Question

Explain briefly the Maratha administration?

Answer 1

The Maratha emerged as an important kingdom under the rule of Shivaji in the mid-17th century. The Marathas were successful because of their ability to mobilise the peasants. The Maratha polity was an enlightened centralised autocratic monarchy. Some of the features of the Maratha administration are as follows:

(1) King as the head: The king was the in charge of all affairs. To assist him, there was a council of state ministers known as ashtapradhan. Later, the Peshwas became the civil and military heads.

(2) Division of the territory: For ease of administration, the territory was divided into three provinces, with each province headed by a viceroy. The provinces were subdivided into prants, each of which was further divided into parganas and tarafs. The lowest unit was the village headed by a headman called patel.

(3) Revenue collection: Revenue was assessed after a thorough survey of the lands. It was collected from peasants, either in cash or in kind. Further, chauth and sardeshmukhi were collected in the form of protection money from areas outside the Maratha kingdom.

The Marathas ruled for a long time, but the power gradually weakened over the time because of internal strife between different Maratha chiefs.