Arsah

Arsah an administrative unit into which the Muslim kingdom of Bengal was divided in an early period. Names of seven arsahs such as Arsah Satgaon, Arsah Srihat, Arsah Chawalistan (i.e. Kamru), Arsah Sajla Mankhabad, Arsah Hadigarh, Arsah Chatgaon and Arsah Shahar-i-Nau are found in the coins and inscriptions of the period ranging from the 13th to the early 15th centuries. Among the seven, Arsah satgaon, Arsah sajla Mankhabad and Arsah Hadigarh were included in Arsah Satgaon. Arsah Srihat and Arsah Chatgaon were in East Bengal and Arsah Chawalistan was adjacent to the border of Kamrup. Scholars assume that Arsah Shahr-i-Nau and Pandua or Firuzabad were similar to each other. The officers in charge of an Arsah were wajir, sar-i-laskar, jamadar-i-gahir muhalli etc.

There was another administrative unit called iqlim. Ziauddin Barani, a contemporary historian of Delhi, refers to Bangalah both as Iqlim and Arsah.

Though Arsah and Iqlim denoted administrative units, their relation to one another cannot be definitely determined. It appears, however, that Arsah was a smaller unit than the Iqlim. An Arsah may be equated with a modern district and an Iqlim with a modern division. [Abdul Karim]