The Suba System in Chhattisgarh (1787–1818)
Suba (subedari) rule in Chhattisgarh after Bimbaji: Vyankoji, the subedars from Mahipat Rao Dinkar to Yadav Rao, revenue contracts and European travellers.
Prerequisites
- Bhonsle Conquest and Bimbaji Bhonsle: the direct rule that the Suba system replaced
- Kalachuris of Ratanpur and Raipur: the older garh structure the subedars inherited
- Advent of Europeans and British Expansion: the Anglo-Maratha wars that ended the Suba period
The Hook: Governing from 300 Kilometres Away
Think of a district where the Collector changes every few years and is judged mainly on how much revenue he sends to the capital. Now imagine he holds that post under a contract, having promised a fixed sum. What will he squeeze out of the villages before he is moved?
That was Chhattisgarh after 1787. With Bimbaji dead, the Bhonsles stopped sending a resident prince. Instead, Vyankoji Bhonsle ruled from Nagpur through governors called subedars (सूबेदार).
Who were these subedars, how did the system work, and why is it remembered as a period of hardship?
Why it matters: the first and last subedar, the subedar who created the pargana system, and the dates 1787–1818 are steady Prelims material. Mains asks you to evaluate the Suba system.
What Was the Suba System?
- Suba (सूबा) means a province. Chhattisgarh was treated as a suba of the Bhonsle kingdom of Nagpur, and its governor was the subedar.
- The system was started by Vyankoji Bhonsle (व्यंकोजी भोंसले) after Bimbaji’s death in 1787. Vyankoji was a son of Mudhoji I and brother of Raghuji II of Nagpur.
- Vyankoji stayed in Nagpur and ran Chhattisgarh through his appointed subedars. The subedar’s seat was Ratanpur.
- The period is called Suba rule (सूबा शासन) or subedari rule and lasted from 1787 to 1818.
How it worked
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Subedars were appointed on a contract (ठेका) basis: they undertook to deliver revenue to Nagpur |
| Powers | The subedar combined revenue, military, police and judicial authority in the suba |
| Below the subedar | Kamavisdars (कमाविसदार) in charge of parganas, and gaontias (गौंटिया) at village level (see Administration and Revenue) |
| Accountability | Mainly to Nagpur, measured by the revenue remitted |
| Tenure | Short and insecure. The subedar could be replaced if another candidate promised more |
The Subedars of Chhattisgarh
graph LR
A["Mahipat Rao Dinkar
1787-1790
first subedar"] --> B["Vitthal Rao Dinkar
1790-1796
pargana system"]
B --> C["Keshav Govind
1797-1808
longest tenure"]
C --> D["Bikaji Gopal
1809-1817"]
D --> E["Short interim
1817"]
E --> F["Yadav Rao Diwakar
1817-1818
last subedar"]| # | Subedar | Tenure | Remember for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahipat Rao Dinkar (महिपत राव दिनकर) | 1787–1790 | First subedar |
| 2 | Vitthal Rao Dinkar (विट्ठल राव दिनकर) | 1790–1796 | Founder of the pargana system: reorganised the old garhs into 27 parganas |
| 3 | Keshav Govind (केशव गोविंद) | 1797–1808 | Longest-serving subedar |
| 4 | Bikaji Gopal (बीकाजी गोपाल) | 1809–1817 | Last long tenure before the Anglo-Maratha war |
| 5 | Short-lived arrangements | 1817 | Interim, during the Third Anglo-Maratha War |
| 6 | Yadav Rao Diwakar (यादव राव दिवाकर) | 1817–1818 | Last subedar (spelt “Dinkar” in some books) |
European Travellers in the Suba Period
The Suba years are also when the first European travellers left written accounts of Chhattisgarh. These accounts are useful to historians because few local records of the period survive.
| Traveller | Year | Subedar at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Leckie (Daniel Robinson Leckie) | 1790 | Mahipat Rao Dinkar |
| Blunt (Captain J. T. Blunt) | 1795, reached Ratanpur in May | Vitthal Rao Dinkar |
| Colebrooke (H. T. Colebrooke, on his way to Nagpur) | 1799 | Keshav Govind |
Evaluation: Why the Suba Period Is Remembered Badly (Mains material)
Problems
- Absentee rule: the real ruler sat in Nagpur and knew little of local conditions.
- Revenue farming: contract-based appointments pushed subedars to extract as much as possible in a short tenure.
- Insecurity of officials: frequent changes meant little long-term investment in irrigation, roads or villages.
- Concentrated power: one officer controlled revenue, police and justice, so there were few checks on abuse.
- Pressure on peasants and zamindars: rising demands passed down through kamavisdars and gaontias to cultivators.
Positives
- Pargana system (Vitthal Rao Dinkar): a more uniform territorial and revenue structure replaced the old garhs.
- Continuity: the region stayed a single administrative unit, carrying forward Bimbaji’s unification.
- Written accounts: the travellers’ records from this period are valuable historical sources.
Memory Tricks
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Mahipat Rao Dinkar: first subedar (1787) | Vitthal Rao Dinkar: second subedar, pargana system (1790) | |
| Keshav Govind: longest tenure (1797–1808) | Bikaji Gopal: 1809–1817 | |
| Vyankoji: Bhonsle prince who started the Suba system (from Nagpur) | Subedar: his appointed governor at Ratanpur | |
| Suba rule: 1787–1818 | British superintendency: 1818–1830 | |
| Subedar (Maratha, Suba period) | Superintendent (British, 1818–1830) |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Suba system in Chhattisgarh was introduced by ________ and lasted from ________ to ________.
- The first subedar of Chhattisgarh was ________, and the last was ________.
- The subedar credited with organising Chhattisgarh into 27 parganas was ________.
Answers
- Vyankoji Bhonsle; 1787; 1818
- Mahipat Rao Dinkar; Yadav Rao Diwakar (also spelt Dinkar)
- Vitthal Rao Dinkar
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about the Suba system in Chhattisgarh:
- It was introduced after the death of Bimbaji Bhonsle.
- The Bhonsle prince in charge of Chhattisgarh lived at Ratanpur during this period.
- Subedars were appointed on a contract basis, undertaking to deliver revenue.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Match List-I (Subedar) with List-II (Remembered for):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Mahipat Rao Dinkar | 1. Longest tenure as subedar |
| B. Vitthal Rao Dinkar | 2. Last subedar |
| C. Keshav Govind | 3. First subedar |
| D. Yadav Rao Diwakar | 4. Pargana system |
(a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (b) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (c) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2 (d) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
Answer and explanation
Q3. The European traveller who visited Chhattisgarh in 1795, during the subedari of Vitthal Rao Dinkar, was:
(a) Leckie (b) Colebrooke (c) Blunt (d) Jenkins
Answer and explanation
Q4. Arrange the subedars in chronological order:
- Keshav Govind
- Bikaji Gopal
- Vitthal Rao Dinkar
- Mahipat Rao Dinkar
(a) 4-3-2-1 (b) 3-4-1-2 (c) 4-3-1-2 (d) 4-1-3-2
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. “The Suba system marked a decline in the quality of Maratha administration in Chhattisgarh.” Discuss. (150–200 words)
Intro: After Bimbaji’s death in 1787, Vyankoji Bhonsle ruled Chhattisgarh from Nagpur through subedars, a phase called Suba rule (1787–1818).
Body (decline):
- Absentee rule: the decision-maker lived in Nagpur, not in the region.
- Contract appointments: subedars promised revenue to Nagpur and recovered it from the people.
- Short, insecure tenures: six subedars in about 30 years, so there was little interest in long-term improvement.
- Concentration of power: revenue, police and justice were in one officer’s hands, with few checks.
Body (qualifications): 5. Vitthal Rao Dinkar’s pargana system (27 parganas) brought more uniform revenue administration. 6. The region stayed one unit, continuing Bimbaji’s unification.
Conclusion: Compared with Bimbaji’s resident rule, the Suba period was extractive and unstable. It also weakened the Bhonsles’ hold, easing the British takeover after 1817–18.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Period | 1787–1818 |
| Introduced by | Vyankoji Bhonsle, ruling from Nagpur |
| Subedar’s seat | Ratanpur |
| Basis of appointment | Contract (revenue farming) |
| First subedar | Mahipat Rao Dinkar (1787–1790) |
| Pargana system | Vitthal Rao Dinkar (1790–1796): 27 parganas |
| Longest tenure | Keshav Govind (1797–1808) |
| Then | Bikaji Gopal (1809–1817) |
| Last subedar | Yadav Rao Diwakar (1817–1818) |
| Travellers | Leckie 1790, Blunt 1795, Colebrooke 1799 |
| End | 1818, British superintendence begins |
Key Takeaways
- The Suba system (1787–1818) began after Bimbaji’s death; Vyankoji ruled from Nagpur through subedars.
- Subedars were appointed on contract, which made the system extractive and unstable.
- First: Mahipat Rao Dinkar. Pargana system: Vitthal Rao Dinkar. Longest: Keshav Govind. Last: Yadav Rao Diwakar.
- European travellers Leckie (1790), Blunt (1795) and Colebrooke (1799) visited in this period.
- The system ended in 1818, when British superintendence began.
What’s Next
- Administration and Revenue under the Marathas: parganas, kamavisdars, gaontias, takoli and other taxes
- Decline and British Supervision: Sitabuldi, the superintendents and annexation
- Maratha Rule: Quick Revision: the whole chapter on one page