Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s28: Government Intervention
Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s28
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Government Intervention
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The Peshwa's government interfered actively in commerce and manufacturing industries. Merchantmen required a *dastak* or passport for coming to or leaving a port in the Peshwa's territories.³⁵
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³⁵ See letter to Ananda Rao Dhulap. Peshwas' Diary, Sawai Madhava Rao, Vol. III, pp. 226-227.
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The Peshwas were perfectly justified in regulating the weights and measures, as otherwise retail dealers could cheat their customers with impunity. But the same thing cannot be said of Chhapa, or stamping of cloth for which also a fee was charged. The stamping duty on cloth was 5 p.c. *ad valorem* on imported cloth, and 2½ p.c. on cloth locally manufactured, and sellers of unstamped cloth were ordered to be fined.³⁶
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³⁶ P. D., Vol. III, pp. 320-21.
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Government interference did not stop here; the manufacturers of turbans were, actually told, what metal they should melt for the manufacture of the brocade and what should be the length of the turbans.³⁷
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³⁷ P. D., Vol. VIII, pp. 236-237.
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"Instructions about the manufacture of brocade for *sangas* at Kasba Jalnapur in the Pargana of the same name:
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1. At present brocades are made by melting Chandvad Rupees. Their quality is therefore bad. Formerly Malharshai, English, Surati or Patani coins were melted for making brocades. The same practice should be renewed.
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2. "*Khar*" made by burning plantain trees is now used in preparing silk; brocades therefore become blackish. Manufacturers should be warned and made to use *datyakhar* (Khar-salt).
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3. *Pagotas* are now made of a length of twelve to fifteen cubits; this is not proper. Their length should not be less than thirty cubits. Manufacturers should be warned, and asked to make *pagotas* of a length of thirty cubits."
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15. *Monopoly*:
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Monopoly was also given for purchase and sale of cocoanut, ghi, and even for brokery in some cases. Sometimes the government went to the extent of fixing a price for certain articles.
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We should however judge the Peshwas by their motives. The principle of Laissez Faire had not gained any recognition in Europe in those days, and even in England, the future birthplace of free trade, protective duties and bounties were in fashion; and what was the sliding scale of duties on corn but an attempt to fix a minimum price for agricultural produces of the land? The Peshwas also did the same thing, and, on the whole, their subjects were not badly off.
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16. Ship-building encouraged:
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We have seen how owners of new shops and importers of cheap grains were partially exempted from Hashil. An over-sea trade had grown up. The Peshwas encouraged building of ships or gallibats."
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"Chimnaji Ganesh Sathe of Kaliye in Tarf Majgaum in Taluka Ratnagiri having built a new ship was exempted from Octroi and other taxes on goods brought in the ship from other ports to his village for household use. His ship was also exempted from liability to forced service." (Marathe's Translation) 38. And we find Maratha merchants settling in coast towns of Arabia, and Maratha merchantmen visiting Chinese waters. (One Narottam Joshi is described as a resident of Muscat, in a letter to Admiral Anand Rao Dhulap).³⁹
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³⁸ P. D., Vol. VIII, p. 226.
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³⁹ P. D., Vol. VIII, p. 226.
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In a document published by Mr. V. K. Rajwade in the 10th volume of his "Sources of Maratha History," one Asaram Vinayak is spoken of in the following terms: "He is a merchant of high position. His ships go to China. He has considerable trade with the English."⁴⁰
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⁴⁰ Rajwade, M.I.S., Vol. X, p. 263.
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We may note here that the Maratha naval officers could not claim salvage money from a subject of the Maratha empire for recovering ships from pirates.⁴¹
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"A merchantman with a cargo on board on its way to Bassein was taken by pirates. From them it was recovered by men serving in the navy under you and you also came to know that the ship belonged to the merchants * * *. Therefore enquire whether the ship belongs to the merchants and Krishnaji Raghunath. If it belongs to them, restore to them the cargo that you may have found and the gallibat, and get from them an acknowledgment of receipt." It is to be noted that no salvage money is mentioned in any part of the document; such an item was not likely to be omitted by a Maratha officer, because even *antast* or bribe is mentioned in state papers.⁴¹
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⁴¹ P. D., Vol. II, pp. 141-142.
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17. *Excise:*
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Excise duties, as a source of income, may be ignored altogether. For in controlling the manufacture and sale of liquor, the Peshwa acted not only as the secular head but also as the ecclesiastical head of the state. Here, his revenue policy was influenced by religious ideas. Drinking was forbidden by the *Shastras* and the Peshwa, as the head of a great Hindu empire, tried to enforce this injunction. In the year 1775-76, during the administration of the second Madhava Rao, Balaji Ganesh, the officer in charge of Taluka Devgad, was ordered to stop the manufacture of liquor from cocoanut trees from the beginning of the next year.⁴² A similar order was sent to the officer at Vijaydurg on the same date.⁴³
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⁴² P. D., Vol. VI, p. 300.
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⁴³ P. D., Vol VI, p. 300.
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But a government cannot expect to enforce religious injunctions strictly without causing hardship to the people, and these orders were from time to time modified in order to mitigate such inconvenience. Some of the Rayats earned their living by the manufacture of liquor mainly for the Portuguese and Christian soldiers in the Peshwa's employ. Some provision had to be made for these people. Accordingly Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao allowed the Bhandaris and Kolis of Prant Firgan to manufacture wine (1754-55), but they were strictly ordered not to sell or to give wine to Brahmans, Prabhus, Shenvis and government servants. 44
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For the convenience of the European soldiers in the Peshwa's service, the second Madhava Rao allowed them to distil liquor for their own use.
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"Some Portuguese and Christians are employed under Syed Ahmad Gardi, who is serving under Ragho Vishwanath. They always require liquor. Let them therefore establish a distillery and manufacture wine for their own consumption. Do not present any obstruction to it." 45
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18. *Government Servants exempted from Zakat:*
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We may take here a passing notice of the exemption from Zakat enjoyed by government servants. "The Konkanastha Brahmin Karkoons," says Ranade, "who had monopoly of all the Secretariat or Daftar offices, and received respectable salaries, obtained the privilege of having their goods exempted from Custom duties and ferry charges when they imported grain and other goods from outside ports and places." 46 In justice to the Peshwa, it ought to be pointed out that the Brahman Karkuns enjoyed these privileges, not as Brahmans, but as government officers. Government officers, other than Brahmans, also shared these advantages. In 1744-45, Babaji Chapaji Shenvi, the farmer of Zakat in Prant Sasti (Salsette) was informed that:
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⁴⁴ P. D., Vol. III, p. 332.
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⁴⁵ P.D., Vol, VI, p. 300.
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⁴⁶ The Miscellaneous Writings, p. 351.
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1. "Fish purchased by government servants for their own consumption should be exempt from duty.
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2. That the following articles, when purchased by government officers to the amount mentioned below, should also be exempt—twenty-five plantains, five cocoanuts, gur, dates, dried dates and sugar, to the amount of five seers.
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3. That government servants and Brahmans should be exempt from ferry charges." 47
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On the whole the revenue administration of the Peshwa was conducted on sound principles, well calculated to secure the wealth and welfare of the Rayats. But the weak point of the system was not the dishonesty of Maratha officers which could be checked, but the absolutism of the Peshwa which found its worst exponent in Baji Rao Raghunath. The system worked so well under Balaji Baji Rao and his son that it could be favourably compared with the revenue system then prevalent in European countries. Its great advantage was that assessment and collection were flexible and could be regulated according to the actual condition of each individual district.
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⁴⁷ P. D., Vol. III, pp. 308-310.