THE
CHANGING FORMS OF ADMINISTRATION On conquering Sindh in 1843, Sir Charles Napier
inherited
from the Talpurs a system of administration which was
particularly suited to the state of semi-isolation into which
Sindh had fallen since the decline of the Mughal Empire. In the workings of this system in its revenue and judicial
administration could be discerned traces of the earlier
Mughal system, the sharp outlines of which had become
blurred by the patriarchal and tribal nature of the Kalhora, and particularly,
the Talpur regimes which succeeded it.
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Mughal Period
Under the Mughals (1592-1737), Sindh was divided into
the Sarkars (Divisions) of Bakhar (Upper Sindh) and
Thatta (Lower Sindh) in the Suba (province) of Multan. In the Sarkar of Bakhar were the important towns of
Shikarpur, Sukkur, Rohri, and Sehwan. Thatta was the
most important town of Lower Sindh; it controlled the
ports of Shahbunder, Lahribunder, and Aurangbunder. Kathora Period
Mian Yar Muhammad was made the first Governor of
Sindh de jure, though not de facto, in AD 1701 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and the title ‘Khuda
Yar Khan’ was conferred upon him. He may be regarded as the real founder
of the dynasty. Sindh was united under the Kalhora dynasty, the first dynasty
since the fall of the Sammas in 1521.The Kaihoras were in power for eighty-
two years. During that period a permanent change was made in the centre of
gravity of Sindh.From very early times, the two natural centres of government
had been Thatta and the fortress of Bakhar, and of these Thatta had always
been completely free from foreign influence.At Umerkot and Kakrala, and some
other, minor, places, Hindu rulers had continued to hold more or less independent
power, and the Muslim rulers, forming matrimonial alliances with Sodha and
Rajput chiefs, had become ‘Hinduized’ to some extent. The transformation
was completed under the Talpurs. The administration system was based partly
on the theory of the Koran and partly on the system which the Mughals had
perfected. The Kalhoras had a great reputation as builders of canals.
Talpur Period (1783-1843).To facilitate the collection of revenue, Sindh was divided into parganas or
provinces and again into tapas or Districts. The principal parganas in Lower
Sindh were Thatta, Chachgam, Kakralo, Dhareja, Sindra, and Imamwah; in Upper
Sindh, Sundra, Shahdadpur, Khairpur, Gambat, Halani, Bahlani, Lahri, Sehwan,
Chandko, Mogalli, Rupar, Kacha, and Chappa. Over each pargana was a sazwalkar,
or head collector of revenue, with a small establishment of munshis and others
to administer its revenue affairs; over each tapa was a kardar with a smaller
establishment. ‘Where a town was divided amongst several Mirs, (up to
six or seven), each had a representative to watch over his interests. (The
office of sazwalkar which existed under the Mirs was abolished by the British
Government and the incumbents were made kardars receiving one-fifth of their former
pay. The salary of the original kardars was also reduced by half.)poujdars and daroghas were in charge of large towns
and kotwalS were in charge of the smaller towns. The administration of the
countryside was entrusted to kardars who held assured positions as both revenue
and judicial officers.
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