Q. With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
- Paragana-Sarkar-Suba
- Sarkar-Paragana-Suba
- Suba-Sarkar-Paragana
- Paragana-Suba-Sarkar
Answer: (a) Paragana-Sarkar-Suba
Notes:
- In medieval India, especially during the Mughal period, the empire was divided into multiple administrative units for better governance.
- The scorrect sequence in ascending order of size is: Paragana → Sarkar → Suba.
- Paragana (Smallest Unit):
- A Paragana was a cluster of villages.
- It was the smallest administrative unit, consisting of several villages, typically managed by officials like a qanungo (record keeper) and chaudhary (local headman).
- Sarkar (Intermediate Unit):
- A Sarkar was a group of Paraganas.
- It acted as an intermediate administrative division, headed by faujdar (military officer) and amil (revenue collector).
- Suba (Largest Unit):
- A Suba was the largest administrative division, equivalent to a province, and was governed by a subedar (provincial governor).
- The Mughal Empire was divided into multiple Subas (provinces) during Akbar’s reign, each responsible for managing the Sarkars and Paraganas within it.
