SherShah Suri was the founder of the Suri dynasty after defeating the Mughal emperor Humayunh in 1540. His capital was in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar. He was the person who introduced the “rupee” in the calculated system of revenue. Sher Shah Suri was very brave and he ruled over Bihar. He changed some ruling posts and introduced many posts which have been divided into the Sarkars post.
Rise of Shershah Suri
- Rise of Shershah can be understood in the context of the political and social
background of Eastern UP and Bihar. - Sarwanis and farmulis were in a strong position in Eastern UP and they wanted to
restore the old kingdom of Jaunpur. In Bihar, Nuhani wanted to establish a separate kingdom. They were opposite Bengal rulers and Mughal rulers. Mughals were not in a position to dominate this area because of their preoccupation else were. - Another factor that help in the rise of Shershah, is the important position enjoyed by
women. When the ruler of Bihar died DUDU dominated this area. She was a widow.
Shershah won the confidence of the Dudu.
Ex:- the commander of Fort of Chunar died, his wife lord Mallika was powerful,
Shershah started winning lord mailka, and Shershah married lord Mallika.
Ex: When the Nuhani king of Ghazipur died, he purposes to marriage his wife gauhar
gosai.
Farid, who later came to be called Sher Khan and subsequently Sher Shah, was the son
of a Jagirdar under the kingdom of Jaunpur. His father Hasan Khan Sur held the jagir of
Sasaram in Bihar during the rule of Lodis. After defeating Humayun he became sovereign
ruler in the year 1540 and assumed the title of Sher Shah.
In 1540, after a 14-year lapse, Sher Shah succeeded in restoring Afghan dominance in India (the Lodis were the first Afghan rulers). For fifteen years, Sher Shah and his successors ruled. This time frame is referred to as the Second Afghan Empire period. In 1542, he overthrew and subjugated Malwa, and Chanderi followed. He oversaw wars in Rajasthan against Marwar, Bikaner, Ajmer, Nagor, Ranthambhore, and Merta Jodhpur.
In Bengal, he put down insurgent Afghans. He had established himself as the ultimate monarch by 1545, ruling over all of Rajputana in the West, Bengal in the East, Sindh, and Punjab. He turned to face Bundelkhand now. He perished here in 1545 during the siege of Kalinjar’s fort due to an unintentional gunpowder explosion. He made his government highly centralized.
The king was assisted by important ministers
- Diwan–i- Wizarat – also called Wazir – In charge of Revenue and Finance.
- Diwan-i-Ariz – In charge of the Army.
- Diwan-i-Rasalat- Foreign Minister.
- Diwan-i-Insha- Minister for Communications.
Sher Shah’s empire was divided into forty-seven Sarkars. Chief Shiqdar (law and order)
and Chief Munsif (judge) were the two officers in charge of the administration in each
Sarkar.
Each Sarkar was divided into several Parganas. Shiqdar (military officer), Amin (land
revenue), and Fotedar (treasurer) Karkuns (accountants) were in charge of the
administration of each Pargana.
Sher Shah also improved communications by laying four important highways they were :
- Sonargaon to Sind
- Agra to Burhampur
- Jodhpur to Chittor and
- Lahore to Multan
He expanded the Grand Trunk Road to connect Kabul in far northwest Afghanistan with Chittagong on the borders of the province of Bengal in northeastern India. During his rule, Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the well-known Hindi masterpiece Padmavat. In Delhi, he began construction on a brand-new walled city that would eventually be called Purana Qila (Old Fort). In Sasaram, he constructed his own mausoleum. The dominion of Sher Shah was split up among 47 Sarkars. Every Sarkar was additionally subdivided into multiple Parganas and overseen by multiple officers.
- Shiqdar – Military Officer
- Amin – Land Revenue
- Fotedar – Treasurer
- Karkuns – Accountants
- Iqtas – various administrative units
Under Sher Shah, the land revenue administration was well organized. The land survey
was sensibly done.
All cultivable lands were classified into three classes – good, middle, and bad. The state’s
share was one-third of the average production and it was paid in cash or crop. Sher
Shah introduced new copper coins called “Dam”. It is believed that this coin is one of the
possible sources for the English phrase “I don’t give a dam, due to its small worth. Police
were competently restructured and crime was less during his regime. Shah borrowed
many ideas like the branding of horses from Alauddin Khalji.
Sher Shah continued to be a devout Muslim who was generally accepting of other faiths. He also put Hindus in high positions.During his reign, the Purana Qila fort and its mosque were constructed. In Sasaram, he also constructed a mausoleum that is regarded as one of the greatest monuments of Indian architecture.
During his rule, Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the well-known Hindi masterpiece Padmavat. Following Sher Shah’s death in 1545, his heirs held power until Humayun’s conquest of India in 1555.
Shershah Land Revenue Reform
The most notable thing that Shershah did was personally attend to the administration of revenue. In the Middle Ages, his revenue administration was among the best. Because of its close connection to the present, it was a type of Ryotwari system. He had a strong concern for the well-being of the here and now. He is constantly considerate. “Humbule Ryots are the pivot of Agriculture,” he used to say.
The revenue reforms implemented by Sher Shah were his most notable achievement. His land revenue reforms, which have a special place in India’s administrative history, were founded on morally sound and humanitarian ideas. He had firsthand knowledge of the issues with land revenue from his time spent managing his father’s jagir as a young man.
His land revenue reforms had three objectives:
❖ To increase agricultural production
❖ To increase the revenue of the state
❖ To improve the conditions of the cultivators.
The measurement of the cultivable land was done using a standard method. There were three classes for all cultivable land: good, intermediate, and bad. For each crop and category, the yearly yield per bigha (sixty by sixty square yards of land) was calculated. The average produce per bigha of land as a whole—that is, the three categories of good, middle, and terrible output—for each crop was then calculated. The state’s portion of produce was set at one-third. Although payment in kind was favored, cash was also an option for the government revenue.
Each cultivator received from the state a patta (title deed) specifying the state demand which is the revenue that was required to pay. In return, he was to sign a qabooliyat (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 2.5% had to be paid in kind. The grain, thus collected was stored in state granaries and sold at cheap prices at the time of famine or natural calamity. The most significant feature of his land revenue system was that it eliminated intermediaries for the collection of revenue.
The government got in touch with growers directly. His land revenue scheme has been dubbed the “riots” or “ryotwari” system for this reason. Sher Shah made it very clear that any forbearance was to be displayed during the assessment process rather than while revenue was being collected. Additionally, he gave orders for the soldiers to march without destroying the peasants’ crops. Peasants received loans in the event that natural disasters, droughts, or military actions damaged their crops.
The defects of the revenue system are as follows :
One-third of the average yield from the three types of lands —good, middle, and bad was set aside for the government’s share. As a result, the bad land was overcharged and the good land was undercharged. The state’s requirement for one-third of the product, in addition to the 2.5% additional fee and the costs of surveyors and collectors, was quite considerable. Both state representatives and growers experienced inconveniences as a result of the yearly settlement.
The settlement of the cash value of the share of government depended on correct information, proper inquiry, and prompt reporting 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.
Akbar built the superstructure of administration upon the base laid by Shershah Suri. Under the previous master Shershah Suri, Todarmal earned a great deal of experience that he eventually used to carry out most of Akbar’s reforms. Using a unit known as the Sikandari Gaj, Shershah is credited for conducting a methodical survey and measurement of all of his empire’s cultivable land. Sikandar Lodi introduced Sikandar Gaj, which was 39 inches in length. He instituted the land deed system known as the Patta and Kabuliyat, often spelled Kabuliyat.
The Patta method required the area seeded, crop varieties grown, and revenue sharing to be properly recorded on paper. The peasant and the government entered into a deed agreement under the Qabuliyat system. The goal of the Qabuliyat system was to deter the Jagir system.
Additionally, Shershah had created the per Bigha land (Rai) for the fields that were periodically kept out of cultivation (Parauti) and the lands that were continuously farmed (Polaj). The average of three rates—which stood for good, middling, and poor yields—was called Rai. Akbar later adopted this rail system.
Shershah Promote trade and commerce
Shershah laid great emphasis on the construction and improving the road. He tries to improve roads. Try to improve communication. He led 4 important highways
- Sonargaon to sindh
- Agra to Burhampur
- Jodhpur to chittor
- Lahore to Multan
The Grand Trunk Road was built by Sher Shah and connected Sonargaon, Bengal, to the Indus River in the west.In addition, he built a road that connected to the road that goes to the seaports of Gujarat and went from Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor.
Sher Shah constructed Sarais on these routes every two Kos, or roughly eight kilometers, for the convenience of travelers. The Sarai was a guarded hotel where guests may spend the night and leave their belongings in secure storage.
The news service, or dak-chowki, was also staged in the Sarais. Sher Shah kept himself updated on the happenings in his enormous empire through these. Goods manufactured in Bengal or imported from outside paid customs duty at the boundary of Bengal and Bihar at Sikrigali, and goods arriving from West and Central Asia paid customs duty at the Indus.
He built four significant highways in an effort to enhance communication and transportation. In order to persuade the traveler, he built rest stops known as Sarai. 1700 sarai are present. The Empire’s arteries are referred to as Sarai and the roads. He did not just build Sarai and highways. In addition, he guarantees road safety. In addition, he upholds law and order. He had a reputation for teaching law and order. In addition, he wished to defend the populace against robbers and landowners. Even an elderly lady with white hair is carrying a basket filled with decorations.
He was credited with instituting law and order. He made an Eastern move. Fateh Khan Zatt disturbed the tranquility in that region. He acted in opposition to him. He eliminated all fees that were assessed at various locations. He gives the command for this duty to be divided into entry and exit phases. He also guarded traders’ belongings. It aided trade as well. He was a currency reformer as well. Upon his arrival, he discovered that the monetary system was essentially malfunctioning.
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 subdivisions of halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths. The ratio between the silver coins and various gold coins was fixed. To encourage trade and commerce in his empire Sher Shah abolished many duties charged on goods at different points. He laid down that only two duties should be charged for the transport of goods.
Shershah Military Reform
- Strong Standing Army:- Sher Shah maintained a solid standing army at the center
like Ala-ud-din Khilaji. His army included 1,50,000 cavalry, 25,000 infantry, 3000
war elephant, and a part of artillery. - Recruitment: Sher Shah took a personal interest in the recruitment, training, and
promotion of soldiers. Soldiers were recruited directly by the center under the sultan’s
supervision. - Practiced Huliya and Dag
- Payment in Cash
- He recruited mostly Afghan soldiers from every part of the country.
- Besides the standing army under the direct command of the Sultan, provincial governors, nobles, and subordinate rulers were also allowed to maintain their separate armies.
Buildings and Monuments
1. Mausoleum at Sasaram in Bihar :- The tomb of Sher Shah Suri is in the Sasaram town
of Bihar state, India. The tomb was built in memory of Emperor Sher Shah Suri, a
Pathan from Bihar who defeated the Mughal Empire and founded the Suri Empire in
northern India.
2. Purana Qila at Delhi :-
The mosque in Purana Qila has been regarded as a good example
of Indo- Islamic architecture.Sher Shah has left an indelible impression as a builder. The Purana Qila in 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 mausoleum at Sasaram in Bihar.
3. Fort of Rohtas garh on the banks of the river Jhelum in the Northwest
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