Maratha Administration
General features of Shivaji’s administration:
1. He employed members of all castes and tribes to maintain balance among them.
2. He assigned separate responsibilities to the ministers and each of them was made responsible for his work to him.
3. He made no office hereditary.
4. In general he did not assign jagirs to his civil and military officers.
5. He gave special attention towards the administration of the forts.
6. In matters of administration, he gave superior position to his civil officers as compared to military officers.
7. He established Ryotwari system in revenue administration. The state kept direct contact with the farmers.
Administration
- King was pivot at the center, led by COM’s called “Astapradhan”
- Peshwa → Finance & General administrator (Later became PM)
- Amatya → Accountant General
- Sar – i – Naubat / Senapati → Military commander
- Waqnavis → Intelligence & Household affairs
- Sachiv → Correspondence
- Sumanta → Master of ceremonies
- Nyayadhish → Justice Chief
- Pandit Rao → Charities & Religious admin
- Appointed his own revenue official “Karkuns” diminishing the power of existing Deshmukhs & Kulkarnis
Taxes
- Chauth → 1 / 4 of the land revenue to Marathas (for not attacking them & keeping safe)
- Deshmukhis → levy of 1/10 on lands Marathas claimed hereditary rights (Maratha land)
Thus ‘Chauth’ was a military contribution paid toward off any attack of the Marhatas. It was, in theory, ¼ of revenues of the district invaded but in practice it was sometimes much more than that. Sardeshmukhi was an additional tax of 10% which Shivaji claimed as the hereditary Sardeshmukhi or overlord of Maharashtra.
Important features were:
(1) Land in every village was measured and the produce was roughly assessed.
(2) On the basis of assessment, the cultivators were asked to pay 40 per cent of their produce as land revenue.
(3) The Ryotwari system was introduced in which the revenue was directly collected from the farmers.
(4) Wherever possible, Shivaji abolished the jagirdari system.
(5) The farmers had the option to pay land revenue in cash or kind.
(6) The peasants could pay the revenue in installments.
(7) The accounts of the revenue officers began to be thoroughly checked.
(8) In the event of famine of natural calamity, the state offered loans to the peasants.
Shivaji introduced the following reforms in the army:
1. Regular army:
- He maintained a regular army. In the traditional military organisation,
- the soldiers served army for six months and thereafter, they worked in their fields.
2. Cash payment:
- He paid the soldiers in cash.
3. Patriotism:
- He inspired the soldiers with patriotism.
4. Merit:
- He recruited the soldiers on merit.
5. Branding of horses:
- He introduced the system of branding the horses and keeping the identification of the soldiers.
6. Discipline:
- He enforced strict discipline.
7. Guerilla warfare:
- He trained his soldiers in the guerilla warfare.
The guerilla warfare was very suitable in the geographical location of most territories in Maharashtra. He believed in the surprise attacks on the enemy, killed or looted it and disappeared into the forest.
8. Forts:
- He paid particular attention to the maintenance of forts. Old forts were repaired and new forts built.
- The forts also served as military cantonments. About the sanctity of forts it is said that the “people were taught to regard them as their mother.”
- There were about 280 forts. The inhabitants of the surrounding villages took protection in these forts.
The families of the deceased soldiers were looked after carefully.
9. Muslim soldiers:
- Shivaji had about seven hundred Muslim soldiers.
Divisions in the army:
Army had six divisions namely, cavalry, infantry, camel battalions, elephant battalions, artillery and navy.
1. The cavalry:
- The cavalry formed the main part of the army. Its number was 40,000. There were two categories of horsemen:
(i) Bargis:
- They were paid from the state exchange.
(ii) Silhadars:
- They were casual soldiers and they numbered about 50,000.
