Mughal Administration c8.s2.1

c8.s2.1

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.