Maratha Administration under Shivaji Maharaj

When we study Shivaji Maharaj, we often admire his military brilliance, guerrilla tactics, and resistance against the Mughals. But equally remarkable was his administrative foresight — he was not just a warrior on horseback but a statesman of rare calibre.

Shivaji Maharaj understood that military conquests would only be meaningful if they were followed by stable, just, and efficient governance. What he built was a decentralised yet accountable system, rooted in Indian traditions but adapted to the complex needs of a dynamic empire.

🏯 Central Government: The Ashta Pradhan Mandal

At the apex of the administration stood Shivaji Maharaj himself, but he did not govern autocratically. He was advised by a council of eight ministers, known as the Ashta Pradhan (literally, “eight ministers”). This was a carefully thought-out institutional framework.

Each minister had a defined role, and while their functions were primarily advisory, they were also responsible for execution in their respective domains.

Let’s understand the structure:

Post	Designation	Function
Mukhya Pradhan	Peshwa / Prime Minister	Chief executive; coordinated all departments
Amatya	Finance Minister	Managed revenue and expenditure; accounting and auditing
Sachiv	Home Secretary	Drafted royal edicts and maintained internal correspondence
Mantri	Chronicler	Maintained records of court proceedings and royal activities
Senapati	Military Commander	Headed the army and war strategies
Sumant	Foreign Affairs Minister	Managed diplomatic relations with Mughals, Deccan states, etc.
Nyayadhish	Chief Justice	Administered civil and criminal justice
Panditrao	Ecclesiastical Head	Oversaw charitable grants, religious rituals, and dharma

This system ensured division of responsibility, checks and balances, and specialisation — hallmarks of a modern state.

🌾 Revenue Administration: Just and Cultivator-Friendly

Shivaji’s revenue system stood in stark contrast to the oppressive methods of the Mughal jagirdari system. His priority was the well-being of the cultivators, the backbone of the rural economy.

🔍 Key Features:

• Land Survey & Assessment: A comprehensive land survey was conducted. Land was assessed based on productivity, not arbitrary estimates.
• Fixed State Share: Initially, the state’s share was 30% of gross produce, later raised to 40%, but importantly, it was fixed and predictable.
• Mode of Payment: Taxes could be paid either in cash or kind, based on the circumstances of the farmer.
• Crisis Response: During times of famine or crop failure, the state extended credit in the form of grain or money, which could be repaid in installments. This shows the humane and responsive character of Shivaji’s governance.

💡 Shivaji’s model was not extractive, but revenue-with-responsibility — taxation was seen as a social contract, not exploitation.

💰 Chauth and Sardeshmukhi: Strategic Fiscal Tools

Despite a sound internal revenue system, Shivaji’s rapidly expanding empire needed additional income — especially for military maintenance and administrative expansion. For this, two innovative revenue practices were introduced:

🪙 Chauth (¼th)

• Meaning: Literally meaning “one-fourth,” it was 25% of the revenue collected from territories not directly ruled by Shivaji.
• Nature: It was essentially protection money — the Marathas would not attack or raid a region if Chauth was paid. Over time, it became a customary tax in Mughal and Bijapur territories.

🪙 Sardeshmukhi (10%)

• An additional 10% levy, claimed by Shivaji as a hereditary right in his capacity as Sardeshmukh — the traditional revenue collector of Maharashtra.
• While Chauth was practical, Sardeshmukhi had a legitimising tone — Shivaji wasn’t just collecting tax, he was asserting regional sovereignty.

🧠 For UPSC: These taxes are not just financial instruments — they reflect Shivaji’s political assertion, strategic diplomacy, and negotiation of power in a fragmented subcontinent.

🧭 Conclusion: A Statecraft Rooted in Dharma and Pragmatism

Shivaji’s administrative structure was not merely a derivative of Mughal practices. It was contextual, people-centric, and rooted in indigenous political traditions. From the Ashta Pradhan to revenue reforms to Chauth and Sardeshmukhi, his policies showed a deep understanding of statecraft — balancing military ambition with ethical governance.

For a UPSC aspirant, this section is important not just for memorising names and percentages — but for understanding the evolution of regional Indian governance in the early modern period, and how Shivaji’s legacy shaped later Maratha policies and even post-independence administrative ideals.