Subedari refers to the office or jurisdiction of a Subedar, an imperial governor who was in charge of a Subah (province) during the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It was a crucial administrative and military position, designed to ensure effective governance and revenue collection across the vast empire.
Role and Responsibilities of a Subedar
A Subedar held extensive power and was responsible for maintaining law and order, administering justice, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the provincial administration. Key aspects of the Subedari system included:
- Provincial Administration: The Subedar was the chief executive of the Subah, overseeing all civil and military affairs.
- Law and Order: Maintaining peace and security within the province was a primary duty, often involving commanding the provincial army.
- Revenue Collection Oversight: While a separate official, the Diwan, handled the financial administration, the Subedar was ultimately responsible for ensuring the overall stability required for effective revenue collection and the prosperity of the province.
- Justice Administration: Subedars presided over criminal justice at the provincial level, upholding imperial laws.
- Imperial Representation: They acted as the direct representatives of the Mughal Emperor in their respective provinces, upholding imperial authority and policies.
The appointment of Subedars was directly made by the Emperor, and they were frequently transferred to prevent them from accumulating excessive local power and potentially becoming independent.
Related Local Revenue Systems: Sardari
Alongside the larger provincial administration system of Subedari, various local systems for revenue collection and governance also existed. One such system was Sardari.
Sardari was a system in which certain people within a village or region were appointed as sardar (a term often meaning leader or chief). Their primary responsibility was to collect money (revenue or taxes) from the local populace and give it to the ruler or the central authority. This system often utilized existing local hierarchies and provided a mechanism for the state to manage its financial intake at the grassroots level.
| Aspect | Subedari | Sardari |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Provincial-level administration | Local-level revenue collection and leadership |
| Appointee | Subedar (imperial governor) | Sardar (village/regional chief/collector) |
| Main Role | Overall governance, law & order, military | Money collection from villagers for the ruler |
| Context | Mughal imperial administration | Local administrative/revenue system in villages |
Subedari represented a high-level administrative division of a vast empire, managed by an imperial appointee responsible for comprehensive governance. Sardari, on the other hand, was a more localized system, focusing specifically on the collection of revenue by designated local leaders. Both systems were integral parts of historical administrative and economic structures in various regions of the subcontinent.
