Administrative System of the Marathas c8.s3.1

c8.s3.1

The village communities in Southern India flourished from the dawn of history. When these democratic institutions first came into existence none can tell.¹ But in the absence of a highly developed central government, as we now have, the village communities served the needs of the time admirably. Shivaji decided to leave them undisturbed in their internal organisation. In fact the village republics exercised almost the same powers, enjoyed the same privileges and underwent the same responsibilities from the time of their origin down to the establishment of the British Government in India, when many of their immunities and privileges were found incompatible with a highly centralised modern government. Over a group of these self-contained units had formerly been placed the Deshmukhs and the Deshpandes. Originally appointed for revenue collection, they gradually made their office hereditary and assumed and exercised almost sovereign authority. The circumstances of the times, and the geographical features of the country, helped this feudal evolution. But Shivaji could not allow this state of things to go on uninterrupted. Feudalism meant the negation of a strong monarchy. Shivaji, therefore, appointed his own revenue officers, but the Deshmukhs and the Deshpandes were left in the enjoyment of their old rights and perquisites. They were on no account to exercise their old tyranny. Rayats were given to understand that henceforth they would have nothing to do with the Desais and the Deshmukhs. To render them altogether harmless Shivaji further prohibited them to build any walled or bastioned castle, and like Henry II of England, demolished some of the strongholds of these local tyrants.¹² "In the provinces," Sabhasad says, "the rayats were not to be subjected to the jurisdiction and regulations of the Zamindar, such as the Deshmukh and the Desai. If they offer to plunder the rayats, by assuming authority [over them], it does not lie in their power. The Adilshahi, the Nizamshahi and the Mughlai Desh were conquered [by Shivaji]. In the Desh all the rayats used to be under the Patil and the Kulkarni of those places, and the Deshmukhs. They used to make the collection and to pay an unspecified sum (as tribute). For a village, where the Mirasdars took one to two thousand (Hons or Rupees ?), (they) used to render two hundred to three hundred to the Government as quit-rent. Therefore the Mirasdar grew wealthy and strengthened (himself) by building bastions, castles and strongholds in the village and enlisting footmen and musketeers. They did not care to wait on the revenue officers. If the revenue officers said that they could pay more revenue (the Mirasdars) stood up to quarrel with them. In this way (they grew) unruly and forcibly misappropriated the (lands in the) Desh. On this account did the Raja demolish the bastions, the castles and the strongholds after conquering the Desh. Where there were important forts, he posted his own garrison. And nothing was left in the hands of the Mirasdars. This done, (he) prohibited all that the Mirasdars used to take at their sweet will, by inam (right) or revenue farming, and fixed the rates of due in cash and grains for the Zamindars, as well as of the rights and the perquisites of the Deshmukh, the Deshkulkarni, and the Patil (and) the Kulkarni, according to the yield of the village. The Zamindars were prohibited to build bastioned castles. (They were to) build houses (and) live (therein). Such were the regulations for the provinces." In this manner the danger of feudal anarchy was to some extent averted.