Medieval administrative system of Rajasthan

Administrative system is an essential element for an organized state. Meaning of the administrative system of Rajasthan in the medieval periodThe period from the time of contact with the Mughals to the treaties signed with the British in 1818 ADIs from the study of. During this period, Rajasthan had 22 small and big princely states, and Ajmer was a Mughal province. All these princely states had their own administrative system, but some fundamental features were also uniform. Due to the princely state being under the Mughal province, there was also Mughal influence. The medieval administrative system of Rajasthan basically had three bases –

1. General and military administration,
2. Second: Administration of Justice,
3. Third:- Land Revenue Administration.

total governance systemking and feudal systemwas based on. Feudal system of Rajasthanbased on blood relations and clan feelingWas. first of allColonel James ToddFor the feudal system hereEngland FeudalIt has been mentioned considering the arrangement to be similar. After extensive research work on the feudal system of Rajasthan, it became clear that the feudal system here was not based on lord (king) and servant (feudal) like the feudal system of the West mentioned by Colonel Todd. The feudal system of Rajasthan was an administrative and military system based on blood relations and clan feeling.

in rajasthanThe basic element of the feudal system was that after the death of the ruling father, the eldest son would become the king., the king himselfLand allotted to younger brothers for livelihooddoes, provides the above to the brother-in-lawfeudal lordWas called. In the medieval period, the land owner was referred to as the feudal lord.Feudal JagirdarIt was said,Feudal's birthright on feudal estateWas considered, i.e. Raja Samanta JagirKhalsaThat means it could not be included again in the central land. The feudal system can be defined in this way - The feudal system was a clan administrative and military system based on blood relations, in which the king was the chief among the equals. There was a relationship of brotherhood between the king and the feudal lords.

beginning of feudal system

Till now no definite opinion has been formed regarding when the feudal system started.Prof. Rai Choudharyits heydaysixth centuryIt is believed,Prof. D.D. KaushambibyGupta periodThe period of development of feudal system is considered to be after,Pro. R.S. Sharmaby4th centuryWhile giving arguments related to the beginning of the feudal system, it has been accepted that it developed in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.Russian historian Kovalesvimade itafter muslim invasionIt is considered a developed system. Most historians believe that the feudal system probably started in the Gupta period, but its developed and clear form was seen in Rajasthan.RajputsWith the establishment of the rule of Rajputs, different branches of Rajputs - Chauhan, Guhil-Sisodia, Rathore, Kachhwaha, Bhati, Hada etc. established their kingdoms on Rajasthan land, which were called their princely states. For the security of their princely states and to run the general administration system, the ruler made his feudal lords by giving jagirs to his family members, clan relatives and trusted generals and subordinates. Over time, this blood relation became a clan tradition. Made. Besides, this tradition also became prevalent in many princely states that the feudal lord was allotted land in the frontier area of ​​the Khalsa area, which was an area administered and controlled by the king, so that the Khalsa would be responsible for the security of the area at the time of external attack. These aristocratic landowners, who were allies of the king, in the medieval period.feudal estate' Started calling. Jagir is a Persian word,Pro. Irfan HabibHas defined the word Jagir in this way – “Jagir is two wordsJai+Giris a compound form of, which literally meansThat part of the land given by the state which had the legal right to collect revenue from that land area."

Features of feudal administration form

Along with the land received from the king as birth right, the privileges and responsibilities of the feudal lord were also determined. This system had the following features:

1. itconsanguineous clan system based on blood relationsWas.
2. The king appointed feudal lords to important administrative posts.
3. The king does not make any important decision without consulting the feudal lords.Cannot take administrative, military and policy decisionsWas.
4. The relationship between the king and the feudal lord was not like that of a master and a servant, giving respect to the fact that this tradition of code of conduct was prevalent thatUncle and brother to the ruling feudal lordaddress, similarly**Even the feudal lord knows the king, father.**Used to address.
5. **The rise and fall of the feudal lord along with the king.**It used to happen. From this point of view, the feudal lord could not decide on war or treaty with any other state.
6. For the security of the state, the feudal lord had to maintain a certain army. This work was done on the basis of clan sentiments. They considered it their responsibility to protect their ancestral property.
7. **The feudal lords played a decisive role in deciding the king's successor.**Many times the feudal lords did not accept the successor nominated by the ruler and replaced him. There was a tradition of making the eldest son the successor, but there are instances when the feudal lords had doubts about the ability and leadership ability of the eldest son, then they placed a capable son or brother on the throne.
8. The administrative system was based on respect and duty. The king had to respect the privileges of the feudal lords and had to follow the duties prescribed by the feudal lords towards the state and the ruler.
9. in the middle agesclass system in feudal systemalso started.

Feudal system and administration in the medieval period

There was a change in the feudal system of Rajasthan during the medieval period, especiallyin 1562When the Mughal EmperorAkbarMade treaties with Rajputs. After the treaty with the Mughals, the situation of war reduced, due to which the dependence on feudal lords for military support started decreasing. Also, the Mughal kingsMansabdarWas made, due to which they came under Mughal protection.

from this changeFeudal now became servants instead of allies. Earlier they used to play a role in deciding the successor of the king, but now the Mughal rulers started interfering in this. In particular, the Mughals**The decision to appoint a ruler in the princely states became Mansabdar, in the hands of the Mughals.**It came, and the feudal lords could not resist it. In this way, the feudal system gradually came closer to the Mansabdari and hierarchical system, although its basic form remained.

tax treatment with services

according to traditional governanceFeudal in times of war and peacethe king has hisservices i.e. servicesused to give, but with himno tax relationWas.in the middle agesBig administrative change took place, with services according to the new systemset tax regimeHas been done.

to the feudal lordpatta line and bhartu lineStarted giving, Patta Rekh meant the estimated revenue mentioned in the lease of the jagir given by the king and Bharat Rekh meant that he used to pay (collect) the revenue as per the rekh mentioned in the lease of the jagir given by the king to the feudal lord. Apart from these two major taxes, many other taxes were imposed. Each state had a different tax system, the major tax of which was inheritance tax.

Thus, in the medieval period, influenced by the Mughal Mansab administration system, the military strength of the soldiers was determined according to their income, the result of which was that the rulers moved ahead in the process of establishing their supremacy over the feudal lords.

line :

Rekha means the estimated annual revenue of the Jagir.Which was mentioned in the lease of the jagir given by the ruler? Other meaning of Rekhmilitary taxIt is also taken from. The state kept accounts of fees only on the basis of income criteria determined by Rekh. On the basis of Rekh, inheritance tax from feudal lords, military service, invitation fee etc. were determined. Rekh was neither collected regularly every year nor was its rate fixed.

succession fee :

After the death of the feudal lord or jagirdar, this tax was collected from the new heir of the said jagir. Inheritance tax had different names in different princely states.first offering in jodhpurAndlater ordercalled,Mewar and JaipurIntribute, in some other princely statesKhalsa captured and sword tiedWere called.Jaisalmer was the only princely state where there was no inheritance tax.Was taken. Succession fee is a kind ofrenewal of lease of manorhad to do the Jagirdar's As soon as the king received the news of his deathcivil officerHe was sent to that Jagir with some employees and if the inheritance fee was not deposited by him, the Diwan was instructed to confiscate the Jagir. There were some other taxes also liketribute taxitOn the first marriage of the king's eldest sonFeudal and other vassals paid tribute,inviteiton the wedding of princessesWas on invitation,make pilgrimageThese were given as gifts when the king went on pilgrimage. With this type of tax system Firstly, there was an impact on the relations between the ruler and the feudal lord because this system was helpful in establishing the supremacy of the ruler; secondly, due to the continuous increase in the number of taxes, it had an indirect impact on the public; the feudal lords and vassals started collecting more taxes from the people.

Military service of feudal lords:

traditionally the feudal kingmilitary servicesUsed to be given, it was of two types-One in time of war, the other in time of peace. During the war, the king and the feudal lordSpecial Rukkaby sendingJamiat (Army)He used to ask me to attend the service along with him. times of peaceonce a year for a fixed periodTo be present with his Jamiat (army), it is stipulated in the lease of his jagir.line' was based on. In times of peace, he used to assist the ruler in his government work by being present in his service. Apart from the fixed period, one had to be present in the court on some special occasions and festivals like Dussehra, Akshaya Tritiya etc., and any feudal lord was given the responsibility of protecting the women of the royal family when they went on pilgrimage or other journeys. The feudal lord had to take prior permission from the ruler for some works, especially for the marriage of his son and daughter and for building forts and forts in his jagir.

categories of feudal lords

In the medieval period, the categories and status of feudal lords were also determined. This system was influenced by the Mughal Mansabdari system but was not completely in accordance with it.Mansabdari system bureaucratic systemWhich was determined on the basis of income, on the contrary in RajasthanDetermination of categories of feudal lords, clan prestige and positionIt happened according to. Even the princely state of Mewar was not untouched by this system, the system of category division of each state was different.Four types of categories in MarwarWas -Rajvi, Sardar, Ganayat and Mutsaddi.Close relatives of the Rajavi king for three generationswere, theyfree from taxes, decrees and servantsWas kept.Three categories of feudal lords in Mewarwho used to beUmraoIt was said,There were sixteen first class feudal lords, thirty two second class feudal lords and several hundred third class feudal lords.Were in number. Among the 16 members of the first classsalumbarThe feudal lord had a special place, in the absence of the Maharaja he was responsible for the administration and security of the city.Jaipurin the stateMaharaja Prithvi SinghAt the time of division of feudal categories, this12 sonsPermanent estates were established in the name ofKotdiWas called.quotaInRajviwere called,The number of Rajvi chieftains is thirtyWas. The largest number of them were Hada Chauhans.Three categories of feudal lords in BikanerThe first category included hereditary feudal lords who belonged to the family of Rao Bika, the second category included other blood relatives hereditary and the third category included other Rajputs, who were members of the ruling family before the Rathod rule was established in Bikaner and belonged to the Bhati and Sankhala clans.JaisalmerInBhati Rawal HarrajDuring the reign of the feudal lords, the class system started, there were two categories, onedawi (wife)secondBiography (midwife).

Other categories of feudal lords

There were two main ones -a land lordand anotherGracia Feudal, Bhumiya were those people whosacrificed to protect the border or villageyes they are theirscannot be evicted from the estateWas. Bhaumiya feudal lords were divided into two categories.coarse groundnutsThere was no responsibility on them. Secondsmall earthworms- They did not have to pay any kind of tax to the state, but they had to provide some services to the state administration. The main services among them were - delivering mail, providing necessary help, protecting the treasury and making arrangements for the stay and food of the officials during their official travels, etc. Grasias used to use the land's produce i.e. in return for their military service. If the Grasias showed any kind of laxity in their service, they could be evicted from the Grasa feudal lord.

general Administration

In order to make the administration efficient, some systems of the Mughal administrative system were also implemented in Rajasthan. The princely states governed their administrationParganas, Tehsils and VillageswhomTapoalso called, last unitvillage i.e. mozadivided into different units, etc.Mutsaddee means officerA new bureaucracy developed. Gradually this Mutsaddī (official) class also became hereditary. The Mutsaddī class was granted jagir in the form of salary, but itJagir is not hereditaryActually, after the death of Mutsaddee, the Jagir was given to Khalsa. There were no fixed rules for medieval bureaucracy; the ruler used to consult these officials.

Central Government:

King- Kingsupreme center of absolute powerHe ruled like a father and took advice from the Council of Ministers. There was a hierarchical system of Mutsaddee class to carry out the administrative tasks of the king.

Prime - This chief after the kingUsed to be there and looked after the royal affairs in the absence of the king.

Pradhan had different names in different princely states - Diwan in Kota and Bundi, Diwan in Mewar, Marwar and Jaisalmer.Prime, in Jaipurmusaahiband in BikanerchieftainUsed to say. It was not necessary that this post should be given to Rajputs only in all the princely states.

Raja Surajmal (1756-25 December 1763 AD) established a new administrative structure in the Jat ruled state of Bharatpur. Religion and caste were not considered the basis for government posts. Along with being a warrior, Surajmal was also a capable administrator and agricultural expert. In Bharatpur, after the king, the head was called Mukhtyar.

Diwan and Bakshi- Mostly where there were three chiefs there were Bakshis; He was the head of the army department and was also the army chief in Jodhpur.

Apart from the army department, Bakshi looked after the logistics system, army discipline and training etc.

naib bakshi- It kept details of the expenditure on the army and forts and also kept accounts of the maintenance of feudal lords.

shikdar- It was similar to the Kotwal of the Mughal administrative system, it looked after the work related to the employment of non-military employees.

Medieval justice system of Rajasthan

There was a traditional justice system,king supreme judgeused to happen,FeudalOwnChief Justice in the JagirHad the status of. moreoverGram Panchayats in villagesUsed to be.Khalsa areawork of justice inprincesIt was done by the Jagirdar, the Jagirdar was the judicial officer in the Jagir.

There were also caste panchayats. The disputes related to petty thefts and social crimes were resolved by the caste panchayat and gram panchayat, if not resolved then they would go to the court of the ruler and the jagirdar. If necessary, the disputes related to land disputes would also go to the court of the ruler and the jagirdar.**The king has the final say in disputes related to major crimes and death penalty.**Was of.

Traditional social and religious system is the basis of justiceWas. of lawsuitsno written recordWas kept. There was no separate act related to testimony.

Dr. M.S. Jainhas written that “Crime was considered a crime against the individual, not against society.. Everyone was not equal before the law. While giving punishment for the same crime, the punishment was given considering the social status of both the culprit and the person against whom the crime was committed.” According to the judicial system, the feudal lord had the right of 'Sarana' (refugee), if someone took refuge in the feudal lord, then protecting him became a question of the feudal lord's reputation. Many times criminals also took refuge in the feudal lord, which had a negative impact on the society and the justice system. The main feature of the medieval justice system was that justice was cheap and quick. At that time the penal laws were also not harsh.

Medieval land revenue system of Rajasthan

land and land ownership

The role of feudal lords was important in the land revenue system. in the middle agesAgriculture is the main source of incomeFrom this point of view, the institution that collected taxes on land and the crops produced on it had special importance. The land was divided into two parts, oneKhalsa land which is under the direct control of the rulerIt used to be, which can also be called the central land. secondJagir land is of four typesWas.

1. feudal estate
2. Hukumat Jagir
3. Bhaum's estate
4. Sasan Jagir

Bhaum's estateThey provided their services to the state and made certain decisions.

Sasan Jagir-Charitable, teaching work, literary writing work, bard and bardThis exemption given to Adi in the form of grant was also called Jagir because it was a tax-free jagir.

Hukumat Jagir- itfriendswere given to ParganaHakimIt was the responsibility of the Jagirdar to deposit the revenue in the treasury. This was the jagir given in the form of salary, which was transferred to the Khalsa after the death of that jagirdar.

feudal estateIt was a hereditary jagir, its rent was collected by the feudal lord. “The land was of two types –Agricultural land and grazing land. Agricultural land was that which was cultivable, and fodder for animals was grown on grazing land, which in modern revenue language is called pasture or grazing land. Actually Charnot land was public land.

farmer/cultivator

There were mainly two types of farmers-baapidar and nonbaapidar, Bapidar farmer was also called a tenant farmer, he was the farmer who was the permanent owner of the land to be cultivated, he could collect the necessary materials for the farming, the farmer must have been living there for a long time. to the non-sinfultenant farmerIt was also said that they did not have hereditary rights, they were not land owners, they were agricultural labourers. Bapidar farmers had many rights – they owned the wood and wells of their fields, while assessing taxes, it was taken into account what resources the Bapidar had used to increase agricultural production. – The land ownership of Bapidar farmers could not be abolished immediately, even if the farmer left the village for some period during famine, the land still remained the farmer's, and upon returning again the farmer could plow his land. It is clear that the land was owned by the farmers. Colonel James Todd has thrown light on the land revenue of ruling farmers by mentioning a proverb popular in Rajasthan, the saying was- “Bhog Ra Dhani Raj Ho, Bhom Ra Dhani Ma Chhau. That is, the owner of the land (Bhaum) is the one who tills it and the king is the officer of the revenue (Bhog). The lease of land given to farmers was recorded in the Jagirdar's register, which was called Dakhla.

rent determination

After ownership of land, collecting tax on it was an important responsibility, land revenue wasrent, enjoyment, and feastIt was called Adi. The assessment of rent was different in different states, the feudal lords and jagirdars of that state used to determine the rent according to the tradition of that state. Mainly three types of tax assessment systems emerge in the various prevalent systems.

First the form of land was divided into two parts –Barani i.e. land irrigated by rain waterSideUnnao means the land irrigated by ponds, wells, stepwells etc.Is done. second determining factorcrop characteristicsEarlier, revenue was determined keeping two things in mind.Market price and productivity potential of land, thirdfarmer's casteIn this regard, it was believed that more taxes were collected from Jats than Rajputs and Vishnoi.Special exemption in land revenue to Rajput, Brahmin and Mahajan farmersWas given. The rates of rent on Kharif and Rabi crops were also different, the role of Patel or Chaudhary was important at the time of determination and collection of rent. They used to get the work done under supervision as an intermediary between the government and the farmers; Patel or Chaudhary were not government employees.

method of tax collection

Rulers, feudal lords, jagirdars and officials adopted three types of methods of collecting rent from farmers:

1. lata or batai methodIn this, when the crop was harvestable, it was harvested under the supervision of an officer appointed to collect the revenue. After the paddy was cleaned, the revenue portion of the crop was weighed and separated.

2. Kunta method: According to this method, determining the estimated rent by looking at the standing crop. There was no weighing or measuring in Kunta method.

3. other system: It can be divided into three parts –Mukta, Dori and Ghughri.

In Dori, Mukata, tax assessment was done in lump sum and cash tax was also collected. To collect tax by determining the land area measured in the assessment of string tax.

According to the Ghughri tax system, the ruler, feudal lord and jagirdar used to take the same amount of grain as rent as per the amount of Ghughri i.e. seeds given to the farmer. According to the second Ghughri method, it depended on the yield of each well or field.

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