(Online Course) History for IAS Mains: Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century - Components of Administration

Components of Administration

Seventy per cent of the Mughal officers were foreigners, mainly Iranis from Persia and Turanis from Central Asia. They belonged to families that had migrated to India with Humayun or had arrived after Akbar’s accession. During the course of Akbar’s rule only twenty-one Hindus were recruited into the ranks of the upper nobility. Of these, the overwhelming majority (seventeen) were Rajputs. The other four included in this privileged circle were Birbal Todar Mal, his son and another Khattri. After the dismissal of Bairam Khan, he did away with the institution of the all-powerful wazir, distributed the functions of that office among several officers and often kept the post vacant.The diwan was responsible only for the functioning of the finance ministry, while the mir bakshi was accountable for the military department. The sadr us-sadur looked after ecclesiastical affairs, while the mir saman was in-charge of the supply department.

Akbar abolished the post of all-powerful Wazir. He became the head of the revenue department Also known as Diwan-i-ala. Diwan Responsible for all income and expenditure and had control over Khalisa and jagir land. Mir Bakshi Headed military department, nobility, information and intelligence agencies. Mir Saman was Incharge of Imperial household and Karkhanas. Diwan-i-Bayutat Maintained roads, government buildings etc. and worked under Mir Saman. Sadr us Sadr Incharge of charitable and religious endowments Qazi id Quzat Headed the Judiciary department Muhtasib Censor of Public Morals.

Wazir- Head of the revenue department

Mir Bakshi - Head of the military department

Barids- Intelligence Officers

Waqia navis- Reporters

Mir saman- In charge of imperial household

Qazi-  Head of the judicial department

Sadr-us-Sudur: Head of the Ecclessiastical Department hence regulated the religious policy of the state; was also in charge of Public Authorities and Endowments. Other Officials: (i) Muhtasibs (enforced public
morals), (ii) Waquia Navis (News reports), (iii) Khufia Navis (Secret letterwriters), (iv) Harkarahs (spies and special couriers).

Organization of the Government

Parganas and Sarkar continued as before. Chief Officers of the Sarkar were Fauzdar and Amalguzar. The former being in charge of law and order and the later responsible for the assessment and collection of the land revenue. Mughal Empire was divided into subas which was further subdivided into sarkar, Parganas and villages. However, it also had other territorial units as ‘Khalisa’, (royal land ), Jagirs (autonomous rajas) and Inams (gifted lands, mainly waste lands). There were 15 territorial units (subas) during Akbar’s reign, which later increased it) 20 under Aurangzeb’s reign. Akbar divided the empire into 12 subas. These were Bengal, Bihar, Allahbad, Awadh, Agra, Delhi, Lahore, Multan, Kabul, Ajmer, Malwa & Gujarat. A Subbahdar, diwan, bakshi, sadr, qazi and a waqia- navis were appointed each to of the provinces

Province (Suba)

1. Sipahsalar—The Head Executive(under Akbar and later he was known Nizam or Subedar)

2. Diwan—Incharge of revenue department

3. Bakshi—Incharge of military dept.

District/Sarakar

1. Fauzdar—Administrative head

2. Amal/Amalguzar—Revenue collection

3. Kotwal—Maintenance of law and order, trial of criminal cases and price regulation.

Pargana

1. Shiqdar—Administrative head combined in himself the duties of ‘fauzdar and kotwal’

2. Amin, Qanungo—Revenue officials

Village

1. Muqaddam—Headman

2. Patwari—Accountant

3. Chowkidar—Watchman

Mansabdari System

Mansabdari system which was introduced in 1595-96, was a combined status, showing a noble’s civil and military capacity. Twin ranks— Zat and Sawar, were allotted. The former indicated a noble’s personal status, while the latter, the number of troops he had to maintain. Mansabdari had three scale gradations, viz

1. Mansabdar (500 zat and below)

2. Amir (between 500-2500 zat)

3. Amir-i-Umda (2500 zat and above)

The salary of the Mansabdar was fixed on a Month Scale system. During Jahangir’s reign, a du aspa siha aspa system was introduced through which, a nobles’ sawar rank could he increased without affecting
his zat. Mansab was not an hereditary system. Mansabdars were paid through revenue assignments (jagirs).

Addition by Jahangir

Introduction of the “duaspa-sihaspa” (23h) rank, literally meaning troopers having 2 or 3 horses; and hence related to the sawar rank. This rank doubled the ordinary sawar rank, and hence doubled the obligation, and the previleges that went with it.

Changes by Shah Jahan

Rule of 1/3rd, 1/4th: It scaled down the obligations of the mansabdars. If a mansabdar war serving in a province where his jagirwas, then his contingent should be equal to 1/3rd of his sawar rank; if elsewhere then only 1/4th. Month Scales: A mansabdar often found that the the “hasil” (actual revenue collected from a Jagir) was less than the “jama”(stipulated or assessed revenue from a Jagir), on which his salary was actually fixed. Thus the month scale was a devise to express the ratio between the `jama’ and the ‘hasil’, and hence gave some relief in service obligations to mansabdars.

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