Subah
{{short description|Term used for a province in the Mughal Empire}}
{{otheruses}}{{Distinguish|the Hindi term 'morning'}}
A Subah is a term for a province or state in several South Asian languages. It was introduced by the Mughal Empire to refer to its subdivisions or provinces; and was also adopted by other polities of the Indian subcontinent. The word is derived from Arabic and Persian. The governor/ruler of a Subah was known as a subahdar (sometimes also referred to as a "Subeh"{{cite book |author1=y George Clifford Whitworth |title=An Anglo-indian Dictionary: A Glossary Of Indian Terms Used In English, And Of Such English Or Other Non-indian Terms As Have Obtained Special Meanings In India |year=2016 |publisher=Palala Press |isbn=978-1354764114 |page=301 }}), which later became subedar to refer to an officer in the Indian and Pakistani armies. The subahs were established by Padishah (emperor) Akbar during his administrative reforms of the years 1572–1580; initially, they numbered 12, but his conquests expanded the number of subahs to 15 by the end of his reign. Subahs were divided into Sarkars, or districts. Sarkars were further divided into Parganas or Mahals. His successors, most notably Aurangzeb, expanded the number of subahs further through their conquests. As the empire began to dissolve in the early 18th century, many subahs became de facto independent or came under the influence of the Marathas or the suzerainty of the East India Company.
In the modern context, subah ({{Nastaliq|صوبہ}}) is used in several Pakistani languages (most notably Punjabi, Balochi, and Urdu) to refer to a province of Pakistan.
History
Initially, after the administrative reforms of Akbar, the Mughal empire was divided into 12 subahs: Kabul, Lahore, Multan, Delhi, Agra, Avadh, Illahabad, Bihar, Bangal, Malwa, Ajmer and Gujarat. After the conquest of Deccan, he created three more subahs there: Berar, Khandesh (initially renamed Dandesh in 1601) and Ahmadnagar (in 1636 renamed as Daulatabad and subsequently as Aurangabad).
Jahangir increased the number of subahs to 17 during his reign; Orissa being carved out of Bangal in 1607. The number of subahs increased to 22 under Shah Jahan.Mahajan, V.D. (1991, reprint 2007). History of Medieval India, Part II, New Delhi: S. Chand, {{ISBN|81-219-0364-5}}, p.236n In his 8th regnal year, Shah Jahan separated the sarkar of Telangana from Berar and made it into a separate subah. In 1657, it was merged with Zafarabad Bidar subah. Agra was renamed Akbarabad in 1629 and Delhi became Shahjahanbad in 1648.Habib, I (2003). The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-565595-8}}, pp.8n, 451 Kashmir was carved out of Kabul, Thatta (Sindh) out of Multan, and Bidar out of Ahmadnagar. For some time Qandahar was a separate subah under the Mughal Empire but it was lost to Persia in 1648.
Aurangzeb added Bijapur (1686), Sira (1687){{Harvnb|Imperial Gazetteer of India: Provincial Series|1908|pp=175–176}} and Golkonda (1687) as new subahs. There were 22 subahs during his reign. These were Kabul, Kashmir, Lahore, Multan, Delhi, Agra, Avadh, Illahabad, Bihar, Bangalah, Orissa, Malwa, Ajmer, Gujarat, Berar, Khandesh, Aurangabad, Bidar, Thatta, Bijapur, Sira and Haidarabad (Golkonda).Habib, I (2003). The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|0-19-565595-8}}, p.4 Aurangzeb made Arcot a Mughal subah in 1692.
During the Mughal Empire, the Punjab region consisted of three subahs: Lahore, Multan, and parts of Delhi subah.{{Cite book |last=Wahi |first=Tripta |title=Irrigation, State and Society in Pre-colonial India |publisher=Nehru Memorial Museum and Library |year=2013 |isbn=9789383650002 |pages=3}} The Sikh Empire (1799–1849), originating in the Punjab region, also used the term Suba for the provinces it administered under its territorial delineation, of which there were five.{{Cite book |last=Herrli |first=Hans |title=The Coins of the Sikhs |year=1993 |pages=10}}
Current usage
In modern usage in Urdu language, the term is used as a word for province, while the word riyasat ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|ریاست}}}}, "princely state" in English) is used for (federated) state. The terminologies are based on the administrative structure of British India which was partially derived from the Mughal administrative structure. In modern times, the term subah is mainly used in Pakistan, where its four provinces are called "Subah" in the Urdu language.
List of Subahs of the Mughal Empire
= Akbar's original twelve ''subahs'' =
The twelve subahs created as a result of the administrative reform by Akbar(Mughal Emperor):
| class="wikitable" style="width:80%; text-align:left" border="1" align="center"
!# !Subah !Capital(s) !Year of establishment !Year of disestablishment !Cause of disestablishment |
| 1
|Kabul Subah (Kashmir Sarkar added in 1586) |1580 |26 November 1738 |Captured by Nader Shah as a result of the Battle of Khyber Pass |
| 2
|1580 |15 September 1758 |Captured by Ahmad Shah Durrani |
| 3
|Multan Subah (Thatta Sarkar added in 1593) |1580 |1752 |Captured by Ahmad Shah Durrani |
| 4
|1580 |1758 |Captured by Jayappaji Rao Scindia and Ram Singh |
| 5
|1573 |February 1758 |Captured by Damaji Rao Gaekwad |
| 6
|Delhi Subah (also known as Shahjahanabad Subah){{Cite book |last=Sinha |first=Surendra Nath |title=Subah of Allahabad Under the Great Mughals, 1580-1707 |publisher=Jamia Millia Islamia |year=1974 |isbn=9780883866030 |pages=95}} | Delhi |1580 |21 September 1857 |Captured by George Anson |
| 7
|Agra |1580 |12 June 1761 |Captured by Suraj Mal |
| 8
|1568 |24 December 1737 |Captured by Bajirao I and Balaji Baji Rao |
| 9
|1572 |26 January 1722 |Seceded under Saadat Ali Khan I |
| 10
|1580 |1772 |Captured by Tukoji Rao Holkar and Visaji Krushna Biniwale |
| 11
|1576 |1733 |Seceded under Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan{{cite book | title=Merchants, Politics and Society in Early Modern India: Bihar: 1733-1820 | publisher=Brill | series=Brill's Indological Library | year=2023 | isbn=978-90-04-64474-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VuP7EAAAQBAJ }} |
| 12
|Tanda (1574–95) |12 July 1576 |1717 |Seceded under Murshid Quli Khan |
=''Subahs'' added after 1596=
The subahs which added later were (with dates established):
| class="wikitable" style="width:80%; text-align:left" border="1" align="center"
!# !Subah !Capital !Year of establishment !Year of disestablishment !Cause of disestablishment !Emperor |
| 13
|1596 |11 October 1724 |Seceded under Asaf Jah I |rowspan="3"|Akbar |
| 14
|17 January 1601 |1760 |Captured by Balaji Baji Rao |
| 15
|Ahmadnagar Subah |Ahmadnagar (1601–1636) |July 1600 |1724 |Seceded under Asaf Jah I |
| 16
|1605 |March 1751 |Captured by Raghoji Bhonsle I | rowspan="1" |Jahangir |
| 17
|1629 |1737 |Seceded under Noor Mohammad Kalhoro |rowspan="7"|Shah Jahan |
| 18
|1636 |1657 |Merged into Bidar Subah |
| 19
|1638 |1648 |Captured by Abbas II |
| 20
|1648 |1752 |Captured by Ahmad Shah Durrani |
| 21
|1646 |1647 |Captured by Abd al-Aziz Khan |
| 22
|1646 |1647 |Captured by Abd al-Aziz Khan |
| 23
|1656 |11 October 1724 |Seceded under Asaf Jah I |
| 24
|1684 |31 July 1724 |Seceded under Asaf Jah I |rowspan="4"|Aurangzeb |
| 25
|Golkonda Subah (later Hyderabad) |12 September 1687 |31 July 1724 |Seceded under Asaf Jah I |
| 26
|Sira |1687 |1766 |Captured by Madhavrao I |
| 27
|1692 |1710 |Seceded under Saadatullah Khan I |
Gallery
{{Gallery|title=Subahs of the Mughal Empire|align=center}}
See also
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- Keay, John (2000). India: a History. Grove Press, New York.
- Markovits, Claude (ed.) (2004). A History of Modern India: 1480–1950. Anthem Press, London.
Further reading
- {{cite journal |last1=Foltz |first1=Richard |title=The Mughal Occupation of Balkh 1646–1647 |journal=Journal of Islamic Studies |date=1996 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=49–61 |url=https://academic.oup.com/jis/article/7/1/49/737290?searchresult=1|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/jis/7.1.49 |url-access=subscription }}
Category:Subdivisions of the Mughal Empire