In Shivaji's council of ministers, the 'Sumant' (Dabir) was in charge of:

In Shivaji's council of eight ministers, the "Sumant" (also called "Dabir") was the minister in charge of foreign affairs, relations with other states, and diplomacy.

Duties of the Sumant:

• He advised the king on relations with other rulers, such as the Mughals, Bijapur, Golconda, the Siddis and the Europeans.
• He received foreign envoys and sent ambassadors.
• He kept the king informed about the affairs of other states.
• He also handled matters of war and peace.

Shivaji's council of ministers:

• Shivaji was assisted by a council of eight ministers, which was formally organised at the time of his coronation in 1674.
• "Peshwa" (Mukhya Pradhan): the prime minister, in charge of general administration.
• "Amatya" (Mazumdar): the finance minister, who checked the accounts.
• "Mantri" (Waqia-navis): kept the records of the king's daily activities and the court.
• "Sachiv" (Shurunavis): in charge of royal correspondence.
• "Sumant" (Dabir): foreign affairs.
• "Senapati" (Sar-i-Naubat): the commander-in-chief of the army.
• "Panditrao": in charge of religious affairs, charities and the moral conduct of the people.
• "Nyayadhish": the chief justice.

Features of the council:

• The ministers were appointed by the king and could be removed by him; the posts were not hereditary under Shivaji.
• All ministers except the Panditrao and the Nyayadhish were also expected to lead military campaigns.
• Sanskrit names were given to the posts, replacing earlier Persian names, as part of Shivaji's emphasis on Indian traditions.

Later changes:

• After Shivaji's death, the posts became hereditary.
• The Peshwa became the most powerful minister, and under Shahu, the Peshwas became the real rulers of the Maratha state.

Shivaji's administration:

• He divided his kingdom into provinces (prants), each under a governor (subahdar or mamlatdar).
• He relied on forts, a well-disciplined army and a navy.
• His revenue system was based on measurement of land.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Finance was handled by the Amatya.
• ✗Religious affairs were handled by the Panditrao.
• ✗The army was commanded by the Senapati.