The system of tri-metalism which came to characterize Mughal coinage was introduced by Sher Shah. While the term
rūpya had previously been used as a generic term for any silver coin, during his rule the term
rūpee came to be used as the name for a silver coin of a standard weight of 178 grains, which was the precursor of the modern
rupee. The
Rupee is today used as the national currency in
India,
Indonesia,
Maldives,
Mauritius,
Nepal,
Pakistan,
Seychelles, and
Sri Lanka.
Gold coins called the
Mohur weighing 169 grains and copper
coins called Paisa were also minted during his reign. According to Srivastava, Sher Shah's balance made his fellow Muslims content with his lenient treatment of Hindus. Sher Shah's evaluated policy was seen that Islam should hold supremacy over the lands he had conquered, but not to displace Hinduism.
Army Sher Shah's army defeated the Mughals and drove them out of India. Sher Shah invited Afghans from across the empire and gave them high positions, with himself taking interest in recruiting troops. Sher Shah also promoted out of merit. The Afghan army utilized heavy emphasis on their
cavalry, while his infantry were armed with muskets. One of his reforms included splitting up his armies into divisions, which was led by a commander. Discipline was strict, with provisions being given by Banjaras, who accompanied the army. Men were also assigned roles, attributing to the system of the Dagh, with spies being able to be rooted out using this method. Sher Shah also considered
Pashto a sign of friendliness, and gave higher salaries to Afghans who could speak Pashto in his army. In 1540, Sher Shah's army consisted of over 150,000 cavalrymen, 25,000 infantrymen, and over 5,000 war elephants.
Social Justice One of the things Sher Shah Suri was renowned for was giving justice. Courts were held by
Qadis, with Sher Shah as well observing civil cases. Hindus settled their disputes in
Panchayat assemblies, while in criminal cases, nobody was exempt from the law of the empire. The criminal law of the empire was extremely harsh, and done so to prevent others from doing a crime out of fear of the repercussions. Sher Shah gave heavy punishments for people in high posts, including government officials. The reputation of Sher Shah was formidable in this regard as a
just ruler, to the point where merchants could travel through and sleep in deserts without fear of being harassed by bandits or robbers. The soldiers of Sher Shah acted as police, with the duty of these soldiers to look for thieves and robbers. Sher Shah Suri also implemented the reform of self-responsibility. It was the duty assigned to officials to find the culprits of different cases in examples such as murder, lest the officials be held responsible themselves and be hanged. As a result of these reforms, historians praise it for its effectiveness.
Buildings Sher Shah built several monuments including
Rohtas Fort (now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Pakistan), many structures in the
Rohtasgarh Fort in Bihar, the
Sher Shah Suri Masjid in
Patna, the
Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque inside the
Purana Qila complex in Delhi, and the Sher Mandal, an octagonal building also inside the Purana Qila complex, which later served as the library of Humayun. He built a new city,
Bhera, in present-day Pakistan in 1545, including within it
a grand masjid named after him. The
mausoleum of Sher Shah Suri is described as one of the most beautiful monuments in India, due to its grandeur and dignity. Cunningham even was inclined to prefer it over the
Taj Mahal.
Trade Amongst his magnitude of reforms while consolidating the empire, Sher Shah Suri abolished taxes that were held on the borders of provinces. This was due to Sher Shah wishing to invigorate trade throughout India, and only two levies remaining in place, with them being upon goods being brought into the country, and the second for when goods were sold. Customs as a result, were entirely removed. == List of rulers ==