Sher shah suri: background
Early life and origin
Early Life Sher Shah was the son of Hasan Khan, a jagirdar of Sasaram in Bihar. He was one of the eight
sons of Mian Hassan Khan Sur, a prominent figure in the government of Bahlul Khan Lodi. Originally
known as Farid Khan, he was given the title of Sher Khan after he single handed killed a tiger. His
grandfather Ibrahim Khan Sur was a land Lord in Narnaul are and represented Delhi rulers of that
period. Mazar of Ibrahim Khan Sur still stands as a monument in Narnaul.
Sher Shah Suri was born as Farid Khan in the present day place Sasaram in the state of Bihar in
India. His surname 'Suri' was taken from his Sur tribe . The name Sher (tiger) was conferred
upon him when, as a young man, he killed a tight.His grand father Ibrahim Khan Suri was a land
lord (Jagirdar) in Narnaul area and represented Delhi rulers of that period. Mazar of Ibrahim
Khan Suri still stands as a monument in Narnaul. Tarikh-i Khan Jahan Lodi (MS. p. 151)also
confirm this fact. However, the online Encyclopdia Britannica states that he was born in
Sasaram (Bihar), in the Rohtas district.[2] He was one of about eight sons of Mian Hassan Khan
Suri, a prominent figure in the government of Bahlul Khan Lodi in Narnaul Pargana. Sher Khan
belonged to the Pashtun Sur tribe (the Pashtuns are known as Afghans in historical Persian
language sources).His grandfather, Ibrahim Khan Suri, was a noble adventurer who was recruited
much earlier by Sultan Bahlul Lodi of Delhi during his long contest with the Jaunpur Sultanat.
It was at the time of this bounty of Sultn Bahlol, that the grandfather of Sher Shh, by name
Ibrhm Khn Sri,*[The Sr represent themselves as descendants of Muhammad Sri, one of
the princes of the house of the Ghorian, who left his native country, and married a daughter of
one of the Afghn chiefs of Roh.] with his son Hasan Khn, the father of Sher Shh, came to
Hindu-stn from Afghnistn, from a place which is called in the Afghn tongue "Shargar,"* but
in the Multn tongue "Rohr." It is a ridge, a spur of the Sulaimn Mountains, about six or seven
kos in length, situated on the banks of the Gumal. They entered into the service of Muhabbat
Khn Sr, Dd Sh-khail, to whom Sultn Bahlol had given in jgr the parganas of Harina
and Bahkla, etc., in the Panjb, and they settled in the pargana of
During his early age, Farid was given a village in Fargana, Delhi (comprising present day
districts of Bhojpur, Buxar, Bhabhua of Bihar) by Omar Khan Sarwani, the conslouerand
courtier of Bahlul Khan Lodi. Farid Khan and his father, a jagirdar of Sasaram in Bihar, who had
several wives, did not get along for a while so he decided to run away from home.When his
father discovered that he fled to serve Jamal Khan, the governor of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, he
wrote Jamal Khan a letter that stated:
Fard Khn, being annoyed with me, has gone to you without sufficient cause. I trust in your
kindness to appease him, and send him back; but if refusing to listen to you, he will not return, I
trust you will keep him with you, for I wish him to be instructed in religious and polite learning
Jamal Khan had advised Farid to return home but he refused. Farid replied in a letter:
If my father wants me back to instruct me in learning, there are in this city many learned men: I
will study here
Conquest of Bihar and Bengal
Farid Khan started his service under Bahar Khan Lohani, the Mughal Governor of Bihar.
Because of his valour, Bahar Khan rewarded him the title Sher Khan (Tiger Lord). After the
death of Bahar Khan, Sher Khan became the regent ruler of the minor Sultan, Jalal Khan. Later
sensing the growth of Sher Shah's power in Bihar, Jalal sought the assistance of Ghiyasuddin
Mahmud Shah, the independent Sultan of Bengal. Ghiyasuddin sent an army under General
Ibrahim Khan. But, Sher Khan defeated the force at the battle of Surajgarh in 1534 after forming
an alliance with Ujjainiya Rajputs and other local chiefdoms. Thus he achieved complete control
of Bihar.
In 1538, Sher Khan attacked Bengal and defeated Ghiyashuddin Shah. But he could not capture
the kingdom because of the sudden expedition of Emperor Humayun On. 26 June 1539, Sher
Khan faced Humayun in the Battle of Chausa and defeated him. Assuming the title Fard al-Dn
Shr Shah, he defeated Humayun once again at Kannauj in May 1540 and forced him out of
India.
Conquest of Malwa
After the death of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1537, Qadir Shah became the new ruler of Malwa
Sultanate. He then turned for support towards the Rajput and Muslim noblemen of the Khilji rule
of Malwa. Bhupat Rai and Puran Mal, sons of Raja Silhadi accepted service under the regime of
Malwa in recognition of their interest in the Raisen region. By 1540, Bhupat Rai had died and
Puran Mal had become the dominant force in eastern Malwa. In 1542, Sher Shah conquered
Malwa without a fight and Qadir Shah fled to Gujarat. He then appointed Shuja'at Khan as the
governor of Malwa who reorganised the administration and made Sarangpur the seat of Malwa's
government. Sher Shah then ordered Puran Mal to be brought before him. Puran Mal agreed to
accept his lordship and left his brother Chaturbhuj under Sher Shah's service. In exchange Sher
Shah vowed to safeguard Puran Mal and his land. The Muslim women of Chanderi, which Sher
Shah took under his rule, came to him and accused Puran Mal of killing their husbands and
enslaving their daughters. They threatened to accuse the sultan on the Day of Resurrection if he
did not avenge them. Upon reminding them of his vow for Puran Mal's safety, they told him to
consult his ulema. The ulema issued a fatwa declaring that Puran Mal deserved death for this act.
Sher Shah's troops then surrounded Puran Mal's fortress at Raisen. Upon seeing this, Puran Mal
beheaded his wife and ordered the Rajputs to kill their families as he might have thought that
personal honor was involved because of his lord going back on his promise. After this, the
Rajputs then went into battle and all of them were killed by Sher Shah's troops. `Abd al-Qadir
Bada'uni puts the number of Rajputs to 10,000 while Nizamuddin Ahmad puts it to 4,000.
Administration sher shah suri
SHER SHAH'S ADMINISTRATION Great as a conqueror that he was, Sher Shah was greater
still as a ruler. He was the first Muslim ruler of India who displayed a real aptitude for civil
government. His short rule was marked by many beneficent reforms in every branch of
administration. For administrative convenience Sher Shah divided his whole empire into 47
divisions called sarkars (Sher Shah did not divide his kingdom into provinces), and these were
again subdivided into smaller administrative units called parganas.
In the field of central administration, Sher Shah followed the Sultanate pattern. There were four
main central departments, which were as follows:
(i) Diwan-i-wijarat: The department was related with financial matters such as collecting taxes
and maintaining accounts of the state exchequer.
(ii) Diwan-i-arz: Headed by ariz-i-mamalik, it was a military department.
(iii) Diwan-i-insha: Working as a secretariat, it issued royal orders. The head of this department
was called dabir.
(iv) Diwan-i-Rasalat: Headed by sadr, this department dealt with the religious and foreign affair
matters. Diwani-Kaza, headed by qazi, worked W1der this department. The qazi looked after
judicial administration.
There were two important officials at the sarkar level: (i) shiqdar-i-shiqadaran to maintain law
and order; and (ii) munshife-i-munshifan to supervise the revenue collection. Three important
officials at the paragana level were: (i) shikdar to maintain law and order; (ii) amin to collect
revenue; and (iii) munsif to look after judicial matters.
Sher Shah's land revenue policy is an important landmark in the history of Indian agrarian
system. After a survey of the lands (tinder the supervision of Ahmad Khan) according to a
uniform system, Sher Shah settled the land revenue directly with the tillers of the soil and fixed
the state demand at one-third of the gross produce payable either in cash or kind depending on
the productivity of land and crop. For measurement of the land, sikandari gaja (32 points) was
made the base. To prevent the tenants from being W1duly harassed, their rights and liabilities
were clearly defined in documents known as pattas (title deeds) and kabuliyats (deed of
agreement). Each peasant thus knew what he had to pay.
Sher Shah abolished the system of landlords and middlemen in his revenue administration. His
revenue management is compared with the modem Ryotwari settlement. Todar Mal contributed
greatly in the development of the revenue policy of Sher Shah. During the rule of Sher Shah,
peasants had also to pay jaribana (survey charge) and muhasilana (tax collection charge). The
rates of these charges were 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. Sher Shah's land revenue
system was scientific. This is why Akbar also adopted the same revenue policy, albeit with some
amendments.
Keen on increasing the efficiency of his army, Sher Shah personally supervised the recruitment
of the soldiers and paid them directly. He revived Ala-ud-din Khalji's system of branding the
horses (daag) and keeping a descriptive roll of soldiers (chehra).
Sher Shah introduced a regular postal service. He attempted to fix standard weights and
measures. Sher Shah's currency reform deserves high praise. He issued a large number of silver
coins (dam) and abolished all old and mixed metal currency. His silver rupia after elimination of
its inscription .was current till 1835 and formed the basis of the later British Indian currency. He
promoted the cause of trade and commerce by reducing the number of the customs duty
collection points to just two. Goods produced in Bengal or imported from outside had to pay
customs at Sikrigali, at the border of Bengal and Bihar, while goods from West and Central Asia
paid customs duty at the Indus. Sher Shah improved communications by building roads. Four
important roads constructed by him were as follows: (i) Grand trunk road from SW1argaon to
Peshawar; (ii) road from Agra to Multan via Burhanpur and Delhi; (iii) road from Multan to
Lahore; and (iv) road from Mandu to Agra. Of these four roads, the first was the most important.
The roads built by Sher Shah are called 'the arteries of the empire'. The roads were lined with
trees, wells and rest
Administration Sher Shah was a brilliant organizer, both in military and civil affairs. He based
his administration on the principle of a welfare state and introduced many reforms. The
administration in his Sher Shah rule was in two types. They are:1. Central Administration 2.
Provincial Administration
. Central Administration
. Central Administration Sher Shah was the supreme head of the central administration. He
divided the government into several departments. Each department was under the charge of a
minister, assisted by other officials. Sher Shah was always very active. He went on regular tours
of inspection and set up an efficient spy system. Sher Shah Suri Stamp issued in the 15th
century.
Provincial Administration
. Provincial Administration Sher Shah divided the empire into 47 provinces or sarkars. Each
province was further subdivided into districts or parganas. Each pargana was made up of a
number of villages. Each sarkar was placed under an Afghan chief. In every pargana there were
several officials whose work was supervised by the shiqdar-i-shiqdaran and the munsif-i-
munsifan. The shiqdar was responsible for law and order and the general administration and the
munsif looked after the collection of revenue and civil cases.
. Sher Shah Suris Empire
Sher Shah going for a battle Conquering Bihar and Bengal Farid Khan started his service under
Bahar Khan Lohani, the Mughal Governor of Bihar. Because of his valor, Bahar Khan rewarded
him the title Sher Khan (Tiger Lord). After the death of Bahar Khan, Sher Khan became the
regent ruler of the minor Sultan, Jalal Khan. Later sensing the growth Sher Shah's power in
Bihar, Jalal sought assistance of Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah, the independent Sultan of Bengal.
Ghiyasuddin sent an army under General Ibrahim Khan. But, Sher Khan defeated the force at the
battle of Surajgarh in 1534. Thus he achieved complete control of Bihar. In 1538, Sher Khan
attacked Bengal and defeated Ghiyashuddin Shah. But he could not capture the kingdom because
of sudden expedition of Emperor Humayun. In 1539, Sher Khan faced Humayun in the battle of
Chausa. He forced Humayun out of India. Assuming the title Sher Shah, he ascended the throne
of Delhi.
. Battle of Sammel In 1543, Sher Shah Suri set out against Rajputana with a huge force of
80,000 cavalry. With an army of 50,000 cavalry, Maldeo Rathore advanced to face Sher Shah's
army. Instead of marching to the enemy's capital Sher Shah halted in the village of Sammel in
the pargana of Jaitaran, ninety kilometers east of Jodhpur. After one month, Sher Shah's position
became critical owing to the difficulties of food supplies for his huge army. To resolve this
situation, Sher Shah resorted to a cunning ploy. One evening, he dropped forged letters near the
Maldeo's camp in such a way that they were sure to be intercepted. These letters indicated,
falsely, that some of Maldeo's army commanders were promising assistance to Sher Shah. This
caused great consternation to Maldeo, who immediately suspected his commanders of disloyalty.
Maldeo left for Jodhpur with his own men, abandoning his commanders to their fate.
Battle of Sammel After that Maldeo's innocent generals Jaita and Kunpa fought with the just
20,000 men against an enemy force of 80,000 men. In the ensuing battle of Sammel, Sher Shah
emerged victorious, but several of his generals lost their lives and his army suffered heavy
losses. Sher Shah is said to have commented that "for a few grains of bajra I almost lost the
entire kingdom of Hindustan."After this victory, Sher Shah's general Khavass Khan took
possession of Jodhpur and occupied the territory of Marwar from Ajmer to Mount Abu in 1544.
But by July, Maldeo reoccupied his lost territories.
. Military Organization Sher Shah established a large standing army and introduced measures
to make it disciplined, efficient and strong. He took personal interest in the appointment and
training of soldiers. The salaries of the soldiers and officers were fixed according to their skill
and ability. Alauddin Khiljis system of branding horses called dagh and maintaining a
descriptive roll of the soldiers called chehra were revived. The army was subdivided into many
units and each unit was placed under a commander. Garrisons were set up in different parts of
the empire. The cavalry and infantry were highly trained, disciplined and were equipped with
artillery. Sher Shah Suris army equipped with artillery
Communication System Sher Shah built an excellent network of roads to facilitate the quick
movement of officials and troops throughout the empire, to promote trade and commerce, and to
make travelling easier and comfortable. The Grand Trunk Road was the longest and most
important of the four major roads that he built. It connected Sonargaon(Bengal) in the east to
Peshawar in the north-west. Shady trees were planted on both sides of the road and rest
houses(sarais) and wells were built at regular intervals for travellers and merchants. The sarais
were also used as dak chaukis. Two horsemen were kept ready at each post house to carry royal
mail to different parts of the country. Grand Trunk Road
. Trade & Commerce The construction of roads and sarais greatly helped the growth of trade
and commerce. To give trade a further boost, all duties, except two, were abolished. The first
duty was levied when the goods were brought into the country and the second was levied when
the goods were sold. Sher Shah instructed his officials to treat the merchants well and look after
their interests. The zamindars and the village headman were made responsible for the safety of
the traders life and property I their respective regions. New weights and measures were
introduced. Coins of gold, silver and copper of uniform standard were introduced. The silver
coin called rupia issued by Sher Shah was so well made that it remained a standard coin for
centuries after his death. Coins issued by Sher Shah Suri
. Law & Order Sher Shah was a staunch believer in justice. Everyone was treated equally. The
criminal law was harsh and punishments were severe. This was done to deter people from
committing crimes. The village headmen and local chieftains were made responsible for any
crime that took place in their area. They were severely punished if they failed to track down a
robber or a murderer. The methods he used were harsh but effective.
. Royal Treasury Revenue System Sher Shahs greatest achievement was his revenue system.
Several reforms were introduced to improve the existing system. The land was carefully
surveyed and measured every year and the average produce on the basis of its fertility. One third
of this was to be paid as tax in cash or kind. The land was divided into three types- good, bad and
middling on the basis of fertility. Sher Shah insisted on lenient assessment but strict collection of
taxes. Taxes were reduced and loans were granted if the crops were damaged during war or if
they failed due to natural calamites such as drought or flood. The jagir system was discouraged
and the system of patta or agreement was introduced. Thus, the mutual rights and duties of the
peasants and the government were clearly defined. The conditions of the peasants improved,
cultivation increased and the royal treasury was assured of a steady and regular flow of funds.
Religious Policy Sher Shah followed a policy of religious tolerance and appointed Hindus to
high posts of trust and responsibility. One of his ablest generals was Brahmajit Gaur. Raja Todar
Mal, one of the nine gems in Akbars court, began his career under Sher Shah. Large amounts of
money were given in charity to both Hindus and Muslims.
Literature & Architecture Sher Shah found time to pursue his interest in the arts and learning
by patronizing a number of scholars in his court. Sher Shah was also a great builder. He built a
magnificent fort at Rohtasgarh and some buildings in the Purana Qila (Old Fort) at Delhi. He
beautiful mosque inside the old fort is considered to be an excellent specimen of Indo-Islamic
architecture. He also planned and built his own tomb at Sasaram in Bihar. It is built on a high
platform in the middle of a lake. Rohtasgarh Fort .
Personal Life & Legacy
Sher Shah Sur married Lad Malika, widow of Taj Khan, governor of Chunar. This
marriage helped him greatly in consolidating his powers as a powerful ruler as it gave
him the possession of the Fort of Chunar.
He remained a brave and ambitious warrior till the very end. Sher Shah Suri was killed in
a freak accident during the siege of Kalinjar fort on 13 May 1545. He was succeeded by
his son, Jalal Khan who took the title of Islam Shah Suri. His successors, however,
proved to be weak rulers and the Mughals were able to re-establish their rule in India
after a few years.
Introduction:
The Indian history of the first half of the 16th century is the story of the Afgan-Mughal contest for
dominance and power in the sub continent. In 1526 Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi, in
the first battle of Panipath marking the advent of Mughal empire in India. However the Afghan
chieftains were not completely destroyed. Disarrayed and discontent to an alien rule they required the
guidance and charisma of a strong leader. This they found in the form of Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah was
born Farid in Haryana. At an early age his father Hasan took him to Sasaram in Bihar where he
had been awarded a small jagir. In his childhood days Farid was ill treated by his step-mother
and at the age of 22 left his household to travel and study in Jaunpur. After the death of his father
Farid took possession of his paternal jagir and in 1522 got into the service of Bahar Khan, the
ruler of Bihar. He rose quickly in the court of Bahar Khan and was soon appointed his deputy.
He also became the tutor and mentor of Bahar Khan's minor son. Once, hunting in the forest,
Farid killed a full grown tiger with his bare hands and was awarded the title of Sher Khan by
Bahar Khan. But in a few years Sher Khan fell out of favour with Bahar Khan and joined Babur's
camp in 1527-28. On the death of Bahar Khan, Sher returned to Bihar as its governor and
guardian to the minor prince. After becoming the governor of Bihar, he began reorganizing the
administration efficiently. In course of four years he organised a well disciplined, one of the
largest and most efficient army and became the recognized ruler of Bihar. In the same time the
Fort of Chunar came into his possession. The Lord of Chunar had been killed by his eldest son,
who had rebelled against his father. His widow however married Sher Shah and gave the fort to
him.
Sher Shah's Empire
As Humayun focused his armies towards western India in order to defeat Bahadur Shah of
Gujarat, Sher Khan in a surprise attack on Bengal annexed a large part of its territory. In 1530s
as Humayun attacked and defeated Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, many of the defeated Afghan
generals fled and joined Sher Shah as he was increasingly perceived as the new rising Afgan
leader. Strengthened by his acquisitions in 1537 Sher Khan attacked Bengal and besieged its
capital Gaur. Humayun on his return journey from Gujarat made his way towards east but instead
of joining forces with the Sultan of Bengal, besieged the Fort of Chunar. There he was unable to
conquer it for over six months while Sher Shah was able to utilize the time for capture of Gaur.
Unable to capture Chunar, Humayun moved his forces towards Bengal and entered Gaur in July
1538. However, Sher Khan avoided direct confrontation with Humayun's forces and moved his
forces to plunder Mughal territories in Bihar, Jaunpur and Kannauj. Finnaly the Mughal and
Afghan armies met on the plains of Buxar in June 1539. Here the Mughar armies met with a
heavy defeat and most of the Mughal soldiers were killed or captured by Sher Shah's army.
Humayun himself escaped by hiding in the water skin of a water carrier and was carried across
the Ganges. The victory over the Mughal ruler widened Sher Khan's empire which now extended
from Kannauj in the west to the hills of Assam in the east. To legalize what he had gained, he
now assumed the royal title of Sher Shah and ordered the Khutba to be read and the coins to be
minted in his name. The next year Humayun retried to capture lost territories and met Sher
Shah's armies in Kannauj. Commanding a demoralized and badly trained army, Humayun was
again defeated on 17th May, 1540 in the Battle of Kannauj. The defeat marked the end of the
empire created by Babur and heralded the arrival of Sur dynasty which ruled India unto 1557.
Apart from being a great military leader, Sher Shah Suri, was an extremely able administrator.
He introduced a tax collection system, built roads along with resting areas for travelers, dug
wells, improved the jurisdiction, founded hospitals, established free kitchens, organized mail
services and the police. His management proved so efficient that even one of the greatest rulers
of human history, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, organized the Indian subcontinent on his
measures, and the system which lasted until the 20th century. He is widely considered to have
built the civil and administrative structures which were later used and developed further by
Akbar. To Sher Shah Suri are attributed four key achievements:
1. Introduction of an Effective Monetary System: Sher Shah introduced the tri-metal
coinage system which later came to characterize the Mughal coinage system. He also
minted a coin of silver which was termed the Rupiya that weighed 178 grains and was the
precursor of the modern rupee. The same name is still used for the national currency in
Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles among
other countries.
2. Development of Roadways: For military and trade movement, Sher Shah connected the
important places of his kingdom by a netwrok of excellent roads. The longest of these,
called the Sadak-e-Azam or the "Badshahi Sadak" (renamed "Grand Trunk Road" by the
British) survives til this day. This road is the longest highway of Asia and extends over
1500 Km from Sonargaon in Eastern Bengal to the Indus. All the roads were flanked by
shade giving trees and there were sarayes (traveller's inns) all along the routes.
3. Administrative Subdivision of Empire: The Sur empire was divided into forty-seven
separate units called sarkars. Each of these was further subdivided into. Each paragana
had its own administrative system with its own Ami , lawkeeper, treasurer and account
keepers. Over the next higher administrative unit, the sarkar, were placed a Shiqdar-I-
Shiqdaran and a Munsif-I-Munsifan to supervise the work of the paragana officers. To
keep a tab on the performance of his officers, Sher shah had panned to rotate them across
the empire every two or three years. Every branch of the administration was subject to
Sher Shah's personal supervision.
4. Development of the First Postal System: The sarayes developed along the road network
also served as post offices. Sher Shah Suri established the foundations of a mounted post
or horse courier system, wherein conveyance of letters was also extended to traders. This
is the first known record of the Postal system of a kingdom being used for non-State
purposes, i.e. for trade and business communication.
Sher Shah Suri died from a gunpowder
explosion during the siege of Kalinjar fort on May 22, 1545 fighting against the Chandel
Rajputs. Had it not been for his untimely demise the Sur dynasty would not have declined and
perished and the Mughal empire may never have been re-established.
Sher Shah was born Farid in Haryana. At an early age his father Hasan took him to Sasaram in
Bihar where he had been awarded a small jagir. In his childhood days Farid was ill treated by his
step-mother and at the age of 22 left his household to travel and study in Jaunpur. After the death
of his father Farid took possession of his paternal jagir and in 1522 got into the service of Bahar
Khan, the ruler of Bihar. He rose quickly in the court of Bahar Khan and was soon appointed his
deputy. He also became the tutor and mentor of Bahar Khan's minor son. Once, hunting in the
forest, Farid killed a full grown tiger with his bare hands and was awarded the title of Sher Khan
by Bahar Khan. But in a few years Sher Khan fell out of favour with Bahar Khan and joined
Babur's camp in 1527-28. On the death of Bahar Khan, Sher returned to Bihar as its governor
and guardian to the minor prince. After becoming the governor of Bihar, he began reorganizing
the administration efficiently. In course of four years he organised a well disciplined, one of the
largest and most efficient army and became the recognized ruler of Bihar. In the same time the
Fort of Chunar came into his possession. The Lord of Chunar had been killed by his eldest son,
who had rebelled against his father. His widow however married Sher Shah and gave the fort to
him.
Sher Shah's Empire
As Humayun focused his armies towards western India in order to defeat Bahadur Shah of
Gujarat, Sher Khan in a surprise attack on Bengal annexed a large part of its territory. In 1530s
as Humayun attacked and defeated Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, many of the defeated Afghan
generals fled and joined Sher Shah as he was increasingly perceived as the new rising Afgan
leader. Strengthened by his acquisitions in 1537 Sher Khan attacked Bengal and besieged its
capital Gaur. Humayun on his return journey from Gujarat made his way towards east but instead
of joining forces with the Sultan of Bengal, besieged the Fort of Chunar. There he was unable to
conquer it for over six months while Sher Shah was able to utilize the time for capture of Gaur.
Unable to capture Chunar, Humayun moved his forces towards Bengal and entered Gaur in July
1538. However, Sher Khan avoided direct confrontation with Humayun's forces and moved his
forces to plunder Mughal territories in Bihar, Jaunpur and Kannauj. Finnaly the Mughal and
Afghan armies met on the plains of Buxar in June 1539. Here the Mughar armies met with a
heavy defeat and most of the Mughal soldiers were killed or captured by Sher Shah's army.
Humayun himself escaped by hiding in the water skin of a water carrier and was carried across
the Ganges. The victory over the Mughal ruler widened Sher Khan's empire which now extended
from Kannauj in the west to the hills of Assam in the east. To legalize what he had gained, he
now assumed the royal title of Sher Shah and ordered the Khutba to be read and the coins to be
minted in his name. The next year Humayun retried to capture lost territories and met Sher
Shah's armies in Kannauj. Commanding a demoralized and badly trained army, Humayun was
again defeated on 17th May, 1540 in the Battle of Kannauj. The defeat marked the end of the
empire created by Babur and heralded the arrival of Sur dynasty which ruled India unto 1557.
Apart from being a great military leader, Sher Shah Suri, was an extremely able administrator.
He introduced a tax collection system, built roads along with resting areas for travelers, dug
wells, improved the jurisdiction, founded hospitals, established free kitchens, organized mail
services and the police. His management proved so efficient that even one of the greatest rulers
of human history, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, organized the Indian subcontinent on his
measures, and the system which lasted until the 20th century. He is widely considered to have
built the civil and administrative structures which were later used and developed further by
Akbar. To Sher Shah Suri are attributed four key achievements:
1. Introduction of an Effective Monetary System: Sher Shah introduced the tri-metal
coinage system which later came to characterize the Mughal coinage system. He also
minted a coin of silver which was termed the Rupiya that weighed 178 grains and was the
precursor of the modern rupee. The same name is still used for the national currency in
Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles among
other countries.
2. Development of Roadways: For military and trade movement, Sher Shah connected the
important places of his kingdom by a netwrok of excellent roads. The longest of these,
called the Sadak-e-Azam or the "Badshahi Sadak" (renamed "Grand Trunk Road" by the
British) survives til this day. This road is the longest highway of Asia and extends over
1500 Km from Sonargaon in Eastern Bengal to the Indus. All the roads were flanked by
shade giving trees and there were sarayes (traveller's inns) all along the routes.
3. Administrative Subdivision of Empire: The Sur empire was divided into forty-seven
separate units called sarkars. Each of these was further subdivided into. Each paragana
had its own administrative system with its own Ami , lawkeeper, treasurer and account
keepers. Over the next higher administrative unit, the sarkar, were placed a Shiqdar-I-
Shiqdaran and a Munsif-I-Munsifan to supervise the work of the paragana officers. To
keep a tab on the performance of his officers, Sher shah had panned to rotate them across
the empire every two or three years. Every branch of the administration was subject to
Sher Shah's personal supervision.
4. Development of the First Postal System: The sarayes developed along the road network
also served as post offices. Sher Shah Suri established the foundations of a mounted post
or horse courier system, wherein conveyance of letters was also extended to traders. This
is the first known record of the Postal system of a kingdom being used for non-State
purposes, i.e. for trade and business communication.
Sher Shah Suri died from a gunpowder
explosion during the siege of Kalinjar fort on May 22, 1545 fighting against the Chandel
Rajputs. Had it not been for his untimely demise the Sur dynasty would not have declined and
perished and the Mughal empire may never have been re-established.
