q. describe the evolution of zabti system under akbar.

How did it
impact the peasantry?
Ans - The central feature of the agrarian system under the Mughals was the alienation from
the peasant of his surplus produce (produce over and above the subsistence level) in the
form of land revenue which was the main sour& of state's income. Abul Fazl in his Ain
Akbari justifles the imposition of taxes by the state saying that these are the remuneration
of sovereignty, paid in return for protection and justice. The Persian term for land revenue
during the Mughal rule was m
mal and mal wajib. Kharaj was not in regular use.

The pprocess cof land revenue collection has two stages: (a) assessment (tashkhis/jama), and
(b) actual collection (basil). Assessment was made to fix the state demand. On the basis of
this demand, actual collection was done separately for kharif and rabi crops. Under the
Mughals assessment was separately made for kharif and rabi crops. After the assessment
was over a written document called patta, qaul or paul qarar was issued in which the
amount or the rate of the revenue demand was mentioned, The assessee was in return
supposed to give qabullyat i.e. the "acceptance" of the obligation imposed upon him,
stating when and how he would make the payments'.
The evolution of the revenue system under Akbar, leading to what is called the dahsala
system or ten-year system and also called zabti system, in the 24th year of his reign (1579),
was the logical evolution of the system of measurement (zabt) adopted by sher shah, which
had continued to operate in Hindustan, that is the area from Lahore to ilahabas (allahabad),
till the early years of akbar's relgn. The dahsala system didn't mean a ten year settlement
but was based on average of the produce and prices during the last ten years. The
corrections done by Akbar in land revenue system can be mainly divided into three heads
as: (i) Measurement of land (ü). Classification of land (iii). Fixation of rates.
Sher Shah had established a rai & per bigha yield for lands which were under continuous
cultvation (polaj), or thos land which very rarely allowed to lle fallow (parauti). The ral was
based on three rates, representing good, middling and low yields and one third of the sum
of these was approprlated as land revenue. Akbar adopted Sher Shah's rai. In the 19th year
(1574), officials, called amils but popularly known as karoris were placed in charge of the
lands s which could yield a krore of tankas or two and a half lakh rupees. The karori, assisted
by a treasurer, a surveyor and other technical staff was to measure the land of a village, and
to assess the area under cultivation. According to some observers, he was also to survey the
banjar L.e. uncultivated land, and to encourage the peasants to bring it gradualy under
cultivation, preferably within three years. This was an impossible task, and we are told that
many karoris were brought to book for their failure. The primary purpose of the karori
experiment, It seems, was to carry out the measurement of the cultivated area because it
was in the same year that a new jarib, or measuring rod consisting of bamboos joined by
ironrings was introduced. This replaced the old jarib of hempen rope which expanded when
wet, and was a cause of much abuse. This karorl experiment was introduced in the settled
provinces, from Lahore to Allahabad.
Asecond step was taken in 1576 when the areas of Hindustan (from Lahore to Allahabad),
were brought under khalisa, or direct administration of the crown. This, combined with the
introduction of the branding of the horses, or the dagh system, led to serious dlscontent in a
section of the nobility, as has been noted earller. However, it appears that the steps was
meant to gain first-hand experience of agricultural conditions, rather than a desire to do
away with the jagir system, as some modern historians have argued. Having gathered the
needed informatlon, the system of Jagirs was restored.
By 1579, sufficient experlence had been gained regarding produce of land, local prices etc.
On that basis, and on the basis of their yield, lands were grouped into assessment circles
which were also called dasturs. According to Abul Fazl, the crops, the area sown, and the
price of produce in every pargana during the last ten years was "ascertained', and "one
tenth thereof was fixed as annual revenue." The state demand was no longer based on a
single crop-rate which was then converted into a cash-rate on the basis of prevalling prices,
but on a series of cash-rates based on the crop and the area sown. The advantage of this
system to the state was that as soon as the crops were sown, and the measurement (2Zabt)
of the sown area carried out, it knew what its rough income could be. To some extent It
benefited the peasant also. But It also meant that the risk of cultlvaton was largely thrown
on to the shoulders of the peasant.
The manner in which the average prices of the various crops was worked out was a complex
one. According to a modern study, they were not based on an average of the prices on
which crop-rates were converted into cash rates during the past ten years. Instead, the
productivity and local prices during the past ten years were worked out afresh on the basis
of information, and then averaged out. But this was not followed in the case of cash-crops
or high grade crops such as cotton, indigo, sugar-cane, oilseeds, poppy, vegetables which
were always charged in cash. Since such crops had wide price fluctuations, a good season
was chosen, and became the basis of the revenue demand. For purposes of laying down th
state demand, both productivity and continuity of cultivation were taken into account.
Lands which were continualy under cuitivation were called polaj. Lands which were falow
(parauti) for a year, paid full rates when they were brought under cultivation. Chachar was
land which had lain fallow for three to four years due to inundation etc. It paid a progresslve
rate, the full rate being charged in the third year. Banjar was cutivable waste-land. To
encourage its cultivation, it paid full rates only in the fifth year. The lands were further
divided into good, bad and middling. One-third of the average produce was the state share
However, in some areas, such as Multan and Rajasthan, one-fourth was charged. In Kashmir,
where saffron was sown, the state share was half. The land revenue demand did not include
varlous other kinds of imposts such as cess on cattle, trees etc. There was also the share
demanded by zamindars, the local officials, (qanungo, muqaddam, patwari, etc.), and the
expenses of village upkeep. A large number of officials were associated with the
administration of land revenue. some of the important functionaries were karori, amin,
qanungo, Chaudhuri, shiqdar, fotadar, bitikchi, diwan, faujdar etc.
Impact on peasantry - However, the basis of land classification by Akbar was on the
continuity or discontinuity of the cultivation. Akbar's wazirs had not taken account the sol
qualities for ascertalning the produce. As regards the rates, the areas under each crop had
its own rate, and as the crops were of various kinds and practically identical with those
grown to-day, the number of rates was unusually large, which led to the burden falling on
the shouiders of the peasants. Prices were lower in rural areas which were far away from
the urban areas. The cultivators found it difficult to pay in cash at the official rate. This
system has affected by corruption of the revenue collectors and fixing prices every year and
doing settlements of revenues of previous years was an unwieldy practice. The rabi harvest
was all gathered within a very short period. The authorities trled to collect revenue before
the harvest was cut and removed from the fields. By the end of the 17th century, the
authorities in desperation started preventing the peasants from reaping their tields until
they had pald their revenue. sometimes the farmers had to pay more than they are
supposed to. Further many of the revenue officials were dishonest and corrupt which
meant the peasants were affected by the power used by the officials.
The land revenue was the main source of the Mughal state's income. The magnitude of
land-revenue demand varled from region to reglon. A number of methods was used to
assess the land revenue demand. In Akbar's land revenue system peasants were prosperous
and happy although peasants had to pay fixed land revenue for ten years (Dahsala).
However, zabti was the most important method of revenue assessment, other methods,
like, ghalla bakhshi, and kankut were prevalent. The Ifeature was that in most cases
revenue was realized in cash, thereby giving impetus to monetization and market economy.
In this method of revenue assessment, there was some provision for relief in the care of bad
harvests.