NAME :- JUBIN JAMES

ROLL NO. :- 331

COURSE :- BA HISTORY HONOURS.
SEMESTER :- IV
PAPER :- HISTORY OF INDIA-V
SUBMITTED TO :- SURESH SIR.
 Examine the functioning of Mansabdari and Jagirdari systems
under the Mughal administration.
The Mansab and Jagir systems in India under the Mughals did not emerge
overnight; they evolved gradually over time. The Mansabdars were essential
members of the Mughal bureaucracy. Except for the judiciary, they were
appointed to every government department. They held important positions such
as wazir, bakshi, faujdar, and subadar, among others. The Jaghirdar were a
feudal class that collected taxes as a source of income. Their sole responsibility
was to collect revenue.

Following are the functioning of Mansabdar and the Jagirdars in Mughal

administration:

Mansabdari system:

Akbar designed the Mansabdari system, a political and economic institution that
played a critical role in the Mughal Empire's consolidation and disintegration.
Mansab is a place, a position, an honour, and a rank that is an essential part of
the intricate Mughal bureaucracy.
Mansabdar held both military and civil positions. The system, which formed the
framework of the Mughal administration, provided an outlet for ambition and
ability within the imperial service. The Mansabdars were kept in check by their
reliance on salaries, frequent transfers from one position to another, and the
diversion of revenue collection directed to the treasury. As a result, they had
limited opportunities to develop local contacts or financial means to raise
private armies. For much of the Mughal Empire, the Mansabdars were largely
of foreign origin, and towards the conclusion of Akbar's reign, 70% of them
were. The remaining 30% was split roughly evenly between Muslims and
Hindus, the latter of whom were mostly Rajput’s.
Abul Fazl claims that Akbar provided 66 grades of Mansabdars ranging from
commanders of 10 horsemen to commanders of 10,000 horsemen, but he only
provides a list of 33 grades. Thus, the term 'Mansab' determined the holder's
status in the graded official hierarchy, it also fixed the holder's or the
Mansabdar's pay, and it made it mandatory to maintain a specified number of
contingents with horses and necessary equipment.
Personal salary and the size of the contingent were represented by a single rank
of Jat in the beginning and up until 1595-96, but from 1595-96, both the Jat and
sawar ranks began to decide the position and status of the Mansabdar. While Jat
determined the Mansabdar's personal income, or Talabkhasa, and his official
position, sawar determined the horses and horsemen to be maintained by the
Mansabdar, as well as the amount he was paid to keep his contingent.
There is no consensus among experts on the meaning and nature of sawar.
Different versions were presented by William Irvine, Abdul Aziz, and Athar
Ali. The Mansabdars were separated into three classes in 1595-96. The first
class comprised of Jat and sawar in equal numbers, the second class of Jat and
half or more than half of sawar, and the third class of Jat and less than half of
sawar. The number of Mansabdars was never fixed.
While Akbar had 1,803 Mansabdars in 1595-96, by the conclusion of
Aurangzeb's reign, the number had risen to 14,499. The emperor can raise the
Mansabdar's status by raising the number of Mansabdars entrusted to him. We
also learned that individuals with 500 or less were referred to as Mansabdars.
Those with more than 500 but less than 2,500 were known as Amirs, while
those with more than 2,500 were known as Amir-i-Umda, Amir-i-Azam, Amir-
l-Aam, or Amrahs. Those Mansabdars who were paid in cash were referred to
as Naqdi, while those who were paid through Jagirs were referred to as
Jagirdars. No Mansabdar could keep the specified Jagir for an extended period
of time without being transferred.
The Mansabdar's post, honour, or dignity was not hereditary, and it expired with
the Mansabdar's death or removal, with the property reverting to the state.
While the core features of Akbar's system were maintained, new aspects were
added over the reign of his successors. One such aspect was the introduction of
conditional rank, also known as Mashrut, which refers to a temporary increase
in sawar rank.
During Aurangzeb's reign, the number of Mansabdars increased, resulting in the
Jagirdari and agrarian crises, which eventually led to the downfall of the
Mansabdari system. Though the Mansabdari position was open to all in theory,
in practise, the Mughals valued heredity, and as a result, Turanis, Irani’s,
Afghans, Rajput’s, and Marathas and the Deccan’s were given preference by
Aurangzeb in particular for military reasons, along with Turanis, Irani’s,
Afghans, Rajput’s, and Marathas and the Deccan’s.

Jagirdari System:

During the Mughal Empire, the Jagir system was regarded as an institution that
was primarily utilised to store surplus from the peasant class. In addition, the
jagir system was employed to disperse revenue resources among the ruling
classes. The institution of month-scales or ratios was made possible by this
system, which became all-pervasive. This appears to have resulted from a
difference between the official jagir (Jama) assessment and the actual revenue
collection (basil). The phrase jaghirdar was created by merging two Persian
words: 'Jagir' (which means holding land) and 'Dar' (which means official). A
Jaghir is a feudal land granted by a sovereign to an army chieftain in exchange
for acknowledgement of his military service.
The Jaghirdar collected taxes while also receiving his wage under the Jaghir
system. The remaining funds were deposited in the Mughal Treasury. The
revenue from the Khalisa region was often put in the imperial treasury. The
responsibility of tax collection was largely delegated according to the jaghirdar's
rank. As a result, the Mansabdars were given the most land. The word 'Jama
Ojamadari' was used to describe the estimated revenue from the territory. When
a man obtains a jagir whose Jama (sum of saved money) equals his annual
salary-claim (Talab) on paper, he may find that it only yields half or one-fourth
of his claim. In such cases, the jagir was allegedly referred to as 'Shash maha'
(six monthly) or 'Sib Maha' (three monthly). The Jama Ojamadari was measured
in 'Dam,' a small copper coin. The Jama also included land revenue, port
customs, and other taxes, among other things.
In practice, there were several types of Jagirs, including Jagir Tankha (Jagirs
given in lieu of pay), Mashrut Jagirs (Conditional Jagir), Inam Jagirs (those with
no service obligations and were independent of rank), and Watan Jagirs (Jagirs
which were granted Zamindars in their home lands). The grant of the Jagir was
returned to the state upon the death of the Jaghirdar. However, Jagirs became
hereditary over time and were passed down to the male heir of the jaghirdar.
The Jagirdars did not work alone, but rather recruited for a variety of
administrative positions related to revenue collection. Some of the positions are
Patwari, Tahsildar, Amil, Fotedar, and Diwan.
The Jagirdars were not allowed to be corrupt and were only allowed to collect
the amount decided and fixed by the emperor. There would be a well-
functioning imperial bureaucracy to keep a close eye on the Jagirdars. They
were punished if any situation of peasant harassment for extra payments arose.
During Akbar's reign, an 'Amir' was appointed in the Suba to monitor whether
or not the Jagirdars carried out the royal orders.
Conclusion
Mansabdar's and Jaghirdar's were the Mughal Empire's two main institutions,
which included both civil and military administration. The system was created
in order to create a centralised administrative system as well as a large force.
Mansabdars and their large armies were used to expand the empire and
effectively administer it. The following were the main characteristics of the
Mansabdari system:
• Mansabdars had two ranks: Zat and Sawar, the former indicating the officer's
position in the administrative structure and determining his or her personal
income
• Mansabdars were classified into three classes based on the ratio between their
zat and sawar ranks.
• Salaries and the requirement of sustaining troops were governed by a system
of rules that changed from time to time.
For revenue purposes, the entire land was divided into two sections: the jagir
and the khalisa. The khalisa's land revenue went to the royal treasury, while the
jagir's went to Mansabdar's.
Mansabdars were compensated by the assignment of jagirs. The jagir system
was used as an institution to appropriate surplus from the peasantry.
Simultaneously, it was used to distribute revenue resources among the ruling
classes. The watan jagir, one of the four types of jagirs given to assignees, was a
very effective way of absorbing Indian chieftains into the Mughal ruling class.