The functions of the police were performed by the soldiers in the time of Sher Shah. It was the duty of the Shiqdar-i-Shiqdaran to maintain peace and order in the Sarkar. A similar position was occupied by the Shiqdar in a Pargana.
It was the duty of these officials to keep a strict watch over the thieves and robbers. Sher Shah also introduced the system of local responsibility. The result was that it was the duty of the officials in-charge of the various areas, to find out the culprit in every case.
If there was a murder and the murderers could not be traced, the official concerned was to be hanged. The work may not have been very difficult because of the officials were fully acquainted with the bad characters of the locality. The police system of Sher Shah has been praised by many historians.
According to Abbas Sarwani, “Travellers and wayfarers during the time of Sher Shah’s Reign, were relieved from the trouble of keeping watch, nor did they fear to be robbed in the midst of a desert. They encamped at night at every place, desert or inhabited, without any fear; they placed their goods and property on the plain and turned out their mules to graze and they slept with minds at ease and free from care as if in their own houses.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The Zamindars for fear any mischief should occur to the travellers and that they should suffer to be arrested on account of it, kept watch over them. And in the time of Sher Shah’s Rule a decrepit old woman might place a basket full of gold ornaments on her head and go on a journey and no thief or robber would come near her, for fear of punishment which Sher Shah inflicted.”