Administrative System of the Marathas c11.12

c11.12

But Shivaji was no blind imitator. He was, if anything, a lover of strict method; and Malik Ambar's system, in certain respects, lacked it. While therefore, accepting its principles, Shivaji did not commit himself to all its details. Malik Ambar had not carefully surveyed the land, and the survey work was fraught with many difficulties, more or less serious. There were different standards and units of measurement and Shivaji had to find out a standard unit before he could order a systematic survey.⁸ Then again accurate measurement was impossible with a rope. The length of a rope was liable to slight variations in different seasons. So the measuring rope had to be rejected. Some Muhammadan rulers had substituted the rope by the *tenab* or measuring chain. But Shivaji replaced it by a *kathi* or a measuring rod.⁹ The *kathi* was to be five cubits and five fists (*muthis*) in length. The length of the regulation rod was fixed in *tasus* also. Twenty rods square made a *bigha*, and one hundred and twenty *bighas* a *chavar*. The unit of measurement being thus fixed, Shivaji ordered a survey settlement and the work of surveying the Konkan was ¹⁰ entrusted to no less able an officer than the celebrated Annaji Datto, Shivaji's Sachiv.