7. The Administration of the Swaraj

• (1) A Council with eight departments — Ashtapradhan Mandal
• (2) Bahirji Naik was the Head of this department — Intelligence Department
• (3) The sea fort built by Maharaj near Malvan — Sindhudurga
• (4) He looked after the war materials on the fort — Karkhanis

Agriculture was the main occupation in the villages, and Shivaji Maharaj knew its importance, so he paid close attention to the welfare of the farmers. He entrusted the responsibility of organizing the land revenue system to his capable and experienced officer Annaji Datto, strictly warning officers not to collect more revenue than the amount fixed. He encouraged peasants to bring uncultivated land under cultivation. Furthermore, if crops were lost due to excessive rains, droughts, or devastation by enemy armies, remissions were granted in land revenue and other taxes. He also instructed his officers to provide peasants with bullocks, ploughs, and good seeds for sowing.

Shivaji Maharaj did not work solely with the limited ambition of conquering enemy territories and establishing dominance like other kings; his main objective was to make his subjects independent. He understood that for his subjects to truly experience the joy of freedom, it was necessary to have a disciplined administration and comprehensive care for the people's welfare. This is evident in his policies to protect local trades, such as the salt industry in Konkan, where he charged heavy duties on Portuguese salt imports to boost local sales, and his agricultural reforms that supported farmers in distress. He was not merely a ruler, but a watchful administrator who deeply cared for his people's well-being.

To ensure the smooth management of the expanding affairs of the Swaraj and to ensure the overall welfare of the people, Shivaji Maharaj set up an efficient administration. Therefore, at the time of his coronation, he established a council of eight ministers, dividing the administration into eight specific departments and appointing a Head for each. These eight Heads of department constituted the Ashtapradhan Mandal, and they were answerable to Maharaj for the effective administration of their respective areas.

Enemies on the west coast of India, such as the Portuguese of Goa, the Siddi of Janjira, and the British factors of Surat and Rajapur, created continuous obstacles in the work of expanding the Swaraj. It was necessary to curb their hostile activities and to fiercely protect the western coastline. Realizing that the one who has a navy controls the sea, Shivaji Maharaj, with great foresight, raised an independent and strong navy to secure his kingdom's coastal borders.