Administrative System of the Marathas c11.7

c11.7

It is certainly creditable to the great Maratha soldier that his subjects, inspite of his constant wars, should have enjoyed plenty and increased in number. But all that Shivaji had to do was to follow in the foot-steps of another great man. It is true that Shivaji cannot claim originality. But originality is not an indispensable factor in statesmanship. All that is expected of a practical statesman is that he should discern the needs of his time and adopt suitable measures to meet them. Whether these measures are his own or not does not matter. Akbar, one of the greatest of Indian rulers, frequently revived the long forgotten measures of some of his less known predecessors and with what effect is known to us all. Shivaji also had the keen discernment of a statesman and he could appreciate the good points, as he was fully aware of the defects of the existing government. He found that Malik Ambar's revenue system, with a few slight modifications, would suit his country best and he revived it without any hesitation.⁵ What Todar Mall did for the north, Malik Ambar did for the south.