Maratha Administration under Peshwas (1714-1818)
- The Peshwa was one of the Ashta Pradhan of Shivaji.
- This office was not a hereditary one.
- As the power and prestige of the king declined, the Peshwas rose to prominence.
- The genius of Balaji Vishwanath (1713-1720) made the office of the Peshwa supreme and hereditary.
- The Peshwas virtually controlled the whole administration, usurping the powers of the king.
- They were also recognized as the religious head of the state.
Central Secretariat
- The centre of the Maratha administration was the Peshwa Secretariat at Poona.
- It dealt with the revenues and expenditure of all the districts, the accounts submitted by the village and district officials.
- The pay and rights of all grades of public servants and the budgets under civil, military and religious heads were also handled.
- The daily register recorded all revenues, all grants and the payments received from foreign territories.
Provinces
- Provinces under the Peshwas were of various sizes.
- Larger provinces were under the provincial governors called Sar-subahdars.
- The divisions in the provinces were termed Subahs and Pranths.
- The Mamlatdar and Kamavistar were Peshwa’s representatives in the districts.
- They were responsible for every branch of district administration.
- Deshmukhs and Deshpandes were district officers who were in charge of accounts and were to observe the activities of Mamlatdars and Kamavistars.
- It was a system of checks and balances.
- In order to prevent misappropriation of public money, the Maratha government collected a heavy sum (Rasad) from the Mamlatdars and other officials.
- It was collected on their first appointment to a district.
- In Baji Rao II’s time, these offices were auctioned off.
- The clerks and menials were paid for 10 or 11 months in a year.
Village Administration
- The village was the basic unit of administration and was self-supportive.
- The Patel was the chief village officer and was responsible for remitting revenue collections to the centre.
- He was not paid by the government.
- His post was hereditary.
- The Patel was helped by the Kulkarni or accountant and recordkeeper.
- There were hereditary village servants who had to perform the communal functions.
- The carpenters, blacksmiths and other village artisans gave begar or compulsory labour.
Urban Administration
- In towns and cities the chief officer was the Kotwal.
- The maintenance of peace and order, regulation of prices, settling civil disputes and sending of monthly accounts to the governments were his main duties.
- He was the head of the city police and also functioned as the magistrate.
Sources of Revenue
- Land revenue was the main source of income.
- The Peshwas gave up the system of sharing the produce of the agricultural land followed under Shivaji’s rule.
- The Peshwas followed the system of tax farming.
- Land was settled against a stipulated amount to be paid annually to the government.
- The fertility the land was assessed for fixation of taxes.
- Income was derived from the forests.
- Permits were given on the payment of a fee for cutting trees and using pastures.
- Revenue was derived even from the sale of grass, bamboo, fuel wood, honey and the like.
- The land revenue assessment was based on a careful survey.
- Land was divided into three classes: according to the kinds of the crops, facilities for irrigation, and productivity of the land.
- The villagers were the original settlers who acquired the forest.
- They could not be deprived of their lands.
- But only the Patel could represent their rights to the higher authorities.
- Other sources of revenue were Chauth and Sardeshmukhi.
- The Chauth was divided into
- 25 percent for the ruler
- 66 percent for Maratha officials and military heads for the maintenance of troops.
- 6 percent for the Pant Sachiv (Chief, a Brahman by birth)
- 3 percent for the tax collectors.
- Customs, excise duties and sale of forest produce also yielded much income.
- Goldsmiths were allowed to mint coins on payment of royalty to the government and getting license for the purpose.
- They had to maintain a certain standard.
- When it was found that the standard was not being met all private mints were closed in 1760 and a central mint was established.
- Miscellaneous taxes were also collected. It included
- Tax on land, held by Deshmukhs and Deshpandes.
- Tax on land kept for the village Mahars.
- Tax on the lands irrigated by wells.
- House tax from all except Brahmins and village officials.
- Annual fee for the testing of weights and measures.
- Tax on the re-marriage of widows.
- Tax on sheep and buffaloes.
- Pasture fee.
- Tax on melon cultivation in river beds.
- Succession duty.
- Duty on the sale of horses, etc.
- When the Maratha government was in financial difficulty, it levied on all landholders, Kurja-Patti or Tasti-Patti, a tax equal to one year’s income of the tax-payer.
- The administration of justice also earned some income.
- A fee of 25% was charged on money bonds.
- Fines were collected from persons suspected or found guilty of adultery.
- Brahmins were exempted from duty on things imported for their own use.