subahs

Subah is a Persian term meaning province or dominion, used in several Islamic-ruled states of South Asia and the Middle East. In the Mughal Empire, the term designated the empire’s provincial divisions, each governed by a subahdar, or provincial governor. The subah system formed part of a broader effort to centralize governance, revenue collection, and military command across vast territories.

Within a subah, administration typically centered on a hierarchy that included the subahdar, who oversaw financial and military affairs, assisted by officials such as the diwan (finance), faujdar (military commander), and shiqdar (police). The subah was further subdivided into sarkars (districts), which were divided into parganas or mahals and then into villages. Revenue collection, including zabt and kharaj, was organized at the subah level, with processes that varied by era and ruler.

Akbar the Great formalized and expanded the subah system in the late 16th century, reorganizing imperial territory into provincially governed units to improve administration and control. The number of subahs fluctuated over time, with roughly a dozen to twenty provinces at different periods. Notable subahs included Delhi Subah, Agra Subah, Bengal Subah, Bihar Subah, and Awadh Subah, among others.

Following the decline of central Mughal authority in the early 18th century, the subah system gradually declined in effectiveness. During British rule, the administrative framework shifted away from subahs toward districts (zilas) and divisions, and the term fell from official use. In modern usage, subah remains the historical term for Mughal-era provinces, while in Persian and Urdu, subah also denotes the morning.