of the central government, he arranged for the survey of the cultivated and uncultivated lands of the entire empire. Local officials were given the responsibility of land survey and collection of revenue. The lands were divided into three parts in proportion to the productive power. One-third or one-fourth of the value of the grain produced or the grain was levied as revenue. The Chaudhary and the Muqaddams collected the revenue.
Introduction of Kabuliyat and Patta:- Sher Shah introduced the system of Kabuliyat and Patta. These two terms and conditions clearly stated the debts and obligations of the government and the farmers.
Additional revenue or cess:- Some additional tax or cess was collected per bigha. The purpose of this was to help the subjects during the famine or famine.
Customs:- He abolished various types of illegal customs in different parts of the empire and facilitated the movement of trade and commerce. The practice of levying customs duties only at the border and at the point of sale was prevalent.
Currency reform:-
Long before Sher Shah's reign, many forms of corruption were entering the monetary system. Fake currency was widely used. Coins made of different metals did not have any fixed value. To remove all these difficulties, Sher Shah introduced a new type of currency called ''Dam''. He stopped the circulation of old and mixed coins. He also introduced gold coins. The reform of monetary policy was one of the achievements of Sher Shah.
Judiciary:-
Sher Shah introduced an impartial judicial system. The responsibility of civil and criminal trials was vested in the officials called Qazi and Mir-Adal. Civil cases of Hindus were settled by the Panchayat. But in the case of criminal cases, Hindus had to come to the general court. The penal code was very strict; even the death penalty was practiced.
Police system:-
The police system was very advanced for maintaining peace. To suppress criminals, he adopted the ''local responsibility policy''. Employees called Mahatasibs were appointed to help the police department. They kept an eye on the moral life of the people.
Army:-
Sher Shah arranged for the recruitment of brutal Afghans in his army. Apart from Afghans, Hindus and people of other races were also recruited in the army. One of Sher Shah's generals was a Hindu named Brahmajit Gaur. Sher Shah abolished the feudal system and established direct authority over the army. Following the ideals of Alauddin Khalji, he tried to establish a standing army. The practice of paying the soldiers partly in jagir and partly in cash became prevalent.
The army was mainly composed of cavalry, infantry and artillery. Following Alauddin Khalji's military policy, he reintroduced the ''Dagh'' and ''Hulia'' systems in the army. In addition, he established resistance against foreign invasions by deploying troops in different parts of the empire.
Communication and Road Construction: -
Sher Shah was attentive to establishing communication between different parts of the empire. He built many long roads. The most notable of these is the 1400-mile Sher Shah Suri Road or Grand Tank Road from Sonargaon in East Bengal to Sindh. In addition, Sher Shah built various important roads such as Agra to Burhanpur; Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor; Lahore to Multan - etc.
Postal and Intelligence Department: -
Sher Shah was the first to introduce the system of moving mail from one place to another on horseback. The inns were used as post offices. Two horses were always ready in each inn.
He employed many spies to collect news from different parts of the kingdom. The head of the intelligence department was called ''Darogaidak''.
Religious policy:-
There is a difference of opinion regarding the religious policy of Sher Shah. According to Dr. Kanungo, Sher Shah's religious policy was liberal. But according to some historians, Sher Shah was a devout Muslim; but it is not true that he always had a liberal attitude towards other religions. However, Sher Shah adopted a liberal religious policy in the state sphere, and brought about a Hindu-Muslim harmony in the administration. He was careful to keep religion separate from state policy. No evidence of his anti-Hinduism has been found.
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