An Indian administrative official, financial officer, or minister in historical Indian kingdoms, or the office/court where such an official works.
From Persian dīwān, which comes from Arabic dīwān meaning 'register' or 'account book.' The term was adopted throughout Indian administrative systems under Islamic and British rule.
The dewan was basically an accountant with serious power—they controlled kingdoms' money and could make or break rulers, making them arguably more influential than generals.
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