Administrative System in India at the Advent of British Rule Essay Example

which continued the Mauryan legacy in various ways. Under the British rule, the divine character of the king was maintained, and the king held control over all levels of the administrative machinery.

Like the Mauryan Empire, the empire was divided into units called 'Bhukti', 'Desa', 'Rashtra', and 'Mandala' for administrative purposes. Villages had their own headmen and assemblies, while towns and cities had 'nagarapatis' and town councils. The king had a team of officials to share the burden of administration, including a confidential adviser, civil and military officials, feudatories, district officers, and others. 1.

The Moghuls maintained the previous practices in political and administrative affairs, with the emperor being an absolute ruler and the administration being highly centralized. The king represented the state and held all power agencies under his authority. The Moghuls achieved a strong and unified administration, which can be seen as a progression towards increased centralization when compared to the Mauryas.

They did not give much importance to the social services of health and welfare, which were also areas of great importance for the Mauryan kings. However, the Moghuls had a well-functioning civil service. They valued merit and even included Hindu intellectuals in their higher civil service. The only disadvantage was that it was primarily focused on revenue functions and existed mainly in urban areas.

Role of the King

The administration was centered around the personality of the king.

The administration can be characterized as paternalistic, revolving around a king regarded by the people as a 'father figure' or a 'despot'. Generally, the king was viewed as a benevolent despot who worked for the welfare

of his subjects. The dominant ideology upheld absolute monarchy, grounded in the divine entitlement to govern.

The king's pivotal role in the lives of his people was essential, as he served as their ultimate authority and source of justice. The administrative system was known for its centralized and personalized nature, with every aspect relying on the king's character and individuality.

Hence, when Aurangzeb exhibited himself as a religious bigot and engaged in severe religious persecution, while also initiating numerous wars in the South, the central authority became weakened, efficiency suffered, and administration crumbled. Rajputs, Marathas, Jats, Sikhs, and other local factions sought their independence, thus initiating the forces of disintegration. The bureaucracy's organization of the administrative machinery was unstable and relied on the king's arbitrary desires. Recruitment was determined by caste, kinship, lineage, and personal allegiance to the king. The administration operated under the fear of force.

In the name of the king, the officials inspired fear among the people and commanded their respect. Their main responsibilities included maintaining law and order, protecting the king from internal rebellions, expanding the empire's borders, and collecting taxes. Each state officer held a mansab or an official rank and was required to provide troops for military service. Therefore, the bureaucracy had a strong military influence.

Officials or mansabdars were divided into 33 grades, from Commanders of 10 to those of 10,000 soldiers. Each grade had a set pay rate, from which the holder had to provide a quota of horses, elephants, etc. State service was not hereditary or specialized. Historical Context Officers received their salaries in cash or through jagirs for a temporary time. The officers did not own lands in

their jagirs, but had the right to collect revenue equal to their salary.

The jagir system allowed for the exploitation of the common people and granted excessive power and freedom to jagir holders. These injustices were hard to control during the Emperor's times of weakness.

Army

The army can be mainly understood in relation to the Mansabdari system. Alongside that, there were additional soldiers and a distinct group called "gentlemen troopers" who were horsemen that solely owed their loyalty to the king.

The Moghul army consisted of various units: cavalry, infantry, artillery with guns, and navy. The cavalry was considered the most crucial unit, while the infantry was composed of townsmen and peasants. However, as the army expanded, it became too diverse to be effectively controlled. The soldiers were not loyal directly to the Emperor but rather to their immediate recruiters or bosses. This led to bitter rivalries and jealousies among the soldiers.

The army's downfall came from its excessive pomp and splendor. The army, while on the move, resembled a massive city in motion, complete with elephants, camels, harem, bows, workshops, and more. This led to a breakdown in discipline, resulting in a visible deterioration by the time of Jahangir. The Marathas, led by Shivaji, were able to outperform the Moghuls in battles due to their agility and swift action. 1.3.

4 Police In the rural areas, the village headman and his subordinate watchmen were responsible for policing. This system lasted until the 19th century. In urban areas, police duties were assigned to Kotwals. Among their responsibilities, Kotwals had to arrest burglars, perform watch and ward duties, regulate prices, and inspect weights and

measures.

The central administration, resembling general administration, possessed a personal and paternal character. The effectiveness of the system relied on the king's capacity to uphold authority from an elevated position. Nevertheless, when the king's control waned, the system disintegrated, as evidenced during the reigns of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. The Vakil and Wazir were the crucial figures in this structure, with the former holding a superior rank to the latter.

The regent of State held ultimate authority over the State and also served as the high diwan, commonly known as the 'Wazir', in the revenue department. The Wazir acted as the Prime Minister when fulfilling this role. Additionally, the Chief Diwan oversaw both revenue collection and expenditure, as well as leading the administrative wing of the Government.

He oversaw the activities of the high-ranking officials and provided guidance to the provincial diwans, who maintained communication with him. He personally endorsed and stamped various documents to validate government transactions. The Moghuls had multiple diwans, with the high diwan, known as diwan-e-ala, overseeing salary management and diwan-e-khalsa in charge of State lands. On occasion, the diwans also held positions as accomplished military commanders.

The text discusses several officials who held important positions in the administration of the empire. These officials include the 'mustaufi' who audited income and expenditure, the 'waqia-navis' who recorded important farmers, the 'Khan-e-sama' who managed royal expenditure, the 'diwan-e-buyutat' who assisted the Khan-e-sama, the 'Mir-e-Bakshi' who served as the paymaster-general, and the 'Sadr-e-sudur' who led the ecclesiastical department. In addition to these major officials, there were also minor officials who played a role in maintaining the system. Overall, the administrative structure relied on regulations, traditions, and practices.

4.2

Provincial Administration: In the Moghul administration, provincial authorities acted as administrative agencies for the central government. The Empire was divided into provinces called 'subas'. Each province was led by a Governor known as 'tsubedar', who was appointed by the emperor. The Governor received the insignia of office and instructions that outlined his authority, duties, and obligations.

In his role as executive head, he held responsibility for the administrative staff of the province and maintained law and order. He dealt firmly with the local civil and intelligence staff and collected tributes from the chiefs under his authority. Additionally, he supervised the local Zamindars and restricted their political influence. The appointment of the provincial diwan was made by the imperial diwan. Despite being second in importance to the governor, the provincial diwan operated independently and answered to the imperial diwan.

The diwan was in charge of the finances of the province and appointed 'kroris' and 'tehsildars' to ensure that ryots paid government dues on time. Additionally, the diwan functioned as an auditor and had full control over public expenditure. The diwan's team included the office superintendent, head accountant, treasurer, and clerks. Similar to the 'bakshi' at the Centre, the provincial 'bakshi' was responsible for maintaining and controlling troops, as well as keeping record of the salaries and benefits of all provincial officers in terms of their 'mansabs'.

During the advent of British rule, the administrative system in India consisted of two officers at the provincial level - the 'Sadr' and the 'Qazi'. Although sometimes these roles were combined, there was a distinction in their jurisdictions. The 'Sadr' primarily served as a civil judge, while the 'Qazi' handled both civil and

criminal cases.

Furthermore, the district and local administration was organized in a hierarchical manner. The 'Suba', or province, was divided into smaller units known as 'Sarkars', which came in two different types.

There were two types of rulers: those appointed by the emperor and those under the tributary rajas. Each sarkar had a Faujdar, who was the executive head, subordinate to the provincial governors and had direct communication with the imperial government. On appointment, a Faujdar received advice on policy and conduct, and was responsible for leading a military force, suppressing rebellions, and investigating crimes. The other head of the sarkar was the amalguzar.

He was responsible for generating revenue. Each of them had their own group of subordinate officials. The 'kotwal' was in charge of policing the town and its suburbs. A 'barkar' was divided into 'parganas'. Each 'pargana' had a 'shiqqdar', an 'amil', and two 'qazi'. The 'shiqqdar' served as the executive head and performed the duties of both the 'Faujdar' and 'kotwal' of the 'sarkar'.

The 'amil' was responsible for maintaining law and order, overseeing criminal justice, and managing general administration. Similarly, the 'qazi' had judicial duties. The 'parganas' were divided into 'Chaklas' to enhance revenue assessment and collection, with their own local officials known as 'Chakladars'. Each official was accountable to their superiors.