Sher Shah Suri: the administrator from Sasaram

In the middle of an artificial lake in Sasaram, in Rohtas district, stands an octagonal tomb of red sandstone, rising in tiers to a great dome. It is the tomb of Sher Shah Suri — a man who began life as the son of a minor jagirdar in Bihar, defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun, and in barely five years as ruler of north India laid down administrative foundations that lasted for centuries.

Early life

• Born as Farid (in the late fifteenth century; the exact year is debated), the son of Hasan Khan Sur, an Afghan jagirdar of Sasaram.
• He managed his father's jagir and gained first-hand experience of revenue administration at the local level.
• According to tradition, he received the title Sher Khan after killing a tiger while in the service of Bahar Khan Lohani, the ruler of south Bihar.
• He rose to become the effective ruler of Bihar, and captured the fortress of Rohtasgarh (Rohtas).

Victory over Humayun

Sher Shah ruled from 1540 until his death in 1545, when he was killed by an accidental explosion of gunpowder during the siege of Kalinjar fort.

Administration

Structure

Officials were transferred regularly to prevent them from building local power bases.

Land revenue

Sher Shah's revenue system was his most important reform.

• Measurement of cultivated land (zabt) using a standard measure.
• Classification of land into good, middling and bad; the average produce was calculated.
• The state's share was fixed at about one-third of the average produce.
• Patta — a document given to the cultivator stating the land and revenue due.
• Qabuliyat — a deed of agreement signed by the cultivator accepting the revenue.
• Revenue could be paid in cash or kind.
• Relief (loans) in times of distress; officials were instructed to be lenient at assessment and strict at collection.

These principles were later developed by Raja Todar Mal under Akbar (who had served under Sher Shah earlier).

Currency

• Introduced the silver rupiya (of about 178 grains), and the copper dam.
• The rupee has remained the name of the currency ever since.

Roads and sarais

• Restored and built major roads, most famously the road from Sonargaon (Bengal) to the northwest (towards the Indus) — later known as the Grand Trunk Road (earlier called Sadak-e-Azam).
• Built sarais (rest-houses) at regular intervals along roads, with separate facilities for Hindus and Muslims, wells and shade trees.
• Sarais became centres of trade and small towns.

The dak (postal) system

• Horses were kept at sarais to carry news and messages quickly across the empire — an early postal and intelligence network.

Police and justice

• Village headmen were held responsible for crimes in their areas — if the culprit was not found, they were liable. This harsh system reduced crime on the roads.
• Justice was strict and impartial by the standards of the time.

Army

• A strong standing army; he revived the practice of branding horses (dagh) and keeping descriptive rolls of soldiers (chehra), following Alauddin Khalji.

Patna

Sher Shah built a fort at Patna (around 1541) and recognised the site's strategic importance on the Ganga. Patna rose again as a major city and later became the capital of the Mughal province (subah) of Bihar.

His tomb at Sasaram

• A great octagonal tomb set in an artificial lake, with a large dome.
• Considered one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture in the pre-Mughal period.

Legacy

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. Where was Sher Shah's tomb built?
2. Where and when was the Battle of Chausa fought?
3. What were patta and qabuliyat?
4. Which silver coin did Sher Shah introduce?
5. How did Sher Shah die?

Mains-style:

• "Sher Shah's reforms laid the foundation of Mughal administration." Discuss.
• Examine Sher Shah's land revenue system and its impact on cultivators.