Sher Shah Suri and his administration | Author: Muhammad Talha Amin Baruah

Sher Shah Suri and his administration

By Muhammad Talha Amin Baruah

Sher Shah Suri, a remarkable leader of the 16th century, left an indelible mark on Indian history with his exceptional administrative skills and visionary reforms. As the founder of the Sur Empire, he demonstrated a unique blend of military prowess and governance acumen, transforming the landscape of North India. His administration, marked by innovative policies and a well-organized system, laid the foundation for future empires, including the Mughals.

Who was Sher Shah Suri?

Sher Shah Suri was a remarkable leader who ruled India from 1540 to 1545. Born Farid al- Din Khan, he was also known as Sultan Adil, or “the Just King”. This Pashtun Afghan origin leader rose to power after defeating the Mughal Empire, establishing the Sur Empire with its capital in Delhi. His military prowess and administrative skills earned him recognition as one of India’s greatest rulers. Sher Shah expanded his empire through military campaigns, conquering Bengal, Malwa, and Punjab.

Administration

Sher Shah was an enlightened despot and concentrated in his own person all the powers of the state. His word was law and his ministers’ work was roughly divided into six departments called ‘Diwans’.

Diwan-i-Wazirat: The department-in-charge, a Wazir or minister, looked after the finance and revenues of the state.

Diwan-i-ariz: The department of ariz-i-mamalik was something like the modern ministry of defence. The minister looked after the recruitment, training, equipment organisation and development of the army. But he was not the Commander-in-chief of the army.

Diwan-i-rasalat: This is something like the modern ministry of external affairs. The minister received foreign envoys and maintained correspondence with foreign states.

Diwan-i-insha: This corresponded to the modern home ministry. All royal proclamations and dispatches to governors and other officers were looked after by the minister in charge of this department.

Diwan-i-Barid: This department was the intelligence department. The officer in charge of the department controlled the spies and kept the the emperor posted with the latest developments in different parts of the empire.

Diwan-i-Saman: Royal household and personal safety of the emperor came under this department.

The head of the province was called Hakim, Amir or Faujdar. The provincial administration was not based on well defined principles or a uniform pattern. The outlying iqtas were ruled by military governors. The Hakim of Punjab was allowed to keep 30,000 soldiers and had the right to distribute Jagirs among his followers. In the same way the Subedar of

Rajaputana was allowed to keep 20,000 soldiers. Iqta or Suba was divided into several sarkars. Each sarkar had the important officers called Shiqdar-i-Shiqdaran and Munisif-i- Muni-sifan. The former was a military officer who was in charge of the administration and maintained law and order. The other officer, Munisif-i-Munisifan, was in charge of revenue collection, maintenance of accounts and civil justice. Each sarkar was divided into a number of smaller units called par-ganas. The officers in charge of parganas were Shiqdar

(police superin-tendent), Amin or munisif (civil judge) and Karkum (clerks). The lowest unit, the village had the hereditary offices of Patel, Patwari and Chaukidar. The village panchayat enjoyed a large measure of autonomy. The system of transferring officers of the sarkars and parganas every three years was introduced by Sher Shah.

Religious Tolerance -Most of the Delhi Sultans were not tolerant towards the people of other creeds and faiths. Sher Shah treated all his subjects equally without any

discrimination of caste and creed. He separated politics from ethics. He did not carry on any organized propaganda against the Hindus. His attitude and policy was more useful and appropriate, according to which he could openly favour the Hindus without displeasing the Muslims as well.

Land Revenue System -Sher Shah is remembered for his land revenue reforms which had won the love and gratitude of his subjects. Sher Shah in his youth managed the lands of his father’s jagir. This enabled him to gain first-hand knowledge of plight of the cultivators. He was convinced that the prosperity of the nation depended on the prosperity of the peasant. Sher Shah introduced land reforms with three objectives in view i.e. increase the agricultural produce, improve the economic condition of the cultivator, and increase the revenue of the state. To achieve these objectives Sher Shah ordered the land revenue officials including the amils, qanungos, patwaris and mugaddars (village headmen) to measure the cultivable land on a uniform basis and determine the proprietary rights of the cultivators. In other words, the entire cultivable land was properly surveyed. After the survey, the quality of the land was assessed and the average of the produce was estimated. Sher Shah was very strict with zamindars who refused to pay land revenue or disobeyed the orders of the government.

Military Reforms -Sher Shah was very keen upon increasing the efficiency of his army. He introduced several military reforms and supervised the recruitment of the soldiers

personally. He introduced the system of taking down the descriptive rolls and branding the horses to prevent corruption and the evil practice of false musters. His military reform of branding of the horses were based on those of Allauddin Khilji. Sher Shah developed a strong army in order to administer his vast empire.

Equal Justice to All -Sher Shah not only gave an impartial justice to all the people but also organized the whole system of justice on efficient lines. No man could escape punishment because of his high birth or position or economic resources. He even punished his own relatives, if they were found guilty. Sher Shah did not spare oppressors whether they were high nobles, men of his own tribe or near relations.

Currency System -Sher Shah had introduced a scientific system of coinage for the convenience of the public and promotion of trade and commerce.

Conclusion

Sher Shah Suri’s administration was a testament to his visionary leadership and innovative spirit. Through his reforms and policies, he transformed the landscape of North India, laying the foundation for future empires. His emphasis on good governance, infrastructure development, and social welfare earned him the respect and admiration of his

contemporaries. As a leader, Sher Shah Suri’s legacy extends beyond his military conquests, showcasing his ability to build and sustain a robust administrative system.

References –

1. New Milestones Social Science 7 (History, Geography, Social and Political Life) page 34

2. Indian Heritage and Culture, by Rao. P R Staff, P. Raghunadha Rao, page 41-44

3. History of Medieval India from 1000 A.D. to 1707 A.D, by Radhey Shyam Chaurasia, page 191-192

4. History of Medieval India, by V. D. Mahajan, page 50-51