Shivaji's Legacy: Lessons for new Maharashtra government on good governance

The Mahayuti government can probably take a leaf or two from Shivaji’s administrative principles to realize the dream of ‘Suraj’ (Good Governance).

(Sanghnomics is a weekly column that tracks down and demystifies the economic world view of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and organisations inspired by its ideology.)

With an unprecedented, massive mandate to govern Maharashtra for the next five years, all eyes will now be on the Mahayuti alliance’s administrative performance. The weight of expectations will be enormous. At least two components of the Mahayuti—Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena—have always considered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Hindu Hridya Samrat, as a role model.

The Mahayuti government can probably take a leaf or two from Shivaji’s administrative principles to realize the dream of ‘Suraj’ (Good Governance).

One of the cornerstones of Shivaji’s administration was that despite being coronated as a king, Shivaji ruled as a trustee of the Hindu empire, as guided by ancient Bharatiya scriptures. Renowned historian Jadunath Sarkar elaborated on this in Shivaji and His Times (pp. 422; Longmans, Green and Company; Second edition; 1920). He wrote, “Shivaji's spiritual guide (guru) was Swami Ramdas, one of the greatest saints (1608-1681). After the capture of Satara (1673), Shivaji installed his guru in the neighboring hill-fort of Parli or Sajjangarh. Tourist guides still point to the seat on the top of Satara hill from which Shivaji used to hold conversations with the saint, across four miles of space!

A charming anecdote is told that Shivaji could not understand why Swami Ramdas used to go out daily on his begging tour, though his royal disciple had made him rich beyond his dreams. One day, Shivaji placed a deed at his feet, making a gift of all his kingdom to the saint. Swami Ramdas accepted the gift, appointed Shivaji as his vicar, and bade him to rule the realm henceforth not as an autocratic owner, but as a servant responsible for all his acts to a higher authority. Shivaji then conducted himself "as ever in his great Taskmaster's eyes."

In an earlier column, we discussed what administrators can learn from Shivaji and his legacy to handle agrarian distress, one of the major challenges for the forthcoming government in Maharashtra.

In this column, we examine other aspects of ‘Suraj’ based on the policies adopted by Shivaji that were carried forward by his successors.

A fundamental principle of Shivaji's taxation policy was that every man/woman was to be taxed in proportion to his or her resources—no more, no less. This was the instruction given to revenue officers, says Surendranath Sen in Administrative System of the Marathas (University of Calcutta; Second edition; 1925).

There were several taxes collected in this Hindu empire set up by Shivaji. This taxation system was not only followed but was further evolved by his successors. It adhered to the age-old principle from several ancient Indian scriptures that taxes should be collected by the state as the bee collects honey from the flower.

Several incentives were provided to boost economic activity, including setting up new market towns. Exemptions and other incentives were granted to cultivators for bringing waste land into cultivation and to traders for establishing new market towns, especially when older ones became redundant or unprofitable.

Sen elaborates, “We have casually noticed the kauls granted to traders. The cultivators, we have seen, got a kaul for bringing waste land into cultivation and for the improvement of agriculture in general, and kauls were granted to merchants for repopulating old and deserted market towns, for the foundation of new marketplaces, and for the improvement of trade and commerce in general.”

In a case study about how this policy was implemented on the ground, Sen explains, “A kaul was granted to shopkeepers, traders, and other occupations in Kasba Mukhde in Pargana (district) Patod of Sarkar Sangamner in the Suba (province) of Khujiste Buniad in 1750-51 because business in the old market of the village was not thriving well owing to some disturbance. The kaul was granted not only for the improvement of trade but also because it was to the profit of the government.”

By this move, the old residents of the place were exempted from export and import duties for three years, and were only subjected to the payment of house tax (levied according to the profession of the house owner). Newcomers were exempted from export and import duties for five years and from house tax for three years.

Similarly, when a new Peth or suburb was established at Kasba Barshi in 1777-78, all traders were exempted from all taxes for seven years. These are just a few case studies. The legacy of Shivaji is replete with innumerable such examples.

Shivaji’s royal seal carried this Sanskrit inscription that can be the guiding light for every ruler:

(“Ever growing in the splendour like the moon of the first day of the bright half of the month and adored by the world, this seal of Shivaji, the son of Shahji, shines for the benediction of all.)

One hopes that Maharashtra’s new government would be able to follow this dictum in both letter and spirit to bring the real ‘Suraj’ for common people. And can set up an example which the rest of the Indian states can also follow.