SHER SHAH SURI

SHER SHAH SURI (I540–I545) 

Rise of Sher Shah :- 

The original name of Sher Khan was Farid . His father Hasan was an Afghan of the Sur clan. He was Jagirder of the parganas of Sasaram, HajipurTanda and Khwaspur In his boyhood Farid left his father’s Home in Sasaram and went to Jaunpur which was then an important Centre of Islamic learning. There he studied Arabic and Persian And was capable of reproducing from memory the Gulistan, Bustan And Sikardar-namah. Jamal Khan his father’s patron was impressed by this promising youth and brought about a reconciliation between the father and the son. On his advice Farid was appointed by Hasan Manger of his Jagir and this he did successfully for full twenty-one Years. The training received by him during this period stood him in Good stead. He acquired so much knowledge of land and its management that he was able later on to utilise all this as emperor of India. 

Farid’s success as the manager of his father’s estate and his popularity among peasants and Afghan soldiers aroused jealousy. On the death of his father Farid took possession of his paternal jagir on the strength of the Royal farman which he had been able to procure at Agra and came back to Sasaram in I520 to I52I as the full-fledged master of the State. Farid then joined the service of Bahar Khan Lohani (who was Titled as Muhammad Shah ), the independent ruler of Bihar. From Him Farid received the title of Sher khan on having killed a tiger single handed. He rapidly rose to the position of deputy governor Of the province and also appointed the tutor of Jalal Khan the Minor son of Bahar Khan. 

The rapid rise of Sher Khan excited the jealousy of Lohani Afghans .They succeeded in poisoning his master’s mind against him And he was once more deprived of his father’s jagir. Disgusted With the bad conduct of his Afghan community Sher Khan took shelter With Babur for some time from April, I527 to June I528.He found it Difficult to pull on in the Mughal service and returned back to Bihar to become deputy governor and guardian of his former pupil jalal khan. Muhammad Shah expired in I528 and the minor king remain as the nominal Ruler of Bihar while Sher Khan become the virtual head of its government. He made best use of this opportunity to consolidate his position And overhauled the civil and military setup .He strengthened his Position by acquiring the fortress of Chunar through marriage with The widow of its former governor Taj Khan and got hold of enromus Wealth as well .By I530 Sher Khan’s position in Bihar appeared to be un-assailable. Humayun besieged Chuner inI53I but Sher Khan Saved his position by a timely submission to the Mughal invader. 

Humayun’s failure to capture the fort of Chunar and his Subsequent involvement in hostilities with Bahadur Shah of Gujarat Left Sher Kahn sufficient time to strengthen his position. But he had enemies in Bihar The Lohanis were not prepared to tolerate Mahmud Shah the king of Bengal (September I533) who also was eager to Check the rise of Sher khan. Sher khan inflicted a defeat on the Allied troops of the Bengal sultan and the Lohanis at Surajgarh in I534. This battle proved a turning point in the career of Sher Khan and made him the un-disputed ruler of Bihar in fact as well as in name. 

Conflict with Humayun:- 

After the victory at Surajgarh Sher Khan invaded Bengal twice (I535 to I537) threatened its capital Gaur and secured a large indemnity as also a wide territory. These Fresh acquisitions considerably enhanced his power and prestige and Alarmed Humayun . Mahmud Shah appeared to Humayun for help who Responded to his call in July I537 but wasted much of his valuable time In the second siege of Chunar form Ocrober I537 to March I538. In the meantime the whole of Bengal lay at the feet of Sher Khan as Mahmud Shah died of his wounds as a fugitive in the imperial camp of Humayun . Humayun then marched towards Gaur in order check Sher Khan. The subsequent events of the conflict which took place Between Humayun and Sher Khan had been narrated in the previous Lesson.Sher Khan successfully fought the battle of Chausa against Humayun in I539 and after the battle of Kanuj in I540 which Resulted in the expulsion of Humayun from India and the close of the Struggle. Sher Shah gave hot chase to Humayun and occupied Agra and Delhi. His forces entered Lahore in November I540 and the whole of North Western India upto the Khyber pass including Sind and Multan were brought under the control by the end of I54I. 

Sher Shah as Emperor of India :- 

Sher Shah ascended the throne at the ripe age of 68 and could enjoy the fruits of his Labours for a period of five years only (I 540 to I545) .He was A man of political wisdom, maturity and experience and all these Qualities are reflected in his conquests and the administrative Reforms that he introduced. 

Conquests of Sher Shah 

(1) Conquest of Ghakkar Country:- Sher Shah’s forces had successfully driven away Humayun from Punjab but the threat of recurring Invasions continued to exist. Sher Shah in order to permanently safe guard the frontiers himself proceeded to subdue the warlike Hill tribes of the Ghakkar country. But he received the news of the rebellions of his governor Of Bengal so he left the work of subjugation of Ghakkars and hastened Towards Bengal to put down the rebellion, 

(2) Bengal:- The governor of Bengal Khizr Khan had declared himself independent. Sher Shah gave him a crushing defeat and threw him into prison. The administration of the province was remodelled so as to avert the danger of rebellion. 

(3) MALWA:- Sher Shah attacked Malwa in I542 then ruled by Malu Khan styled as Sultan Kadir Shah who submitted to Sher Shah and himself Fled to Gujarat. After restoring civil administration in Malwa Sher Shah Returned to Agra and on the way received submission from native ruler of Ranthambhor as well. 

(4) Raisin :- Having subjugated Malwa Sher Shah marched against Puran Mal of Raisin in central India in I543. Puran Mal had increased his power by capture of Chanderi and offended Muslim sentiment by keeping muslim women as salves in his harem. Sher Shah personally laid stage to Raisin. The Rajputs fought gallantly but when defeat stared them in the Face they agreed to vacate the fort on the promise made by Sher Shah that There lives and property would be safe guarded. After their surrender the Promise was broken and the afghans fell furiously on the Rajputs when They were moving out of the fort. To save their wives and children from Disgrace the Rajputs killed them with their own hands and themselves died Fighting bravely against their foe in I543. Sher Shah’s conduct against Puran Mal is the deepest blot on his memory. 

(5) Rajputana:- There remained only one more formidable enemy of Sher Shah to be subdued. He was Maldev the Rajput ruler of Marwar. He Was a capable general and an energetic ruler. He had annexed important Places like Ajmer, Marta, Tonk, Nagor and Jalor. Sher Shah led and expedition against Maldev in I543. His army consisted of about 80,000 cavalry besides elephants and artillery. He found the Rajputs equally well equipped. Condequently he contrived a Stratagem. He got forged letters dropped in Maldev’s camp which indicated A betrayal of Maldev’s nobility. The Rathor ruler was dismayed and he fled without fighting The remaining Rajputs fought bravely and at one stage Nearly won the battle. Sher shah was impressed by the Rajput valour, Sher Shah won a victory though at great cost with the loss several thousand Afghan; on the battle field and coming near to loosing his empire. Sher Shah Reduced to submission the whole region from Ajmer to Abu. Ajmer, Jobhpur, Chittor and Mount Abu were fortified and held by Afghan troops. 

(6) Budelkhand:- Sher Shah led his last expedition against the Raja of Kalinjar in Budelkhand. The fort of Kalinigar was besieged in November I544. It was felt that it Was difficult to capture the fort even after a long siege UItimately Sher Shah decided to blow up the walls of the Fort. On May 22nd,I545 while directing. He operations of his artillery Sher Shah seriously wounded by the sudden Outbreak of fire in the munitions. The fort was taken But Sher Shah himself died in May I545. 

Administration of Sher Shah Suri. 

1. Reforms of Sher shah:- Sher Shah was , according to all Estimates a man of varied talents and extraordinary genius. He Was not only a great conqueror but also showed greater qualities as an administrator. During his brief reign of 5 years he introduced Wise and salutary changes in every branch of administration Prof: Qanungo has described Sher Shah as “ the greatest administrative and military genius among the Afghan,” Appearing like a bright Comet in the sky of Indo-Moslem history for a very short period he Brought with him wise and beneficent reforms which influenced Many of the famous administrators of India in succeeding ages. 

Mr. Keane has affirmed that” No government – not even the British Has shown so much wisdom as this pathan. “ It has been universally Acknowledged that Sher Shah exhibited in Many respects the work of Akber and has rightly been called the forerunner of Akbar as an Empire builder and administrator. 

However some scholars are of the opinion that Sher Shah was Reformer not an innovator. According to them he did not create New institutions, he only administered the old institutions in a new spirit to meet current needs. His administrative arrangements Included many traditional features of old system, Hindu as well as Muslim. 

2. Benevolent Despotism :- Sheh Shah was an enlightened despot Who regarded administration as a part of his duty and gave personal Attention to every business concerning the administration of the Kingdom. He was the first muslim sovereign of Delhi who placed Before him the ideal of promoting public welfare without distinction Of caste or creed. He wanted to build his greatness on the happiness And contentment of subjects and not by oppressing them. Among the Muslim rulers of India “Sher Shah was the first attempted to found An empire broadly based upon the people’s will.” 

3. Central Government :- Sher Shah’s government was a highly Centralised system, with real power concentrated in the hands of the King. He laid down the general policy of all departments and his Ministers carried out administrative duties according to his Directions and under his personal supervision. He did not introduce Any reforms in the constitution of the central government which Continued to be based on the old Persian model as had been introduced in India by the early Muslim rulers. Sher Shah had four ministries modeled on those of the Sultanate period. 

(1) Diwan-i-Wizarat :- This was the most important department whose officer in charge was called the Wazir. He looked after the finance and revenues of the state and exercised general supervision over other ministers. But Sher Shah probably did not confer the dignity of a wazir on any body. 

(2) Diwan-i-Ariz:- This department was under the charge of ariz-i-mamalik who may be designated the army minister. He looked after the recruitment, organisation and payment of the army but was not given the authority to command the soldiers in the battelfield. 

(3) Diwan-i-Rasalst:- The ministers in charge of this department dealt with foreign affairs and diplomatic correspondence. The department kept in touch with the ambassadors and envoys sent to and received from foreign states. The work of charity and endowments was also in the hands of this department. 

(4) Diwan-i-Insha:- The minister in charge of this department had to draft royal proclamations and dispatches to the local officers. He also maintain-ed government records. 

In addition to these departments there were also Diwan-i-Qaza And Diwan-i-Barid. The first was under chief Qazi who supervised the Administration of justice while the second was the intelligence Department headed by Barid-i-Mamalik. The department had a large Number of news writers and spies who were scattered all over the Country. The department also made arrangements for the posting of News carriers at various places to carry the royal dak. There Seems to have been a high official in charge of the royal house- Hold and various workshops attached to it. He was styled as Diwan-i-saman. 

The classification of the central departments and the powers And functions of each ministry do not seems to have been marked. 

4. Provincial government:- There are two views with regard to the provincial administration under Sher Shah. According to Dr. Qanngo The highest division of the country was Sarkar and provinces did not Exist as Sher Shah wanted to abolish provincial government altogether while according to another view provinces did exist and it is wrong To say that Sarkar was the highest division for the purposes of Administration. However, both the views do not seem to be quite Correct, because administrative division corresponding provinces Did exist during the period of Sher Shah. There was no uniformity In their size. They were known an Iqtas. Heads of the Iqtas were Known as faujdar, hakim or amin. They had under them a contingent Of troops and were fully responsible for maintaining the law and order. They carried on civil administration an accordance with imperial Firmans. 

Sher Shah has left an indelible mark on the civil administration Of the lower ladder. The province was divided into sarkar while each Sarkar was divided into number of parganas and the parganas were composed of a number of villages. villages were the lowest unit of Administration. The division was as under:- 

Province ____ Under faujdar, hakim or amin Sarkars _____ under chief shiqdar & Chief Munsif Parganes _____ under Shiqdar & Munsif Villages _____ under Panchayats 

Sarkar:- The provinces were divided in Sarkars or districts. Each Sarkar had two important officers – Chief Shiqdar and Chief Munsif, also called Shiqdar – I – Shiqdaran and Shiqdar-i-Munsif Respectively. The former was the head of the Sarkar. He had a Small contingent under his contral in order to maintain law and Order. He was also to supervise the work of the Shiqdar of parganas In his district. The chief Munsif was incharge of revenue collection And civil justice. He was primarily a judge. He also supervised The work of the munsif of the parganas. 

Parganas:- Each Sarkar comprised of a number of parganas. Each Pargana had a Shiqdar, a MUnsif (Amin), a treasurer and Two clerks- one to maintain records in hindi and the other in Persian.The Shiqdar maintained some soldiers who were employed To maintain peace. The Munsif supervised the land revenue administration And collection of government dues. He also tried civil and Revenue cases and enjoyed same statues as the Shiqdar .The Treasurer was the next important officer. All collections were Deposited with him and he maintained an account of the income and Expenditure of the Pargana. The two clerks were called Karkuns. Persian was the language of the court therefore one clerk maintained All records in Persian while the majority of the people had no Knowledge of Persian therefore the other clerk maintained duplicate Records in hindi. Sher Shah transferred the Shiqdars and Munsifs Every two years or even earlier so that there was no possibility Of local rebellion. 

A special feature of the administration of Sarkars and Parganas Was that Sher Shah introduced a dyrachy system of government As a preventive against rebellions. Rebellions generally occurred Because control over local army and finance were vested in the Same person therefore Shers Shah appointed two persons of equal Ranks-one incharge of military functions and the other finance. Both of them acted as a check on the other. 

5. Village:- A village was the lowest unit of administration. Sher Shah initiated the policy of making the people of the locality responsible for maintaining peace and security within their respective Area. He accepted the time honored custom of recognizing the Autonomy of the villages which were governed by their own Panchayats. The panchayats were incharge of maintaining law And order. He gave legal recognition to the panchayats. Each Panchayat was composed of elders of the village who looked after the interest of the people and administered justice. He main- tained touch with the villages through the village officials namely patwari and chowkidar. 

6. Revenue System:- The most striking contribution of Sher Shah Was his revenue reforms. His land revenue reforms were based on Wise and humane principles and have unque importance in The administrative history of India. The experience gained by him In his youth as the manger of his father’s jagir had given him First hand knowledge of the land revenue problems and the secrets Of prosperity and stability of state. 

His land revenues reforms had three objectives – to increase Agricultural production, to increase the revenue of the state and To improve the conditions of the cultivators. The cultivable Land was measured according to uniform system. All cultivable Land was divided into three classes – good, middle and bad. Then annual produce per bigha (sixty by sixty Square yards of Land) of land in case of each crop and each category was determined. It was followed by the determination of average produce Per bigha of land as a whole (including all the three catagories- Good, middle and bad) in case of each crop. One third of the Produce was fixed as the state’s share. The government revenue Could be paid either in case or in kind but the former was Prefered. 

Each cultivator received from the state a patta (title Deed) specifying the state demand that is the revenue that the Was required to pay. In return he was to sign a qabuliyat (deed of agreement) indicating his assent to pay the amount of revenue mentioned. In addition to the land revenue each cultivator had to pay two charges : jaribana(surveyor’s fee) and mahasilana (tax collector’s fee). An additional cess of 212 per cent had to be paid in kind. The grain thus collected was stored in state gramaries and sold at cheap prices in time of famine or natural clamity. 

The most significant feature of his land revenue system was That he eliminated intermediaries for the purpose of collection Of revenue.The government established direct contact with Cultivators. That is why his land revenue system has been called ryotwari system or system of cultivators or ryots. 

Sher Shah gave cleat instructions that leniency was to be Shown at the time of assessment but not at the time of collection Of revenue. He also passed orders that while army was one the move It was not to destroy the crops of the peasants. Loans were advanced To the peasants in case of damage to the crop caused by the soldiers, Drought and natural calamities. 

Despite its merit Sher Shah’s revenue system was not free From defects. The share of the government was fixed at one – third Of the average produce of the three kinds of land viz good, middle And bad. The result was that the good land was under charged while The bad land was over charged. It is possible that this inequality might have adjusted itself “by variations in the crops grown”. 

Secondly the state demand of one third of the produce together With fees of surveyors and collectors and the additional fees of 212 per cent was fairly high charge. 

Thirdly the annual settlement caused inconvenience to the Cultivators and also to state officials. The settlement of cash Value of the share of government depended on correct information, Proper inquiry and prompt report to and instruction from the Central government. Such a procedure was not quite dependable. It Was likely to hold up the work of collection and cause great inconvenience to the collectors and cultivators. 

7. Army:- Sher Shah had a big and well equipped army. The Afghans necessarily had predominance, while troops of other Nationalities also were there. Sher Shah realised the importance Of an efficient army. He therefore took personal interest in the Recruitment of troops and fixing the salaries of individual Soldiers. 

Sher Shah established a permanent standing army which was Paid partly in cash from the royal treasury and partly by grant of jagir. He revived Ala-ud-Din-khilji’s practice of branding Horses to prevent corruption in cavalry. He also maintained the Descriptive roll of troopers so that no one could send a proxy At the time of military review or fighting. Corruption was checked To a great extent. He maintained strong discipline in the army And inflicted harsh punishments on those who infringed the rules of conduct. Promotion of the troops depended on their merit. 

We know that the army of Sher Shah was principally organized under four heads cavalry, infantry, artillery and elephants. Cavalry (horsemen) was the most important section of the army. The infantry (foot soldiers) was armed with muskets. Most of his soldiers were also fine archers. He possessed a large park of artillery At the capital Sher Shah had 50,000 cavalry, 25,000 infantry, 5,000 war elephants and a huge artillery. Besides this there were contingents of troops posted at 47 important strategic place all over the kingdom. Each of these called a fauj was in the charge of a faujdar. The total strength of his army cannot be accurately ascertained. Transport arrangements were made by the soldiers themselves. Provisions were supplied to the soldiers by the Banjaras Or roving grain merchants who moved along with the army. 

Critics point out certain defects in Sher Shah’s army. The Army consisting as it did predominantly of Afghans could not be Regarded as national army. The Afghan contingent often consisted Of members of single clan or tribe. As a result their natural Loyalty to the tribal leader rather than the sovereign. The Provincial contingent was not under proper control of the center. 

8. Administration of Justice:- Sher Shah was adorned with Jewel of justice and he often times remarks,” Justice is the Most excellent of religious right and it is approved both by the king of the infides and the faithful" . He did not spare even his near relatives if they resorted to any criminal deed. Like other medieval rulers Sher Shah sometimes decided cases In person. Village panchayat was empowered to administer justice In the villages, in the parganas were the munsifs and in the Sarkars were the chief munsifs. They administered civil and Revenue cases while the shiqdar and his chief in the sarkar dealt with the criminal cases. In addition there were courts of The Qezi and the mir-adl culminating in the highest courts of The chief Qazi. All higher officers and courts had full Authority to hear appeals against the decisions arrived at by their Junior counterparts. Above all was situated the king’s court. 

The criminal law of the time was very hard and punishments were Severe. The object of punishment was not to reform but to set an Example so that the others may not do the same. 

9. Roads and Sarais:- For the purpose of imperial defense And for the convenience of the people sher shah connected the Important places of his kingdom by a chain of excellent roads. He caused to be built four national highways :- (i) The Grand Trunk Road from Sonargaon in Bengal to Attock in the Punjab (ii) From Agra to Mandu (iii) from Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor (iv) From Lahore to Multan. Along the roads were constructed not less than I700 sarais for the convenience of the travellers. Separate it arrangements were made for the Hindu’s and muslims. Shady trees were planted on both sides of the roads. The sarais Provided suitable accommodation, cooking facilities and drinking water for the travelers. The sarais also served the purpose of Dak chowkis for collections of news. At each sarai were stationed Two horsemen to carry the royal mail in the up and down direction. 

10. Intelligence Department :- As mentioned above the sarais Served as dak chowkis also. Sher Shah appointed an officer Known as Daroga –i- Dak Chowki as the head of intelligence Department. News writers and news carriers were employed by him To furnish important happenings in every part of his empire. News Runners and spies were posted in all important towns to collect and transmit to the court important information. Much success of Sher Shah’s administration was due to efficient spy system. 

11. Currency and Tarrif: Reforms:- An outstanding achievement of Sher Shah was in the Field of currency reforms. On his accessions He found the currency system was practically broken. Coins of all Previous reigns were allowed to circulate as legal tender. He sought To remove this confusion by abolishing all old currency and by Issuing new coins, gold, silver and copper of fixed standard. The silver rupee and the copper dam had their subdivisions of halves, Quarters, eighths and sixteenths. The ratio between the silver coins And various gold coins were fixed. 

To encourage trade and commerce in his empire Sher Shah Abolished many duties which were charged on goods at different points. He laid down that only two duties should be charged on transport of Goods. The first duty was charged when the goods brought into The country and the second was charged when the goods were sold. The Object was to facilitate trade in the country. 

12. Religious policy:- There is a difference of opinion regarding The religious policy followed by Sher Shah. According to Dr. Qanungo Sher Shah followed a policy of religious toleration towards the Hindu but Professor S.R. Sharma differs from this view. His Contention is that in his religious views Sher Shah did not rise Above the Turk Afghan rulers of Delhi. However, it is admitted by All that Sher Shah was an orthodox sunn muslim. He prayed five 

Times a day, fasted during Ramzan and followed various observances Of his faith. He resorted to Jihad or holy war against the Rajputs That is his war against Puran Mal of Raisin was officially called a Jihad, After his victory over Maldeo of Jodhpur he demolished temples in the fort of Jodhpur and built a mosque on their site therefore it will be far from truth to say that he was altogether free from religious bias. But at the same time to place him in the cat gory of Sultans of the pre-Mughal period also would be wrong. He did not humiliate the Hindus, nor did he interfere in their Performance of customary religious duties. A large section of his Infantry was composed of Hindus. He did not mix religion with Politics. On the whole it may be said that he was tolerant towards The religion of the vast majority of his subjects. 

13. Charity:- Another important sphere of state activity was Grant of charities. This had been a customary practice in all Islamic governments. Grants were made to scholars and holymen. Special grants were given to Madrasas and Mosques. Stipends were given to teachers and students. Free kitchens were established by The government at several places. 

14. Buildings:- Sher Shah has left an indelible impress as A builder. The Purana Qila at Delhi is said to have been built By him and is considered to be “the most perfect of his buildings.” It is a good example of Indo-Islamic architecture. The best example Of Sher Shah’s architecture is his own mausoleum at Sasaram in Bihar. “The short lived and un-stable Sur dynesty “ writers V.A.Smith ‘of which Sher Shah was the most distinguished member had such a hard fight for existence that is could not have been expected to pay much attention to architecture the mausoleum of Sher Shah at Sasaram built on lofty plinth in the midst of a lake is one of the Best designed and most beautiful buildings in India unequalled among The early buildings in the Northern provinces for grandeur and Dignity.” Percy Brown also lavishes praison Sher Shah’s buildings For their exquisite design excellent execution and artistic Decoration. 

Sher Shah is indeed a striking personality in the history of Medieval India. He applied his indefatigable industry to the Service of the state and his reforms were well calculated to secure The interests of the people. In fact the real significance of his Reign lies in the fact that he embodied in himself those very Qualities which are needed for building of the national state In India and he prepared the ground for the glorious Akbaride Regime in more ways than one. He is therefore been rightly called The forerunner of Akbar. Unfortunately Sher Shah’s empire collapsed Within a decade after his death and the mughal regime was restored by Humayun whom he had forced to flee from India. This happened because the Afghans failed to preserve what Sher Shah left for them. Vincent Smith observes,” If Sher Shah had been spared he would have established his dynasty and the Great Mughals would not have appeared on the stage of history.” 

Fall of the Sur Dynesty:- After the death of Sher Shah his son Islam Shah came to the throne in I545. Though he did not inherit the Qualities of his father yet he kept his heritage in tact for 8 years. After his death in October,I553 the Sur dynasty began to disintegrate. 

The Afghan empire was partitioned and was ruled by three independent Nobles namely Ibrahim Khan Sur in Delhi and Agra, Muhammad adil Shah In the East and the Punjab under Sikander Shah. The various provinces of Malwa, Rajputana , Bengal and Bundelkhand proclaimed independence As stated in the previous lesson this political chaos provided Humayun With the needful opportunity to stage a come back in India. He defeated Sikander Sur in a battle near Sirhind in I555 and occupied Delhi and Agra. 

The Second Afghan Empire like the first one once again fell to the tribal concepts and political intrigues of the Afghan nobility. The field was left to the Mughals and Akbar used every opportunity. to retrieve the Mughal prestige and power.