Sher Shah Suri and his Administration

Sher Shah Suri (1486–1545), born Farid Khan, founded the Sur Empire after defeating Humayun at the battles of Chausa (1539) and Kannauj (1540). Though his reign lasted only five years, his administrative innovations left a lasting impact on medieval India and were later adopted by Akbar.

Revenue System

Sher Shah established a systematic land revenue system based on measurement of land and assessment of produce. Land was classified into good, middling, and bad categories, and the state demand was fixed at one-third of the average produce. Peasants were granted pattas (title deeds) and the state maintained qabuliyats (agreements). This system ensured transparency and minimized corruption.

Military and Police Reforms

He organized a standing army paid in cash, introduced dagh (branding of horses) and chehra (descriptive rolls of soldiers) to prevent fraud. For law and order, shiqqdars were put in charge of police in the parganas, and village headmen (muqaddams) were held responsible for crime detection.

Roads and Communications

Sher Shah built a network of roads to facilitate trade and military movement. The most famous was the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam) from Sonargaon in Bengal to Peshawar in the northwest. Along the roads he constructed sarais (rest houses) at intervals of about two kos (approx. 8 km), which also served as post-houses (dak chaukis). These sarais provided separate lodging for Hindus and Muslims, food, and fodder.

Trade and Coinage

He introduced standard silver coins called rupiya and copper dams, which became the basis of the later Mughal currency system. He also rationalized customs duties and promoted trade by ensuring safety on highways.

His administrative model, though short-lived, became a template for Akbar’s reforms. Sher Shah’s tomb in Sasaram, Bihar, stands as a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture.