BharatNotes Farman
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
The Permanent Settlement of 1793 derived its legitimacy from the diwani farman of 1765, by which the East India Company secured the right to collect revenue in Bengal and thereby transformed a commercial concession into the foundation of territorial empire.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
farmans (n pl); related Persian: farmānravā (ruler), farmāndeh (commander)
Root
Persian farmān = decree, order; Middle Persian framān; Old Persian framana = command; fra- = fore, forward
Etymology
From Persian farman ("decree, order"), from Middle Persian framan, from Old Persian framana ("command, order"), from fra- ("fore, forward").
Memory Hook
A farman comes from a "FAR" (distant, lofty) sovereign whose "MAN-date" must be obeyed — the king commands from afar and all must comply.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
An imperial order carrying the force of law. What repays attention is that the Mughal chancery graded its documents by the authority issuing them, and the vocabulary is precise rather than interchangeable: a farman issued from the emperor himself, a nishan from a prince or princess and generally with imperial sanction, a parwana from a governor or noble acting under a superior's instruction, and a hasb-ul-hukm from a minister writing on the emperor's behalf for routine business. Knowing the gradation matters historically, because the status of a document determined what could be claimed under it, which is why the European trading companies pressed so hard for a farman rather than a parwana. The diwani farman of 1765, granting the East India Company revenue rights in Bengal, is the instance where a chancery formality became the foundation of territorial empire.
Don’t Confuse It With
A farman is issued by the emperor, a nishan by a prince or princess, a parwana by a governor or noble under delegated authority, and a hasb-ul-hukm by a minister on the emperor's behalf, so the four differ by issuing authority rather than by subject matter. A sanad is a charter or grant conferring a right or office. The tughra is the calligraphic imperial monogram authenticating such a document, and the seal the further mark of validity.
Hindi Meaning
फ़रमान (farmān); परवाना (parwānā) for the subordinate order.
Common Questions
- What is the difference between a farman and a parwana?
- A farman issues from the emperor himself and carries the highest authority, while a parwana is issued by a governor or noble acting under delegated instruction.
- Why did European companies want a farman?
- Because the status of the issuing authority determined how secure and how widely enforceable the privilege was, so an imperial farman gave protection that a subordinate order could not.
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