Sanad
Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Peasants, Zamindars and the State"
Meaning
A sanad was an official order or deed from the ruler that confirmed a grant or a right. It could confirm land, an office or a right to collect revenue. In Mughal India, zamindars often grew their lands by force. But the state accepted these gains as lawful only when a sanad confirmed them. The sanad turned power into a legal right.
Example
In 1719, the Maratha Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath obtained sanads from the Mughal emperor. These gave the Marathas the right to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi, two kinds of revenue share, in the Deccan.
Don't confuse with
- Farman: a farman was a general royal command, such as Aurangzeb's 1669 order to his governors. A sanad was a deed that confirmed a particular grant or right.