The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c16.s13: Appendix M: Sher Shāh's Local Administration
The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehlī c16.s13
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Appendix M: Sher Shāh's Local Administration
c16.s13.2
THE following are the names of the various *parganah* officials in accordance with the different texts :—
c16.s13.3
| *Tuḥfah-i-Akbar-shāhī* | *Dā'ūdī* | *Mushtāqī* Elliot text (B. M. 1929) | *Mushtāqī* (B. M. 11633) |
| 1 *shiqqdār* | 1 *shiqqdār* | 1 *shiqqdār* | 1 *shiqqdār* |
| 1 *amīn* | 1 *mushrif* | 1 *munṣif* | 1 *munṣif* |
| 1 *foṭaḥdār* | 1 *khazānchī* | 1 *khazānandār* | ... |
| ... | ... | 1 *munṣif-i-khazānah* | ... |
| 1 *kārkun Hindwī-nawīs* | 1 *kārkun Hindī-nawīs* | 1 *kārkun Hindī-nawīs* | 1 *kārkun* |
| 1 *kārkun Fārsī-nawīs* | 1 *kārkun Fārsī-nawīs* | 1 *kārkun Fārsī-nawīs* | ... |
| 1 *qānūngū* | ... | ... | ... |
| F. 69 (a) | F. 79 (b) | F. 50 (b) | F. 49 (a) |
c16.s13.4
The following points emerge from the above table :—
(i) *shiqqdār* was the head of the *parganah* ;
(ii) *amīn*, *mushrif* and *munṣif* are synonymous in the official jargon of the day ; literally, *amīn* = honest, keeper of a trust ; *mushrif* = inspector ; *munṣif* = judge.
c16.s13.5
'Abbās Sarwānī (B. M. or 164, f. 73b) says that an *amīn*'s duty was to assess the damage done to crops by movements of troops ; that is, he was the 'judge' of damage done to crops ; a *mushrif* assessed the produce of crops.
c16.s13.6
The two functions are closely related. It seems almost certain that this officer, known in different areas by different names, was responsible for assessment;
(iii) foṭah = purse¹; foṭahdār = treasurer; khazānchī, khazānahdār are more common words for a treasurer;
(iv) kārkun, literally 'a worker' was the same as nawisindah, a clerk;
(v) a munṣif-i-khazānah mentioned by Mushtāqī seems to be a mistake; if the officer existed at all he would be an inspector of treasuries and would belong to a bigger unit than a parganah;
(vi) a qānūngū was not exactly a member of the parganah staff; he was more a representative of the peasants; hence he is not mentioned by other authorities;
(vii) omissions in B. M. 11633 are probably a copyist's error or due to his desire for brevity.
c16.s13.7
¹ This is based on Francis Johnson's Dictionary, but Arabic scholars take exception to this meaning. The Ghiyāth-u'l-lughāt says that foṭah is in reality foṭah which means revenue. According to this interpretation the word foṭahdār would mean a keeper of revenue or a treasurer. If eht Ghiyāth is correct, foṭah is probably an Arabicized form of some Hindī word, most likely potah or a bag of corn.
c16.s13.8
The following officials are mentioned for a sarkār :—
c16.s13.9
| 'Abbās Sarwānī | Mushtāqī | Zubdat-u't-tawārīkh |
| (Sher Shāh) | (Sher Shāh) | (Islām Shāh) |
| shiqqdār-i-shiqqdārān | shiqqdār-i-shiqqdārān | shiqqdār |
| munṣif-i-munṣifān | munṣif-i-munṣifān | mushrif |
| ... | ... | kārkun |
| MS, or 164 f. 69 (b) | Elliot MS. or 1929 f. 52 (b) | B M. MS. 10580 ff. 123 (b) 124 (a) |
c16.s13.10
The chief shiqqdār and the chief assessment officer are common to these authorities; a kārkun and a treasurer were indispensable; they are not mentioned by some chronicles for they were probably looked upon as merely clerks.