Sher Shah was one of the great rulers of Medival India. He was born in 1472 AD at Dajwara in Hosiarpur district. His father’s name was Hasan Khan. He became the independent ruler of Bihar in 1529 AD. He defeated Humayun in the battles of Chaucer in 1539 AD and the battle of Kanauj in 1540 AD. These two battles temporarily ended Mughal rule and established the Sur dynasty. During his short reign (1540 – 1545), Sher Shah made outstanding achievements in governance reforms.
Shershah’s original name was Farid Khan.
Wars and Conquests by Sher Shah:
- 1530: Sher Shah Suri Conquered Bihar by defeating the local ruler.
- 1538: Sher Shah Conquered Bengal by defeating Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah, the Sultan of Bengal.
- 1540: He conquered Delhi by defeating Humayun in the Battle of Kannauj (or Bilgram). After that Sher Shah Suri established the Suri Empire.
- 1541: Sher Shah defeated Kamran Mirza and conquered Punjab.
- 1542: Sher Shah conquered Malwa.
- 1543: He captured Sindh.
- 1543: He conquered the Rajput fort of Raisin.
- 1543-44: Punjab and Multan province came under Shershah’s empire.
- 1544: Conquered Marwar (Rajasthan).
- 1545: On May 22, 1545 AD, Sher Shah Suri lost his life in an explosion while capturing Kalinjar fort in the last battle of his life.
Focus: Being able to fight the tiger and kill it with only a knife, Bihar Governor Bahar Khan under Lohani, ruler of Bihar gave him the title of “Sher Khan”.
Extra Info: Shershah’s commander was Brahmajit Gaur. [PSC Misc (Prelim) ‘2010].
Administrative System of Sher Shah:
- Sher Shah was in the highest position in the central administration.
- He divided the entire empire into 47 Sarkars.
- The Sarkars were further divided into many Parganas.
- The lowest unit of Shershah’s administration was the village.
Sher Shah appointed various officers in his kingdom, they were –
- Shiqdar – Military Officer
- Amin – Land Revenue Officer
- Fotedar – Treasurer
- Karkuns – Accountants
He also introduced various departments, they were –
- Dewan-i-Uzirat: Revenue or Finance Minister
- Dewan-i-Arz: Minister of Defence
- Diwan-e-Risalat: Foreign Minister
- Diwan-e-Insa: Communications Minister (Royal secretariat)
Revenue System of Sher Shah:
- He arranged for a land survey and divided the land into 3 categories, good, middling, and bad.
- Revenue was collected according to the above quality of the land.
- One-third of the produce was to be paid in cash or crop by the farmers as revenue.
- He introduced the Kabuliyat system (an agreement sign by farmers to pay a fixed amount of tax)
- He introduced the Patta system (an area given to a farmer in writing or deed).
Takvi Loan: Special loan to farmers during the famine.Sher Shah introduced silver coinage (rupiah) and gold coinage (ashrafi).
Extra Info: Dagh and Chehra: (i) He recorded the markings (Dagh) of horses and (ii) the physical details (Chehra) of soldiers. In this case, he followed Alauddin Khalji.
Communication system:
- Sher Shah built 4 highways across the country.
- Constructed ‘Sadak-e-Azam‘ (Grand Trunk Road) from Sonargaon of Bengal to Thatta in Sindh (2500 KM).
- He also built a road from Agra to Jodhpur, extending from Chittor.
- Agra to Burhanpur road.
- Lahore to Multan.
- Other roads built by Sher Shah were: Delhi to Ajmer Road, Chunar to Patna Road, Patna to Sasaram Road, etc.
- He built Sarais (Inns) (rest houses) for travelers besides major roads every 2 kos (4 miles)
Postal System:
- Shershah took a special role in the introduction of the postal system.
- Sher Shah introduced the ‘Dakchowki’ system for the exchange of news.
- Inns were used as ‘Post Offices’.
- He was the first to introduce the system of postal service by horse.
Architectural Achievements:
Notable architectural achievements built during his period are –
- 1540: Rohtas Fort in Pakistan.
- 1541: Sher Shah Suri Masjid in Patna.
- 1541: Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque and Purana Qila in Delhi.
- 1541: Sher Mandal in Delhi.
- 1540-1545: Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb at Sasaram in Bihar.
Fall of Sur Dynasty
Sher Shah Suri was succeeded by his son, Jalal Khan. Jalal took the title of Islam Shah Suri. After the death of Sher Shah, Humayun took advantage of the weakness of successors. As a result, Humayun occupied Delhi. After Islam Shah died in 1555 AD, Humayun re-established the Mughal Empire by defeating Sikandar Suri in the Battle of Shirhind.