Mughal Administration c8.s2: § 2. The Subahdar and his duties.
Mughal Administration c8.s2
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§ 2. The Subahdar and his duties.
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The term SUBAHDAR comes from the Arabic word *sub* meaning direction or point of the compass. In very early times the provinces into which every large kingdom was necessarily divided, were named in accordance with their bearing towards the capital, —such as the viceroyalty of the north, of the south, of the east, and of the west,—in whichever of these directions there was enough territory to compose a separate province. Similarly, the provincial governors of the Bahmani Empire were styled *tarf-dārs*, from the word *tarf* meaning direction.
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∗ Hamid-ud-din’s *Ahkām-i-Alamgiri*, § 28 of the text as edited and translated by me.
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With the country covered by an immense number of small geographical units, each occupied by a different tribe, and the tribes often migrating from place to place, it was at first impossible to give any single historical or tribal name to a province, which was the aggregate of several such tribal settlements and socially unconnected districts. It was more convenient to designate the viceroyalties as the northern, the southern, etc. Hence, the origin of the terms *subahdār* and *tarfdār*.
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The subahdar was officially called the *nāzim* or regulator of the province. His essential duties were to maintain order, to help the smooth and successful collection of revenue, and to execute the royal decrees and regulations sent to him.
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When a newly-appointed subahdar went to the High Diwan to take his leave before setting out for his province, the Diwan was to deliver the following charge to him :—
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"Experienced men have written concerning a subahdar's work that he ought to keep all classes of men pleased by his good behaviour, and see that the
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strong may not oppress the weak. He should keep all oppressors down, etc.
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"A subahdar's recommendations about the mansabdars under him are naturally valued and given effect to by his sovereign, and therefore the subahdar should take care to recommend only worthy officials for promotion. He should punish rebellious zamindars and all lawless men, and every month send two despatches to Court by dak chauki reporting the occurrences of the province.
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"He should never release robbers by taking anything from them, because this practice amounts to 'sowing the seed of oppression', as other rich men, knowing that they can secure impunity by giving bribes, will practise very great tyranny, so that it will, in the end, be very difficult for you to control them." [Manual, 13-14.]
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A long string of good counsels (40 in number) as to what subahdars should do and what they should avoid doing, is given in Akbar's farmān [Mirat, i. 163—170, tr. in Bird's History of Gujarat, 389-400].
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A new viceroy is instructed about his work thus [Manual, 27-32 ; Cf. Ain. ii. 37-40]:—
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"When you are appointed, you should engage a good diwan,—a trustworthy and experienced man who has already done work in the service of some high grandee,—and a munshi (secretary) with similar ability and experience. You should secure a trustworthy mediator or friend (wasilah) at Court to report promptly to the Emperor and take his orders on any affair of the province on which you may write to His Majesty. To this mediator you will have to give presents, for such is the usage of our times. When people visit the tombs of dead saints, they offer flowers and sweetmeats for gaining their favour. How much more are presents necessary for gaining the favour of living men!!
c8.s2.13
"Learn from the well-informed men of the province how many of the zamindars require the display of force and the general character of the peasants, and get an estimate as to the number of sehbandi troops [i.e., irregulars employed to assist in revenue collection, etc., somewhat like the armed police], necessary for doing the work of control and administration (rabt and zabt.) If you find your retainers (tabinan) and sehbandi insufficient and in other matters also require the Emperor's sanction and help, then make a petition and submit it through your mediator at Court. If the Emperor grants the force that you consider necessary for the efficient management of the subah, well and good. Otherwise, if you think that you can govern the subah at your own expense and recover your cost during your tenure of office [from your salary and allowances] after getting the province under control, then do it. If not, decline the post, for what can a single trooper do? (i.e., you are only one man, if your master will not give you an adequate force.)
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"When you start from the imperial capital to go to your province after your appointment, enlist one-fourth of the number of tabinan (armed followers) sanctioned for you by Government; they should be good soldiers, men of good families and experienced in war. Half-way to your subah enlist one-fourth more, of the same class as before. Take with yourself able and experienced candidates for [civil] offices, telling them that their service would begin from the day of your arrival at the frontier of your province. Keep half of these [prospective officers] with yourself, and send the other half of the tabinān already enlisted and present with you, to the province to arrive there before you, telling them to assemble the well-informed local men and learn from them the character of every zamindar and jamādār of the place, and report to you their mutual relations and their conduct towards former subahdars as regards the payment of revenue, and how much a particular zamindar used to pay over and above the revenue. When you are still a quarter of the way from your province, send off expert troopers with your parwānahs calling upon the zamindars to wait on you at an appointed place immediately after your arrival.*
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"When you reach the frontier of your subah, enlist the candidates for office from that date, and treat them well, because their first impressions will determine their future opinion of you as a master.
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"Chastise the refractory zamindars and the leaders of lawless men, so that others of the same class may take warning from it and pay revenue [without trouble.]
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"Then enter the fort.† Dismiss the troops that you find unnecessary after making a survey of the situation. [Remember that] it is difficult to pay the arrears of the salaries of subordinates. Tell the diwan to spend according to the income of the province.
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∗ E.g., the practice of the subahdar of Orissa, as described in his letters, in my Studies in Aur. Reign, xiv. § 9-12.
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† The fort in the chief town of the province was the
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“Encourage the ryots to extend the cultivation and carry on agriculture with all their heart. Do not screw everything out of them. Remember that the ryots are permanent (i.e., the only permanent source of income to the State.) Conciliate the zamindars with presents; it is cheaper to keep them in hand thus than to repress them with troops!
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“Do not lay your hands on the villages of the Crownland (*khālsa mahals*), as in that case you will provoke a quarrel with the diwan of khalsa, who will complain to the Emperor and you will be called upon to explain your conduct.
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“Cherish the Shaikhs and qāzis. As for the *darvishes* who do not go to any one’s house [to beg alms], inquire how they are faring, and support them with cash and kind. Give alms to *faqirs* and [ordinary] beggars. See that the strong may not oppress the weak.”
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Another of his duties was to collect the tribute due from vassal princes close to his jurisdiction and to arrange for its safe convoy to the imperial Court. (*Studies in Aur. Reign*, xiv § 13.)
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subahdar's official residence and court. He entered it for the first time with much ceremony, on an auspicious day and hour chosen by his astrologers, for which the newly-arrived subahdar had often to wait for weeks in a garden outside the city!