Shivaji and His Times c17.s6: §6. Revenue system and administration
Shivaji and His Times c17.s6
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§6. Revenue system and administration
c17.s6.1
''The land in every province was to be measured and the area calculated in *chavars*. The measuring-rod was 5 cubits and 5 *muthis* (closed fists) in length. A cubit was equal to 14 *tansus*, and the measuring-rod was [therefore] 80 *tansus* long. Twenty *kathis* (rods) square made a *bigha* and 120 *bighas* one *chavar*. The area of each village was thus ascertained in detail. An estimate was made of the expected produce of each *bigha*, three parts of which were left to the peasant and two parts taken by the State.*
c17.s6.2
"New ryots who came to settle were to be given money for seeds, and cattle, the amount being recovered in two or four annual instalments. The revenue should be taken in kind at harvest time."
c17.s6.3
Shivaji wanted to sweep away the middle-class of revenue farmers and come into direct relations with the cultivators. "The ryots were not subject to the authority of the zamindars, deshmukhs, and desais, who had no right to exercise the powers of a political superior (overlord) or harass the ryots."
c17.s6.4
"In the Nizam-Shahi, Adil-Shahi and Mughal territories annexed, the ryots had formerly been subject to patils, kulkarnis and deshmukhs, who used to do the collection work and pay what they pleased to the State, sometimes only 200 or 300 hun for a village yielding 2,000 hun as revenue. These mirasdars (hereditary landlords), thus growing wealthy, built forts, enlisted troops, and grew powerful. They never waited upon the revenue officer of Government and used to show fight if he urged that the village could pay more to the State. This class had become unruly and seized the country. But Shivaji dismantled their castles, garrisoned the strong places with his own troops, and took away all power from the mirasdars. Formerly they used to take whatever they liked from the *ryots*. This was now stopped. Their dues were fixed after calculating the (exact) revenue of the village, and they were forbidden to build castles." (Sabh. 32-33.)
c17.s6.5
∗ Captain Robertson in 1820 and 1825 gave a different and more complicated account of Shivaji's revenue system. (Bom. Gaz., xviii, Pt. ii. pp. 321-322.) It is quite probable that the system was not so simple and uniform as Sabhasad represents it; but we do not know the Captain's authorities and have no means of testing his statement about a system founded nearly two centuries ago by a dynasty which had long passed away, and the continuity of whose tradition had been broken. A *tansu* was the breadth of the second and third fingers (or, in Mughal India, the breadth of 8 barley corn).
c17.s6.6
Similarly, military fief-holders were given no political power over their tenants. "The *sar-i-naubats*, *majmuadars*, *karkuns* and the officers in the Rajah's personal service were given assignments on the revenue (*tankha barat*) for their salary. The lands cultivated by them were subject to assessment like the fields of the *ryots*, and the amount of the revenue due was deducted from their pay. For the balance they got orders on the Treasury of the capital or the districts. Men serving in the army, the militia or the forts were not to be given proprietory (*mokasa*) rights over any village in entirety. Their dues were to be paid either by assignment of revenue or by cash from the Treasury. None but the *karkuns* had any jurisdiction over the land. All payments to the army were to be made by the *karkuns*. The grant of *mokasa* rights would have created disorder among the peasants; they would have grown in strength and disobeyed the Government collectors; and the growing power of the *ryots* would have ended in rebellion at various places. The *mokasa*-holders and the *zamindars* if united would become uncontrollable. No *mokasa* was to be granted to any one." (Sabh. 30-31.)
c17.s6.7
Over two *mahals*, yielding a revenue of from 75,000 to 1,25,000 *hun* in the aggregate, a *subahdar* on 400 *hun* and a *majmuadar* on 100 to 125 *hun* a year were appointed. The *subahdar* was to have a *palki* allowance of 400 *hun*. All civil and military officers with a salary of 125 *hun* or more were given the right to hold parasols (*aftab-gir*) over their heads, with an allowance from the State for bearers (Sabh. 31.) Where necessary, a subahdar was posted over a tract yielding only one lakh of Rupees. To the disturbed provinces across the frontier, a military force was sent with the collectors of blackmail. (Sabh. 32.) The subahdars were all Brahmans, under the Peshwa's supervision (Sabh. 77.)