A History of Agriculture in India v2.c74.s7: Administrative Divisions
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c74.s7
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Administrative Divisions
v2.c74.s7.1
The empire was divided into fifteen *subahs* or provinces. The original fifteen were Allahabad, Agra, Oudh, Ajmer, Gujarat, Bihar, Bengal, Delhi, Kabul, Lahore, Multan, Malwa, Berar, Khandesh, and Ahmednagar. The three additional were Bidar, Hyderabad, and Bijapur. The chief officer in each was the viceroy (*sipah salar*), who had the complete control, civil and military, subject to the instructions of the king.
v2.c74.s7.2
Under him were the revenue functionaries above districts (*foujdars*), whose authority extended over the local soldiery or militia, and over all military establishments and lands assigned to military purposes, as well as over the regular troops within their jurisdiction, and whose duty it was to suppress all disorders.
v2.c74.s7.3
Justice was administered by a court composed of an officer named *mir-i-adl* (lord justice) and a *kazi*. The *kazi* conducted the trial and stated the law; the *mir-i-adl* passed judgment and seems to have been the superior authority.
v2.c74.s7.4
Each *subah* was divided into a certain number of *sircars*, and each *sircar* into *parganas* or *mahals*, and the *parganas* again were aggregated into *dasturs* or districts. The words used before Akbar's time to represent tracts of country larger than a *pargana* were *shakk*, *khitta*, *ursa*, *diyar*, *vilayat*, and *ikta*, but the latter was generally applied when the land was assigned for the support of the nobility or their contingents.
v2.c74.s7.5
The police of towns was under an officer called the *kotwal*; in smaller places it was under the revenue officer; and in villages under the internal authorities.