Consider the following statements relating to Sher Shah I. During Sher Shah’s reign, the village panchayat and zamindars were not allowed to deal with civil and criminal cases at the local level. II. Sher Shah set up army cantoments in different parts of the empire and a strong garrison was posted in each of them Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement I is incorrect because Sher Shah Suri maintained the autonomous existence of village communities. In every village, a panchayat consisting of influential men performed both judicial and administrative functions [t4]. He also introduced the principle of local responsibility, making village headmen and zamindars accountable for local crimes, which effectively integrated them into the local law and order machinery rather than excluding them [t4]. Statement II is correct as Sher Shah established an extensive military infrastructure to secure his empire. He set up army cantonments in various strategic locations across his territories, ensuring each was manned by a strong garrison to maintain control and respond to rebellions [t1]. His military reforms also included reviving the branding of horses (Dagh) and descriptive rolls (Chera) to ensure a disciplined and professional standing army [t4].