Deshmukh
Also called: Deshpande · Topic: The Marathas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
In the Deccan, deshmukhs were officers who passed their posts down in the family. Such a family post was called a watan, and its holders were called watandars. A deshmukh was the headman of a pargana, a small group of villages, and helped collect its land tax. The deshpande was the accountant who kept its revenue records. Over time these families grew powerful, so Shivaji cut down their power and limited what they could collect.
Example
In the 17th century Shivaji stopped making posts hereditary and paid his officials salaries from the state treasury. This kept local deshmukhs from becoming strong enough to challenge the king.
Don't confuse with
- Sardeshmukhi: an extra 10% tax, on top of chauth, that the Marathas collected from provinces they did not rule directly. It was a tax, not an officer.
Related concepts
- Maratha administration
- Ashtapradhan
- Peshwa
- Amatya
- Sachiv
- Sumant
- Nyayadhish
- Panditrao
- Chauth and sardeshmukhi
- Saranjam