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Subah

From Quire, the open reference·Term used for a province in the Mughal Empire·3 min read

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. It was later adopted by the Maratha Empire, from 1720, as part of many reforms introduction by Shahu I. 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"[1]), 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 regional powers or the suzerainty of the East India Company.

In the modern context, subah (صوبہ) is used in several Pakistani languages (most notably Punjabi, Balochi, and Urdu) to refer to a province of Pakistan.

History#edit

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.[2] 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.[3] 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)[4] and Golkonda (1687) as new subahs. There were 22 subahs during his reign.[2] These were Kabul, Kashmir, Lahore, Multan, Delhi, Agra, Avadh, Illahabad, Bihar, Bangalah, Orissa, Malwa, Ajmer, Gujarat, Berar, Khandesh, Aurangabad, Bidar, Thatta, Bijapur, Sira[4] and Haidarabad (Golkonda).[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

Current usage#edit

In modern usage in Urdu language, the term is used as a word for province, while the word riyasat (Urdu: 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#edit

Akbar's original twelve subahs#edit

The twelve subahs created as a result of the administrative reform by Akbar(Mughal Emperor):

#SubahCapital(s)Captured/TakenEstablishedAbolishedCause of Abolishment
1Kabul Subah (Kashmir Sarkar added in 1586)KabulOctober 1504; from Mukim Beg Arghun[8]158026 November 1738Captured by Nader Shah as a result of the Battle of Khyber Pass
2Lahore SubahLahore15 January 1524; from Daulat Khan Lodi[9]15 September 1758Captured by Ahmad Shah Durrani
3Multan Subah (Thatta Sarkar added in 1593)MultanDecember 1527; from Shah Beg Arghun[10]1752
4Ajmer SubahAjmer1556; from Maldeo Rathore[11]1758Captured by Jayappaji Rao Scindia and Ram Singh
5Gujarat SubahAhmedabad20 November 1572; from Muzaffar Shah III[12]February 1758Captured by Damaji Rao Gaekwad
6Delhi Subah (also known as Shahjahanabad Subah)[13]Delhi21 April 1526; from Ibrahim Khan Lodi[14]'21 September 1857Captured by George Anson
7Agra SubahAgra10 May 1526; from Ibrahim Khan Lodi[15]12 June 1761Captured by Suraj Mal
8Malwa SubahUjjain29 March 1561; from Baz Bahadur[16]24 December 1737Captured by Bajirao I and Balaji Baji Rao
9Awadh SubahFaizabad, later Lucknow28 March 1528; from Sheikh Bayazid Farmuli26 January 1722Seceded under Saadat Ali Khan I
10Illahabad SubahIllahabad15741772Captured by Tukoji Rao Holkar and Visaji Krushna Biniwale
11Bihar SubahPatna6 August 1574; from Daud Khan Karrani[17]1733Seceded under Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan[18]
12Bengal SubahTanda (1574–95)
Rajmahal (1595–1610, 1639–59) Dhaka (1610–1639, 1660–1703) Murshidabad (1703–1717)		12 July 1576; from Daud Khan Karrani[19]1717Seceded under Murshid Quli Khan

Subahs added after 1596#edit

The subahs which added later were (with dates established):

#SubahCapitalYear of establishmentYear of disestablishmentCause of disestablishmentEmperor
13Berar SubahEllichpur159611 October 1724Seceded under Asaf Jah IAkbar
14Khandesh SubahBurhanpur17 January 16011760Captured by Balaji Baji Rao
15Ahmadnagar Subah
(renamed Daulatabad in 1636)
(further renamed Aurangabad)		Ahmadnagar (1601–1636)
Daulatabad
Aurangabad		July 1600
(conquest completed in June 1636)		1724Seceded under Asaf Jah I
16Orissa SubahCuttack1605March 1717Seceded under Murshid Quli KhanJahangir
17Thatta SubahThatta16291737Seceded under Noor Mohammad KalhoroShah Jahan
18Telangana SubahNanded16361657Merged into Bidar Subah
19Qandahar SubahQandahar16381648Captured by Abbas II
20Kashmir SubahSrinagar16481752Captured by Ahmad Shah Durrani
21Balkh SubahBalkh16461647Captured by Abd al-Aziz Khan
22Badakhshan SubahQunduz
23Bidar SubahBidar165611 October 1724Seceded under Asaf Jah I
24Bijapur SubahBijapur168431 July 1724Captured by MarathasAurangzeb
25Golkonda Subah (later Hyderabad)Hyderabad12 September 1687Seceded under Shahu I
26Sira SubahSira16871766Captured by Madhavrao I
27Arcot SubahGingee16921710Seceded under Saadatullah Khan I

List of Subahs of the Maratha Empire#edit

The subahs were introduced into the Maratha Empire in 1721 by Chhatrapati Shahu as a part of his administrative reforms. It did continue even after his reign as new territories were conquered by Marathas across the Indian subcontinent. By 1758, there were 30 subahs in Maratha India and 3 subahs were under Peshwa's rule.

#SubahCapital(s)Year of establishmentYear of disestablishmentCause of disestablishment
1Hindu Kush SubahKabul (1741–1758), Kunduz (1758–1761)17411761Captured by Durrani Empire
2Punjab SubahAttock (1741–1756; 1758–1800), Lahore (1756–1758)1800Independence of Sikh Empire
3Rajput SubahMultan (1735–1758), Ajmer (1758–1813)17351813Subsidiarised by the East India Company
4Delhi Subah (under Mughal influence)[20]Delhi17581818Ended with the empire's overthrow
5Baroda SubahBaroda1721
6Konkan Subah[21]Raigad (1674–1721), Shahapur[22] (1721–1818)1674
7Agra Subah (under Mughal influence)Agra1758
8Western Bengal SubahRajshahi (1742–1751), Murshidabad (1751–1775)17421775Captured by the East India Company
9Prayagraj SubahAllahabad17491803
10Peshawar SubahPeshawar17431761Captured by the Durrani Empire
11Thatta Subah[23]Thatta17331800Captured by Kalhoras[24]
12Bhopal SubahBhopal17371792Independence of Bhopal State
13Indore SubahIndore17321818Ended with the empire's overthrow
14Bahawalpur SubahRahim Yar Khan (1751–1761[25]), Bahawalpur (1761–1782)17511782Independence of Bahawalpur State
15Khandesh SubahAhmednagar17481818Ended with the empire's overthrow
16Poona Subah[26][27]Pune1674
17Satara Subah[28]Satara
18Raigad Subah[29]Raigad1721
19Thanjavur SubahThanjavur (1674–1680; 1713–1818), Arcot (1680–1682)1674
20Jinji Subah[30]Gingee (1682–1721; 1752–1818), Arcot[31] (1721–1752)1682
21Ganga Subah[32]Kanpur (1748–1752), Lucknow (1752–1803)17481803Captured by the East India Company
22Jamuni SubahLucknow[33] (1748–1752), Patna (1751–1803)
23Adilabad SubahAdilabad (1751–1772), Berar (1772–1792)17511792Ceded to Hyderabad State
24Karnataka Subah[34]Belgaum17501803Captured by the East India Company
25Khed SubahKhed17001818Ended with the empire's overthrow
26Andhra SubahAmaravati17581775Captured by the East India Company
27Kashmir SubahSrinagar1800Captured by Sikh Empire
29Cuttack Subah[35][36]Cuttack17521803Captured by the East India Company
30Sagar Subah[37]Sagar[38]17351818Ended with the empire's overthrow
Subahs of the Mughal Empire (North India)
Subahs of the Mughal Empire (North India) Image: source and license
Subahs of the Mughal Empire (South India)
Subahs of the Mughal Empire (South India) Image: source and license

See also#edit

Notes#edit

  1. ^ y George Clifford Whitworth (2016). 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. Palala Press. p. 301. ISBN 978-1354764114.
  2. ^ a b Mahajan, V.D. (1991, reprint 2007). History of Medieval India, Part II, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 81-219-0364-5, p.236n
  3. ^ Habib, I (2003). The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-565595-8, pp.8n, 451
  4. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India: Provincial Series 1908, pp. 175–176
  5. ^ Habib, I (2003). The Agrarian System of Mughal India 1556-1707, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-565595-8, p.4
  6. ^ Wahi, Tripta (2013). Irrigation, State and Society in Pre-colonial India. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. p. 3. ISBN 9789383650002.
  7. ^ Herrli, Hans (1993). The Coins of the Sikhs. p. 10.
  8. ^ Avali, Raghu (2023-12-17). "The Conquest of Kabul (1504)". Indian History for Everyone. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
  9. ^ Sheikh, Majid (2018-12-09). "Harking back: The ransacking of Lahore: as Babur and Nanak saw it". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  10. ^ Multan Langah Daur Mein. 1995-06-01.
  11. ^ "Ajmer | India, Map, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2026-08-07. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  12. ^ Dosábhai, Edalji (1986). A history of Gujarát : from the earliest period to the present time. Harvard University. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services.
  13. ^ Sinha, Surendra Nath (1974). Subah of Allahabad Under the Great Mughals, 1580-1707. Jamia Millia Islamia. p. 95. ISBN 9780883866030.
  14. ^ "500 Years of Mughal Empire | Legacy of Mughals, Are They Mongols, How Did the Dynasty End, History, & More | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  15. ^ "CONQUEST OF INDIA BY BABUR". HISTORY MARG. 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  16. ^ Medieval Malwa A Political And Cultural History 1401-1562. Universal Digital Library. Munshi Ram Manohar Lal.
  17. ^ The History of India: The Hindú and Mahometan Periods By Mountstuart Elphinstone, Edward Byles Cowell, Published by J. Murray, 1889, Public Domain
  18. ^ Merchants, Politics and Society in Early Modern India: Bihar: 1733-1820. Brill's Indological Library. Brill. 2023. ISBN 978-90-04-64474-8.
  19. ^ Richards, John F. (1996). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-521-56603-2. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  20. ^ Sinha, Surendra Nath (1974). Subah of Allahabad Under the Great Mughals, 1580-1707. Jamia Millia Islamia. p. 95. ISBN 9780883866030.
  21. ^ Raigad was part of Konkan Subah but was separated in 1721, and was made a separate province
  22. ^ Later renamed as Thane
  23. ^ Renamed as Scind
  24. ^ Merchants, Politics and Society in Early Modern India: Bihar: 1733-1820. Brill's Indological Library. Brill. 2023. ISBN 978-90-04-64474-8.
  25. ^ Later ceded to Punjab Subah
  26. ^ Renamed as Pune
  27. ^ Peshwa's subah
  28. ^ Peshwa's subah
  29. ^ Peshwa's subah
  30. ^ Jinji Subah, also known as Arcot Subah, was a part of Thanjavur Subah until 1682
  31. ^ Arcot was the capital of the Thanjavur Subah for a short time, before becoming a part of Jinji Subah
  32. ^ Initially named as Ganga–Jamuni Subah
  33. ^ Lucknow was ceded to Ganga Subah in 1752 and Patna became the capital.
  34. ^ Initially named as Uttara Kannada Subah
  35. ^ Cuttack was part of the Western Bengal Subah before being separated in 1752.
  36. ^ Under Uttar Sarkar
  37. ^ Sagar was a part of Indore Subah before being separated in 1735.
  38. ^ Also called as Saugor

References#edit

  • 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#edit

Categories Mughal subahsSubdivisions of the Mughal EmpireTypes of administrative divisionUrdu words and phrases

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