Mughal Administration c8.s5.11

c8.s5.11

Akbar's farman, as given in *Mirāt-i-Ahmadi*, i. 168—170, contains the following instructions for the kotwāl:—"The kotwāl...with the help of clerks should make a list of the houses and buildings of the place, and enter under each house [the names of] its inhabitants, stating what sort of men they are, how many of them are *bāzāris*, how many are artisans, how many are soldiers, how many darvishes. Taking security from every house, he should ensure their mutual co-operation, and defining the *mahallas* (wards), he should appoint a headman for each *mahalla*, by whose advice all things should be done there. Spies should come every day and night and cause to be written down [in the kotwāl's office] the occurrences of each ward...When a guest arrives, —be he a kinsman or a stranger,—it should be reported to the headman of the ward...The kotwāl should always keep himself informed about the income and expenditure of every man, because when a man spends in excess of his income it is certain that he is doing something wrong...In the markets he should fix the prices of things and prevent rich men from [creating a monopoly by] buying much and selling little. The kotwāl should stop the sale and drinking of wine in his jurisdiction."