Administrative System of the Marathas c14.s1.5

c14.s1.5

Shivaji's hill forts, impregnable by nature, did not require a strong garrison. Five hundred was the normal strength, but in some⁴ exceptional cases a stronger force was allowed. No single officer was ever placed in entire charge of the fort and its garrison. "In every fort," says Sabhasad, "there should be a Havaldar, a Sabnis (and) a Sarnobat; (and) these three officers should be of the same status. These three should conjointly carry on the administration. There should be kept a store of grain and war materials in the fort. An officer called Karkhanis was appointed for this work. Under his supervision should be written all accounts of income and expenditure. Where the fort was an important one and where forts were of extensive circuit, there should be kept five to seven Tat Sarnobats. The charge of the ramparts should be divided among them. They should be careful about keeping a vigilant watch. Of every ten men of the garrison to be stationed in the fort, one should be made a Naik; nine privates and the tenth a Naik. Men of good families should in this manner be recruited. Of the forces, the musketeers, the spearmen, the archers, and the lightarmed men should be appointed, after the Raja himself had carefully inspected each man individually and selected the brave and shrewd. The garrison in the fort, the Havaldar, and the Sarnobat should be Marathas of good families. They should be appointed after some one of the royal personal staff had agreed to stand surety (for them). A Brahman known to the king's personal staff should be appointed Sabnis and a Prabhu, Karkhanis. In this manner each officer retained should be dissimilar (in caste) to the others. The fort was not to be left in the hands of the Havaldar alone. No single officer could surrender the fort to any rebel or miscreant. In this manner was the administration of the forts carefully carried. A new system was introduced.⁵