Jagirdari System

INTRODUCTION
One of the most popular systems of revenue assignments
prevalent under the Delhi Sultanate was the Iqtadari system and
the holder of iqta was called iqtadar. The system was developed
to appropriate the surplus from the peasantry and distribute it
among the nobles. The Mughal emperors, too, did the same.
These assignments were given in lieu of cash salaries. The areas
assigned were generally called jagir, and its holder as jagirdar.
The difference between these two systems was that under
jagirdari system, it was not land that was assigned, but the
income from the land was given to the jagirdars. This system
developed over a period of time and underwent many changes
before stabilising. However, the basic framework was developed
during Akbar's reign.
The term Jagirdar was derived by combining two Persian words:
‘Jagir’ (which means holding land) and ‘dar’ (which means
official). A Jagir is basically a type of a feudal territory which
a ruler grants to an army chieftain in lieu of recognition of
his military service. This system was started in the 13th
Century. At that time, the power to collect tax from a particular
estate was accorded to an appointee of the state. Granting land to
an individual for the purpose of collection of revenue in lieu of
cash salary is an age-old practice in India.
According to Athar Ali, jagir was a revenue assignment but in
reality it was made against mansab rank of the mansabdars.
According to Irfan Habib, jagir was land revenue assignment in
lieu of cash salaries according to the rank of jagirdar and his
mansab.

History of Jagir System

The Jagir system was adapted by the Delhi Sultanate, from an
already existing agricultural system. This system was entirely
feudalistic, and carried tendencies to weaken the governing body
of the state. The practice of the Jagir system was slowed down
by Sultan Ghiyas al-Din and was abolished during the reign
of Alauddin Khilji. However, it was again revived by Sultan
Firuz Shah Tughluq.
During the reign of Babur and Humayun, revenues were
collected from the assigned territories through Wajahdars by
fixing ‘wajah’. The early Mughal emperors wanted to amend the
system by preferring to reward the officials with cash salaries.
However, the later Mughal emperors reintroduced
the same old system.
During the reign of Akbar, the territory was divided into
Khalisa and Jagir. The Mughal Jagirdari system basically began
during Akbar’s reign and as mentioned earlier, in course of
time it underwent few modifications. The Jagirdari system was
created by Akbar to consolidate and expand his empire. This
system embraced both civil and military sectors of
administration.
Features of Jagir System
Under the Jagir system, the Jagirdar collected taxes which at the
same time paid his salary. The rest of the revenue was deposited
to the Mughal treasury. Generally, the revenue generated from
the Khalisa territory was deposited in the imperial treasury. The
assigning of the task of revenue collection was mostly
dependent on the rank of the Jagirdar. The Mansabdars were
thus granted maximum territory. ‘Jama Ojamadari’ is a term that
was used to denote the estimated revenue from the territory. The
Jama Ojamadari was calculated in ‘Dam’, a small copper coin.
The Jama also included land revenue, port customs and other
taxes etc.

There were various types of Jagirs or revenue assignments. They

are:
(1) Jagirs, which were given in lieu of pay known as Jagir
Tankha,
(2) Jagirs given to an individual on certain conditions called
Mashrut Jagirs,
(3) Jagirs with no involvement of obligations of service and
were independent of rank known as Inam Jagirs, and
(4) Jagirs, assigned to Zamindars in their home lands called
Watan Jagirs.

The grant of the Jagir got reverted to the state upon the
Jagirdar’s death. However, with time, Jagirs became hereditary
and got transferred to the male heir of the Jagirdar. The Jagirdars
did not work alone, but recruited for
several administrative positions for the work of revenue
collection. Patwari, Tahsildar, Amil, Fotedar, Diwan being some
of the positions.
The Jagirdars could practice no corruption and were allowed to
collect only the amount decided and fixed by the emperor. There
would be a smooth functioning imperial bureaucracy for keeping
a strict watch over the Jagirdars. They were penalized if any
situation of harassment of the peasants for excess payments
came into being. In fact, during Akbar’s reign an ‘Amir’ was
appointed in the Suba to see whether the Jagirdars implemented
the royal orders or not. An important feature of the jagirdari
system was shifting of jagir-holders from one jagir to another for
administrative reasons. This system of transfers checked the
jagirdars from developing local roots. At the same time, its
disadvantage was that it discouraged the jagirdars from taking
long term measures for the development of their areas. They
were merely interested in extracting as much revenue as possible
in a short time

Jagir System under the Mughal Rulers

Jagir system of Mughal Empire wholly pivoted around the
father-son duo, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, standing at opposing
poles. The pay schedule from 12 to 7 months, however, came to
be merely of academic interest, since Aurangzeb decided in his
21st year of reign, to lower Shah Jahan's maximum allowance
from 8 months to 6 months. As against the sanctioned claim,
there used to be a number of deductions in the pay schedules.
The dissimilarities between the Mughals and Maratha
warriors manifested wholly in the Jagir system, with other
principles also thrown in. Jagir system under the later Mughal
rulers began to be tightened, with the Jagirdars suffering the
most.
During Akbar’s period, all the territory was broadly divided into
two –
1. Khalisa – the revenue from the khalisa went to the imperial
treasury
2. Jagir – the revenue from jagir was assigned to jagirdars in
lieu of cash salary according to their rank.
According to Abu Fazl, Akbar initiated a regular system of
transfers .Since, on an average, a jagir was transferred after
every three years. It suited the Mughal Empire especially from
17th century onwards for the smooth functioning of the jagirdari
system. It also helped in maintaining cohesion within the
nobility. It also confirmed the hold of the crown over the rising
ambitions of the nobility.
The Imperial officials kept watch on the jagirdars. The diwan of
the suba was supposed to prevent the oppression on the peasants
by the jagirdars. From the 20th year of Akbar, amin was posted
in province to see that the jagirdars were following Imperial
regulations regarding collection of revenue. The faujdar often
helped the jagirdar to collect revenue whenever difficulties
arose.
The salaries payable to Sawars were gradually reduced from the
time of Akbar to the time of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. This
reduction did not, however, have much direct impact upon the
income of the nobles themselves, owing to the reduction in their
military obligations. The introduction of the month-scales during
the times of Shah Jahan, on the other hand, had a direct impact
on the pay scales of the nobles. Since it had become usual in the
time of Aurangzeb to assign Jagirs on a scale not higher than a
six-month one, the reduction in salaries was fairly considerable.
There also existed fines or ‘Jurmana’ for Jagirdari system during
Mughal Empire. These were imposed predominantly for
deficiencies in the contingents required from the nobles.
During Aurangzeb's reign, the conditions changed. The
officers did not receive Jagirs for long periods and so their
claims went on hoarding up. This was yet another shrewd device
by which Jagir system during Mughal Empire looked towards
greener pastures, or a better system which would reimburse
required expenses.
Decline of the Jagir System

The Jagirdari Crisis was a financial scenario in which there

was a scarcity of lands, or jagirs. This reduced the expense of
administration, and the imperial crown was unable to fund wars
or maintain the nobility's quality of living. As a result,
the Mughal crown was forced to give up its own territory in
order to pay its officials. The jagirdari crisis resulted in an ugly
rivalry for control of the fertile jagir.
The Jagir system being feudalistic in character eventually started
to weaken the Mughal State. After the collapse of the Mughal
Empire, which happened for several other reasons alongside, the
Jagirdar system was retained by Rajput, Saini and the Sikh Jat
kingdoms and later, by the British East India Company.