Shivaji’s Administration (Ashtapradhan Council of Eight Ministers)
Medieval History › Mughal Period · Topic 6.28
Shivaji's administration borrowed largely from the Deccani states. His eight ministers, the Ashtapradhan, were not a joint council but each answered directly to him. He paid regular soldiers cash salaries, kept a paga of 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry and carefully supervised forts, based revenue on Malik Ambar's system with Annaji Datto's 1679 assessment, curbed the deshmukhs and mirasdars, and levied chauth on Mughal territories.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Mughal Period
At a Glance
- Ministers Eight, each directly responsible to the king
- Army Paga of 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry; Mavali infantry
- Revenue Patterned on Malik Ambar; Annaji Datto 1679
- Levy Chauth, one-fourth
- Coronation Raigarh, 1674
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Mughal Period
Where Does It Fit?
This is the twenty-eighth topic of the category on the Mughal period. The previous topic covered Shivaji’s rise, and this topic describes his state. The next topic returns to his dealings with the Mughals at Purandar and Agra. Previous topic: Rise of the Marathas – Early Career of Shivaji.
What Was the Ashtapradhan?
In short: Shivaji’s eight ministers were officers of the king, not a cabinet with collective responsibility.
Shivaji’s administration was largely borrowed from the practices of the Deccani states. He designated eight ministers, sometimes called the Ashtapradhan, but it was not a council of ministers, since each was directly responsible to the ruler.
| Minister | Duty |
|---|---|
| Peshwa | Finance and general administration; the most important minister |
| Sar-i-naubat (senapati) | Commander; a post of honour usually given to a leading Maratha chief |
| Majumdar | Accountant |
| Wakenavis | Intelligence, posts and household affairs |
| Surunavis or chitnis | Helped the king with correspondence |
| Dabir | Master of ceremonies; helped in dealings with foreign powers |
| Nyayadhish | Justice |
| Panditrao | Charitable grants |
How Was the Army Organised?
More important than the appointments was his organisation of the army and revenue. Shivaji preferred to give regular soldiers cash salaries, though chiefs sometimes received revenue grants (saranjam). Discipline was strict, no women or dancing girls were allowed to accompany the army, and the plunder taken by each soldier was strictly accounted for. The regular army (paga) of about 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry, distinct from the loose auxiliaries (silahdars), was supervised by havaldars on fixed salaries. Forts were carefully supervised, with Mavali foot soldiers and gunners posted in them, and three men of equal rank placed in charge of each fort to guard against treachery. Rapidity of movement was the most important factor in the army’s methods, and its salaries depended to a considerable extent on plunder from neighbouring areas.
How Was Revenue Handled?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | Patterned on Malik Ambar’s system |
| Assessment | A new revenue assessment completed by Annaji Datto in 1679 |
| Deshmukhi and jagirs | Not correct that he abolished the zamindari (deshmukhi) system or avoided giving jagirs (mokasa) to officials |
| Mirasdars | He strictly supervised those with hereditary land rights; a later writer says they had built bastions and castles, enlisted footmen and seized the country; Shivaji destroyed their bastions and made them submit |
| Chauth | A contribution levied on neighbouring Mughal territories, one-fourth of the land revenue |
The revenue background is in Malik Ambar’s Resistance to Mughal Expansion in the Deccan.
What Else Marked His Rule?
In 1674 Shivaji crowned himself formally at Raigarh. He had risen from a petty jagirdar at Poona to the most powerful of the Maratha chiefs, with dominions and an army that put him on an equal footing with the Deccani sultans. The coronation set him on a pedestal above other chiefs, some of whom still saw him as an upstart. He married into old Maratha families such as the Mohites and Shirkes, and the presiding priest Gaga Bhatta declared him a high-class kshatriya. As an independent ruler he could now treat with the sultans as an equal and not as a rebel, and it advanced Maratha national sentiment.
In 1676, with the support of Madanna and Akhanna at Hyderabad, he led an expedition into Bijapuri Karnataka. The Qutb Shah welcomed him, agreed to pay a subsidy of one lakh huns (five lakh rupees) yearly, keep a Maratha ambassador at his court and share booty, and gave troops, artillery and money. Shivaji took Jinji and Vellore and much of his half-brother Ekoji’s territory. Though he assumed the title Haindava-Dharmoddhara (Protector of the Hindu faith), he plundered the Hindu population of the area mercilessly, and refused to share the treasure with the Qutb Shah, straining relations. This was his last major expedition. The base at Jinji later sheltered his son Rajaram. Shivaji died in 1680.
How Should His State Be Judged?
He was an able general, skilful tactician and shrewd diplomat, and he laid the foundation of a strong state by curbing the deshmukhs. The state cannot be called just a war-state: it was regional in character but had a popular base, and Shivaji was a popular king who represented an assertion of popular will in the area against Mughal encroachments. As an analytical point, the Ashtapradhan placed all power in the king, a strength under a master like Shivaji and a risk later. The conflict that followed, and the long war with Aurangzeb, is in Aurangzeb’s Deccan Policy and Conflicts with the Marathas.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Standard Prelims Ministers and their duties
- Revenue Chauth and the Malik Ambar link
- Evaluation Popular regional state
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the treaty of Purandar and Shivaji’s visit to Agra. Next topic: Treaty of Purandar (1665) and Shivaji’s Visit to Agra.
Key People and Terms
- Ashtapradhan Eight ministers
- Paga Regular cavalry
- Silahdar Auxiliary cavalryman
- Chauth One-fourth levy
- Saranjam Revenue grant to chiefs
- Mirasdar Hereditary landholder
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Ashtapradhan: not a council of ministers.
- Paga: 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry.
- Three men of equal rank per fort.
- Annaji Datto: assessment of 1679.
- Crowned at Raigarh in 1674.
Do Not Confuse With
- Paga and silahdars Regular cavalry versus loose auxiliaries
- Saranjam and mokasa Grants to chiefs versus jagirs to officials
- Chauth and jizyah One-fourth levy on neighbouring areas versus a tax on non-Muslims
Memory Hook
Eight serve the king, forts watched by three, revenue measured, chauth collected.
Mains Angle
Questions on Shivaji’s administration ask for features and assessment. These points add depth.
- Structure Ministers answerable to the king
- Army Paid, disciplined and mobile
- Revenue Ambar’s model and chauth
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe Shivaji’s administrative system and assess it as a basis of a state.”
How to Answer
- Ministers The Ashtapradhan.
- Army Paga, forts, discipline.
- Revenue Assessment, mirasdars, chauth.
- Verdict Strong, popular regional state.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Ashtapradhan?
The Ashtapradhan was the group of eight ministers Shivaji designated, including the Peshwa, senapati, majumdar and others. It was not a council of ministers in the modern sense, because each minister was directly responsible to the ruler.
What was chauth?
Chauth was a contribution levied by Shivaji on neighbouring Mughal territories, amounting to one-fourth of the land revenue. It supplemented his income, which also depended to a considerable extent on plunder of neighbouring areas and raids.
How was Shivaji's army organised?
Shivaji paid regular soldiers cash salaries and kept a paga of 30,000 to 40,000 cavalry under havaldars, apart from loose auxiliaries. Forts held Mavali infantry and gunners, with three men of equal rank in charge of each.
Why was Shivaji crowned at Raigarh?
The coronation of 1674 raised him above other Maratha chiefs, some of whom saw him as an upstart, gave him the status of a kshatriya, and let him treat with the Deccani sultans as an independent ruler.
What was Shivaji's revenue system?
Shivaji's revenue system was patterned on Malik Ambar's, with a new assessment by Annaji Datto in 1679. He did not abolish deshmukhi or jagirs but supervised the mirasdars strictly and destroyed their bastions to make them submit.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Ashtapradhan functioned as a council of ministers with joint responsibility.
Each minister was responsible to the ruler.
2 Chauth was one-fourth of the land revenue of neighbouring territories.
It supplemented Shivaji's income.
3 Shivaji's revenue system followed Malik Ambar's pattern.
Annaji Datto assessed in 1679.
4 Shivaji was crowned at Raigarh in 1674.
Gaga Bhatta presided.
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