English
Regardless of the hostility of the Prince, and regardless of the refusal of Darab Narnia to sign the Account-papers, the Elmo slarted ‘for the Imperial Camp, presented gift* and tributes of Bengal to the Emperor and to the Vizier and other Imperial Ministers, and also paid to the Emperor the Revenue-balances and profits of the Jagirs, And making over the Account-papers of the §ubah to the Mastaufi 3 and to the Diwau-i- also against the Mahratta freebooters. Anrnn^zeb, vnfch all liis political saga¬ city, committed a grievous mistake of policy by supplanting these Mnealmnn States, as those had hitherto effectually curbed MahnUta and other outside ambition, and kept in order all distnrbing elements in tho Dakhin. Their political effacement resulted in letting loose a number of Mnhratta free-booters and other adventurers that bad hitherto had no political existonce, and hastened the growth of the Mnhratta Confederacy that later on in a great measure, coupled with other forces, distracted rho Groat Mughal Empire. By use of liberal and statesman-like policy, Aorangzeb might have federated thofo Musalman States in the South into Imperial feudatories, nnd thus converted them into strong and loyal bulwarks of tho Mughal Empiro. But fanaticism in this matter (see Mansir-i-Alatngiri, which explains that thia policy of re¬ pression was adopted by Aurangzeb, by reason of certain religious innovations thac were iu foroo in those States) fatally clouded the otherwise clear political vision of this Great Mnghal Emperor, to the lasting detriment of tho Indo- Moslem Common-wealth. 1 The Qanungo “ was an officer in each district acquainted with its customs and land-tenures and whose Appointment was usually hereditary. lie received reports from the jiatwaris Jand-stowards) of new cases of alluvion and dilavion, sales, leases, gifts of land,”* etc. (See Ain-hAkbari, Vol. II, p. 47 n). Over the distriot Qanungos, there was a Provincial Qanungo as the text indicates. (See also p. 66, Vol. II, Ain*i-Akbari t which sets forth fauctions and emoluments of Patwaris, Qanungos, Shiqdar, Karkuns, and Amins). In the ifm-t-Akbaii (Vol. II, p. 49) it is stated that it was the duty of tho Betikchi or Accountant, “at tho year’s end, when tl.o timo of rovonuo- collections had closed, to record the balances due, and deliver the record to the Collector, and forward a copy to the Royal Court.” It would seem from the text the same dar.y i.. regard to the entire Sabah bad to bo performed by tho Provincial Diwan and the Provincial Qanungo. 2 Thoso important functionaries are frequently mentioned in tho yJm-i- Ml,ari. Their function was to check, overhaul and audit important State 254 Kill, 1 and proving his good and faithful services, the Khan became the recipient of further Imperial favours, and was appointed by the Emperor Deputy to the Prince in the Nizamat of the §nbah of Bengal and-Orissa, in addition lo the office of Diwan. He was also given the title of Murshid Quli Khan, and further received a valuable KJiilnt, with a standard and a kettle-drum. His manfab was also raised. BESTOWAL OF THE NIZAMAT OF BENGAL ON NAWAB JAFAR KHAN, AS DEPUTY TO PRINCE AZIMU-SH-SHAN. When Murshid Quli Khan 2 being invested according to the former usage with the khilat of the offices of Deputy Nazim of Bengal Diwan of BeDgal and Odisa (Orissa), reached the Subah, ho appointed Syed Akram Khan to be his Deputy Diwan in Bengal, and Shnjau-d-din Muhammad Khan, his son-in-law, to bo his Deputy Diwan in Odisa (Orissa). After his arrival at papers, such as Royal grants, payment-orders, sanads, farmans, state-accounts, etc., and then to sign and seal them. (Seo Ain-i-Akbari, Yol. I, pp. 262, 263, 264). I The Diioan-i-Kul was the Central Imperial Diwin-in-Chief. It would appear the keon administrative genius of the Mnghal Rulers of India evolved and organised a perfect system of Accounts as woll as of Audit. Two indepen¬ dent systems of Account and Audit (each checking the other) wore maintain¬ ed The patwaris kept one independent set of accounts, and the Bitikchis, ( Accountants) another. The first submitted their accounts to local ordistrict Qanungos, who submitted their Consolidated Accounts to tho Provincial Qn min go. The second submitted their accounts to District Collectors as well as copies direct to the Royal Court; and the several District Collectors sub¬ mitted their consolidated Accounts to the Provincial Dhran who collected them, and compared them with tho Consolidated Accounts (independently prepared) in the hands of tho Provincial Qanungos. Then both the Provincial Diwan and tho Provincial Qamingo signed after comparison one General Detailed Consolidated Account together with an Abstract Account, and forwarded it to Court, whore it was first audited by the Central Mustauji and next audited by the Dinan-i-Kul (&tter reference to tho set of accounts already received regularly in the Royal Courts from district Bitikchis or Acconn- tnnts), and lastly approved and passed by the Emperor himself. Thus, few loop-holes were left for defalcations in accounts. (Seo tho text, and tho Ain-t - Akbari). TI •• i Murshid Quli Khan was son of a Brahmin and embraced Islmm J J glH.fi Ispahan! purchased him, and named Aim Muhammad Uadi, treated ..... 255 Mak^gasabad, ho improved that town, and named it after himself Mur§hidabad, and founded a mint 1 there. And separating tho chSkhlah of Midnipur* from tho Sabah of Odlsa (Orissa) ho annexed it to Bengal. And imprisoning the defaulting zamindars of the Sabah, and deputing experienced and honest Collectors of Revenue to their mahals, ho attached the rents, and realised tho outstanding Imperial revenues. And putting a complete stop to the authority of zamindars over the collection and disbursement of the Imperial Reveuuo, he limited their source of income to profits of Ndnkar 8 tenures. And the ‘Amils’ (Collectors of revenue) under like a son, and took him to Persia. On Shaft’s death, Mnhammad Had! came to the Dakhin, and entered the service of Haji Abdullah Khurasani, Diwan of §ubah Borar. He subsequently entered Imperial service, and received the titlo of Kar Talab Khan, and was employed in tho Dakhin. Uo rose there to bo Diwan of Haidarabad—and then to bo Diwan of Bengal (on the transfer of Ziaullah Khan), with tho title of Murshid Quli Khan. Previous to this, ho was Diwin of Orissa (Maasir-i- Alamgiri, p. 483), in tho 48th year of Emperor Aurangzeb's reign. When Fnrrukh-sir ascended the throne, by payment of large sums as presents to the Emperor, he becamo ?iibadar of Bengal nnd received a Maujab of Haft h'tzari. His advancement is nn eloquent testimony to the Islamio toleration (oven under tho mnch-ahused Aurangzob) that made no distinction between converts and born Munalmans in matters rf official preferments. He died in 1138 A.H. at Mnrshidabad, which ho had founded as tho now Viceregal capital of Bengal, in place of Dacca or Jahaugirnagar. He was a good financier, an able accountant, and a strong and sagacious administrator. Uo built a dungeon full of filth, nntmd it ‘ Baikant’or ‘ Paradise,’and ooufined in it zamindars who defaulted in payment of revenue. Ho re-snrvcycd nud ro-asaessed Bengal, divided it into ChaklaS, and prepared a new Porfect Revenue-Roll. [Seo Maasir.i-Alamgiri, p. 483, and Maasir-ul-Umarn, p. 751, Vol. Ill (Pers. text)]. I A list of mint-towns in Hindustan in Akbar’a time is given in the Ain*i-Akbari, Vol. I, p. 31. It appears that in Bengal, minting of gold coins was restricted to tho Provincial capital (which in Akbar's timo was partly Gaur and partly Tandali), and that minting of silver and copper coins took place in Bengal in Tanduh * In Akbar’s Rent-Roll, Midnipur is shown a? a oity with two forts (caste, Khaudait) under Sarkar Jalosar of Riibah Orissa. It continued to form a part of tho Orissa §ubah, until it was transferred from Orissa to Bengal by Marshal Quli Khan. 8 The term ‘ Nankars ’ is still prevalent in several parts of Bengal nnd Behar. “ Nankars ” were “ servico-tcnnres,’' that is, “ tenures of land con- ferred free of revenae, in consideration of services tendered." In those dujB, tho zamindars amongst other duties would appear to have performed police 256 h* orders, sent Shiqdars and Amins to every village of the Paryanahs, measured the cultivated and waste-lands, and leased them back to tenants, plot by |>l*fc, and advanced agricultural loans (Tn.javi) to the poorer tenantry, and put forth exertions for increase in the produce of the lands. Tims in all the mahnls Murshid Quli effected not only increase in revenue, but also in¬ crease in their areas. Mur$hid Quli prepared a perfect Revenue-Roll, collected the rents iu kind, season by season, and also the land-revenue, sair taxes, and fees from agricultural lands. And effecting retrenchment in the Public Expenditure, he remitted revenue, double the former amount, into the Imperial 1 Treasury. The zamindars of Birbhum duties, and were held responsible fnr maintenance of peace in their mahals— the village choiokeedars or watciunon being directly under them. They were also in charge of village ferries, village pounds, and village roads in their mahals, and performed more or less the duties of “justices of the peace.” They were more or less quasi-official functionaries, aud received sanads on appointment, and were liable to removal for gross misconduct. Their mahnls were not liable to auction-sale for arrears of revenue, but liable to attachment by the Crown for realisation of revenue, and defaulting zamindars were liable to punish¬ ment. They were quasi-state functionaries or quasi-official landed Aristocracy maintained by Muaalman sovereigns for State purposes. They were qnite a different species from the Bengal zamindars of to-day.