Area of Administration of Shershah Suri

Within a few years of his final victory over Humayun, the Suri empire embraced practically the
whole of Northern India, except Assam, Kashmir and Gujarat. It extended from Sonargaon (now
in Bangladesh) in the east to the Gakkar country in the north-east. In the north it was bounded
by the Himalayas and in the south by the Vindhya Mountains. The empire included most of the
Punjab up to the river Indus and Multan and Sindh. In the south it comprised Rajputana (mionus
Jaisalmer), Malwa and Bundelkhand. Kalyan Mal of Bikaner had recognized his suzerainty.
Gujarat was, however, not included as Sher Shah had made no attempt to conquer it.
He began his life in a humble way, and, like many other great men in history, had to pass
through various trials and vicissitudes of fortune before he rose to prominence by dint of his
personal merit This great Pakhtoon will be remembered in the history as a self-made
personality, who because of his ego, uprightness and intelligence brought an end to the
Mughal dynasty.

4. Provincial Administration:
Sher Shah Suri was founded the Sur dynasty, he gave highly unified system to Sur
new initiated dynasty, Sher Shah Suri was the architect of a brilliant administration
system. All civil and military powers were concentrated in his hands. He was
adopted a number of ministries, but the ministers have no independence of action.
For the sustaining of Empire, the whole territory was divided into 47 'Sarkars' or
unitary divisions. The provincial government was a replica of the central
government. Every department had its counterpart in the province. The provincial
government was controlled by the corresponding department at the centre.*^
Although the provincial administration controlled by Sher Shah himself. He did not
shift the power to the Afghan Nobility like Lodhis. Before Sher Shah Suri, the
sultanate of Delhi did not possess a regular administrative hierarchy of mouza,
pargana, sarkar and iqta. Sher Shah was the first king who gave it a proper
administrative system. Although, the officials of the sarkars were responsible for
any violation, they had carried duties to maintain law and order within the unitary
divisions. They had responsible to suppress the revolts or rebel activities. The
provincial government was specially charged to encourage cultivation. Every sarkar
was divided into a number of parganas. Each province was the centre of rural
administration; the head of the pargana administration was amiL The assessment
and revenue staff was under the amils supervision.*^
He was responsible to dispatch money to headquarter of his respective province. In
each province treasury had located. The constitution of the mauza under Sher Shah
Suri, as observed by Hasan Ali Khan, were as follows^ They should build a mosque
in every village and should attach production land to it as waqf. The income of this
village should be utilized in making arrangement for it. The mullah should be a
reader of the Quran and versed in the principal tenets of religion.
On more than one occasion, Sher Shah resorted to Jehad or holy war against the Rajputs. War
against Pooranmal of Raisin was officially called a Jehad. His treatment of Maldeo of Jodhpur is a
symbol of his intolerance. The same could be said about the siege of Kalinjar. Generally, Sher Shah
was tolerant in matters of religious belief. He separated politics from ethics. He did not carry on any
organized propaganda against the Hindus. On the whole, he was tolerant towards the Hindus.
 1. Sher Shah was the first Muslim ruler who got the whole of the land measured and fixed the land-
tax on it on just and fair principles.

However, some historians and scholars point out certain defects in the revenue system
of Sher Shah.

Firstly, it is pointed out that he could not completely root out the Jagirdari system which had taken
deep roots in the Afghan society.

Secondly, it is said that as the land revenue was fixed on the average produce of each bigha of
good, average and inferior land, the owner of good land always stood to gain while owners of
inferior land was always the loser.

Thirdly, it is said that as the convention of land revenue from kind to cash always depended on
the Central Government, it always led to delay in the collection of land revenue.
But we must not forget that Sher Shah had ruled only for five years. During this short period he
had not as yet tested his reforms when the cruel clutches of death ended his life. If death had
spared him more years, Sher Shah would have certainly won that renown which Akbar got for
his land reforms.

Reforms Introduced by Sher Shah Suri

Administrative Reforms

Extensive repairs of Major Roads

Rest houses for travelers

Drinking well for Musafirs

1st to introduce agricultural land measurements

Categorized Cultivated land according to its production

Introduced Postal System in which horses carried mails

Introduced Free Kitchens to provide meal to poor/needy people

Spend a due share of booty on building Mosque, Building Roads and Planting
Trees

Economic Reforms

Introduce Coin or Rupaiya

1st in Sub Continent to introduce Custom Duties

Introduced new coinage (Rupiya and Takka in place of Paisa and Jeethal)

Introduced Land Revenue System

Political Reforms

1st who kept Military Away from politics

Made cantonment areas controlled by Army

Crushed Pathan, Baloch, Rajput and Gakkhar tribe in India to br the Supreme
Authority of Sub-Continent.
 Joined Multan and Agra to each other with Famous GT Road to overcome
communication gap.

Introduced System of "Sarkars and Parganas"

A Nation Builder

Involve Hindus in Administrative Machinery of Sub Continent

Tried and Established a National Government

Believed in Peasantry to be the back bone of state.