Types of Provinces
The
three kinds of territories led to the creation of three types of Provinces.
Governor
of limited powers : imarat-i-ammah
In
the first kind, the Provinces were smaller in size and enjoyed greater
supervision and control of the Sultans. The Governors of these provinces were
generally designated as Wali and Muqti and enjoyed powers of a Governor of
limited powers (imarat-i-ammah).
Governors
of unlimited power : imarat-i-khassah
In
the second kind provinces as were situated at a greater distance and as came
such such suffered from the absence of personal supervision of the Sultan. The
Governors of these Provinces were styled as Wali and Naib and sometimes they
were given the title of Sultan also. These Governors enjoyed the privileges of
the Governors of unlimited power (imarat-i-khassah). At times some of the
Governors of such distant provinces did not get the appointment from the centre
but had assumed governorship themselves and the Sultan was left with no
alternative but to accept them as the Governors of their respective provinces.
Such Governors's belonged to the category of Governors by usurpation.
Native
Chiefs
In
the third kind the native chiefs were allowed to retain their territories
subject to their payment of tributes to the Sultan. They were internally auto
nomous rulers and carried their administration according to their ancient
traditions and therefore do not come within the scope of the present study.
2. Officers of the Provincial Government
The
Provincial Government was a replica of the Central Government, and for its
working it had all the paraphernalia of the Central Government, but the various
posts in the two governments did not carry identical designations. The
governors of the provinces were called Wali, Muqti, Naib and even Sultan, but
the last two mentioned titles were applied only to the governors of distant
provinces enjoying unlimited powers. The governors were directly responsible to
the Central Government for proper administration of the province. The people of
the provinces had right of appeal to the Sultan against oppression of the
governors, and this was the greatest check on the tyranny of the governors. The
governors were subject to recall by the Sultan to the centre and then sent to
some other province."
3. Provincial Finance: Shaheb-i-diwan or Diwan-i-suba
Sahib-i-Diwan or Diwan-i-Suba was there to look after the provincial revenue in the provinces. Turning
to the revenue system of the Provincial Government two questions arise: (1) the
relation with the Central Government and (2) the relation with the cultivator. The
Provincial Government had to pay a stated sum to the Central Government because
we find that Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq gave orders that the ministry should not make
an increase of more than one-tenth or one-eleventh on the provinces. The second
question, i.e., the relation with the cultivator is even more obscure. However,
there is one passage dealing with the reign of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, "Again
did Sultan Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq Shah being a wise and prudent king ordered that
the collectors of the revenue and governors should make enquiry and should
forbid the head-man to take more from the people than the revenue demanded by
the king." During 'Alauddin's reign the cultivator was brought under
government revenue col lectors in such province where his regulations operated.
4. Provincial Army
In the provinces there was a provincial Ariz. In
the army organization of the Sultans we find that the ikta holders and
provincial governnors were expected to supply their contingents in times of
need. They were also instructed not to deduct from the salaries of the
soldiers, nor to pay less. From these instructions we can deduce that each
province had an army of its own, and the strength of this army depended upon
their size, and distance from the centre. Naturally enough we may also deduce
that provinces lying on the frontier regions had a larger force, notwithstanding
the size of the province. This provincial army was also necessary for
maintaining peace and -order and to keep the Hindu chiefs within the province
or in the neighbourhood in check.
5. The Barids
To keep a constant watch and control over the movements and activities of the governors the Sultans kept 'barids' in the provinces, whose duty it was to inform the Sultan of every occurrences in the provinces. Sultan Balban while appointing his second son Bughrah Khan over the province of Samānā sent 'Barids' to give him information about the condition of the Province.
6. The Provincial Judiciary
The
Provincial judiciary consisted of the courts at the Provincial headquarters,
the parganah headquarters and the Village Panchayats in the villages. The
village was the lowest unit of administration and for its manage ment it was
left to the local people or the villagers. A number of villages was grouped
together under a panchayat, which consisted of five leading men. The chairman
or the Sarpanch of the panchayat was appointed by the Wali, or Muqti or
Faujdar. The panchayat heard civil or criminal cases of the locality and also
maintained law and order in the locality."
7. Checks over the Provincial Governors
The
Provincial Governors enjoyed considerable freedom in their provinces, but this
freedom was not an altogether unbridled one. There were certain checks which
always controlled their ambitions.
The
first was their own fear of becoming unpopular in the province.
Secondly,
the Governors could always be removed for their mal-administration, and the
people were given the right of approaching the Sultan against the governors.
Thirdly
in matters of justice appeals from the Provincial courts could always be filed
with the Centre. The governors of the provinces, naturally enough, took special
care that proper justice was done in their provinces.
Fourthly,
in financial matters the provincial Diwan was practically independent and was
responsible to the Centre.
Fifthly,
the presence of the Barids and spies informing the Sultan of everything that
happened in the provinces, always reminded the governors of their duties.
And
last of all, Sultan had always the right of transferring or removing any
governor whom he disliked.
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