Explanation:

Correct Option: (a) Explanation:  Statement 1 is incorrect: Sher Shah did not make many changes in the administrative divisions prevailing since the Sultanate period. He apparently continued the central machinery of administration which had developed during the Sultanate period.  Statement 2 is incorrect: Sher Shah did not initiate any new liberal policies. Jizyah continued to be collected from the Hindus. Sher Shah and the Sur Empire (1540- 1555)  Sher Shah ascended the throne of Delhi at the age of 54. His original name was Farid and his father was a small jagirdar at Jaunpur. The title of Sher Khan was given to him by his patron for killing a tiger or for services rendered.  As a ruler, Sher Shah ruled the mightiest empire which had come into existence in north India since the time of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. His empire extended from Bengal to the Indus, excluding Kashmir. In the west, he conquered Malwa, and almost the entire Rajasthan.  The Sur Empire may he considered in many ways as a continuation and culmination of the Delhi Sultanate, the advent of Babur and Humayun being in the nature of an interregnum.  Amongst the foremost contributions of Sher Shah was his re-establishment of law and order across the length and breadth of his empire. He dealt sternly with robbers and dacoits and with zamindars who refused to pay land revenue or disobeyed the orders of the government.  Sher Shah paid great attention to the improvement of communications in his kingdom. For e.g. he restored the old imperial road called the Grand Trunk Road, from the river Indus in the west to Sonargaon in Bengal. He also built a road from Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor, evidently linking up with the road to the Gujarat seaports. He built a third road from Lahore to Multan. For the convenience of travelers, Sher Shah built a sarai at a distance of every two Kos (about eight km) on these roads.  Sher Shah also introduced other reforms to promote the growth of trade and commerce. In his entire empire, customs duty for goods was paid only at two places. His attempt to fi x standard weights and measures and a uniform standard for coins all over the empire were also helpful for trade and commerce.  Sher Shah did not make many changes in the administrative divisions prevailing since the Sultanate period. A number of villages comprised a pargana. The pargana was under the charge of the shiqdar, who looked after law and order and general administration, and the munsif or amil who looked after the collection of land revenue. He apparently continued the central machinery of administration as he did not favor leaving too much authority in the hands of ministers.  He paid special attention to the land revenue system. He insisted on measurement of the sown land. A crop rate (called ray) was drawn up, laying down the state’s share of the different types of crops.  Sher Shah did not initiate any new liberal policies. Jizyah continued to be collected from the Hindus.  His nobility was drawn almost exclusively from the Afghans. Thus, the state under the Surs remained an Afghan institution based oil race and tribe. Topic: Medieval India Sub-topic: The Sur rule