Mughal Administration c7.s6: § 6. Duties of the High Steward.
Mughal Administration c7.s6
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§ 6. Duties of the High Steward.
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The *Khān-i-sāmān* or High Steward, as I have already pointed out, was the second highest officer in the realm and stood immediately below the Diwan. He has been well described as “really the *diwān* of *expenditure*”. [Manual, 17.]
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He is thus instructed about his work, (Manual, 17-21) :—
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“Take over the cash balance and collected articles in the Household Department, which are kept under the seals of the late *Khān-i-sāmān* at the time of his vacating his office and the seals of the mushrif and tahvildar ; satisfy yourself that the stock agrees with the records, or else call upon them to make the deficit good.
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“Keep with yourself one set of the records of expenditure per annum arranged under the heads of the different *kārkhānahs* (i.e., stores and State factories). Find out how many *khilats* (robes) are there in the *khilat-khānah* and so on in every *kārkhānah*. If the requisite stores are wanting, write out a statement of the expenditure (*sarānjām*) necessary for supplying the want, apply to the proper
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authority, take from him a payment order on the diwan for the *sarānjām* and make the things.
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"In order that the Khan-i-saman may be in a position to supply all articles that may be required, it is his business to buy them with Government money or on credit from traders, and keep them ready, and deliver them to Government at need at the market price. If he is a rich man himself, he ought to buy and stock the things, so that he may not have to beg of others at the time of need, but issue them after valuation at the market rate. Thus his master will have no occasion to be displeased at delay in supplying. If the Khan-i-sāmān supplies his own things at the market rate, most probably Government will make a saving by the transaction ; but the clerks of the Government will allege that he is selling things to the State at a profit ; therefore, he ought to ask the Emperor beforehand to advance him money to buy everything and stock it for supply when needed.
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"Old and secondhand stores should be sold to the army, after taking permission [of the Emperor] and learning their current prices from a *muqim* [broker or appraiser.] Keep the price-list, signed by the *muqim*, with yourself [for your defence.]
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"Buy beautiful things which are likely to prove agreeable [to the Emperor] and keep them [for presentation on suitable occasions.] On the two *Ids* and other festive occasions, keep the robes [of honour] and other customary official gifts ready [for issue] a month or two before the dates, so that you may not have to plead inability to supply when they are needed.
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"Treat well and attach to yourself by the ties of gratitude artisans like goldsmiths, enamellers, die-carvers [for coins], net-weavers, plain-workers in metal [sādah kār, a class of goldsmiths], etc., etc."
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The duties of a Khan-i-saman are thus enumerated in the Dastur:—
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(1) Attestation [of the salary-bills] of the workmen and menials from the monthly, yearly and daily rolls [of attendance] of those newly appointed as well as increment [in the salary] of the old ones.
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(2) First appointment, dismissal and posting of dāroghas, āmins, mushrifs, and tahvildārs [of the various kārkhānahs.]
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(3) Laying down rules for the work of the kārkhānahs and treasuries [of the Household department.]
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(4) [Writing] slips for hire and wages of labour.
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(5) Replying to the prayers of the managers of the kārkhānahs.
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(6) Issuing permits for the granting [of State houses] as reward and for allowing [nobles to lodge temporarily in] them.
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(7) Inspection of nim-gosht and pao-gosht.
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(8) Taking bonds for money security from the menials and managers [of kārkhānahs.]
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(9) Considering applications from the workshops and stores.
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(10) Taking care of the *nazar*, charity-fund, and presents.
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(11) Fixing the daily rations of cattle.
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(12) Permits for the loan of articles from the *kārkhānahs*.
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(13) Permits for the distribution of food [from the royal kitchen], its increase or decrease, and the letters of order (*āhkām*),—except the letters of the female apartments. These were to be signed first by the Khan-i-sāmān and then by the *Buyutāt*.
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(14) Reply to the final presentation of accounts (*muhāsibāt*) concerning the recovery of State advances (*mutālibāt*.)
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(15) Escheat of property. If the order is to restore [to the officer under audit], then send a copy of the order to the office [of the Diwan ], so that his *tankhā* may be paid according to it.
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(16) Things made to order (*farmāish*) of the Emperor in the provinces.
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(17) Taking the income from the gardens and the rent from the shops and residential houses [belonging to the State.]
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(18) Long sheets of letters from the *kārkhānahs*.
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(19) The diaries and *āwārija* of the *subahs* as well as the *āwārija* of the imperial camp are to be sealed without change.
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(20) Initial the petitions from the officers asking for advances and the granting of residences for alighting in, etc.
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(21) Attestation of the attendance of the daroghas, amins, mushrifs and tahvildars of kārkhānahs . . . . .
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(22) Appraising the different articles of peshkash (tribute and present) and amuāl (escheated personal property of dead mansabdars).
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(23) Attestation of the cash reward which appertains to the commanders of squadrons (sāhib-i-risālah)?
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(24) Distribution of porters among the different kārkhānahs.
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(25) Arrangements for the marriages of the princes.
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(26) The tumārs (registers) of the cash realization of the amounts due on audit [muhāsibāt], should be sent by the auditors to the office of the Khan-i-sāmān, and copies of them should be given to the office of the Buyutāt.
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(27) Plans* of lodgings and buildings [belonging to the State.]
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[Z. 20a—21b ; D. 83a—84a.]