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You are here: Home / Public Administration / Mughal Administration

Mughal Administration

April 13, 2020 by BureaucratONE Leave a Comment Last Updated April 13, 2020

Table of Contents hide
1 Themes of FAQ
2 Nature of Mughal administration
3 Personnel Administration
3.1 Mansabdari System by Akbar
3.1.1 Jagirdari System
3.2 Revenue Administration
3.3 L & O Administration
3.4 Judicial Administration
4 Bureaucracy
4.1 Central Admins
4.2 Provincial - Subha
4.3 Sub-provincial Level
4.3.1 Sarkhar or District
4.3.2 Paragana
4.4 Village Level
5 Legacy & Conclusion

Themes of FAQ

  • Nature of Mughal Administration
  • Features of Mughal Administration
  • Legacy of Mughal administration in
    • Revenue administration
    • Judicial administration
    • Provincial administration
    • Personnel administration
  • Structure of Mughal Administration
    • Mansabdari System or Military Administration
    • Revenue Administration
    • B'y - Central, Provincial, Sub-provincial, Village Administration

Nature of Mughal administration

  • Foreign Origin
    • Mansabdar system from central Asia(Uzbeks)
  • Militaristic in nature
    • Mansabdar system - dual role
      • Civilian Officer
      • Military Officer
  • Centralised despot
    • King is ultimate
    • Waqaya Nafis - Spies
  • Kagazi Raj or Paper Administration
    • Written orders & record Keeping
    • Written communication
    • Furmons & Royal Orders
  • Strong blend of religion & Politics
    • Sharia Law
    • Jizya on non-muslims
    • Admin posts reserved to Muslims
    • Loyalty to Kalifa
    • Exception - Akbar
      • Introduced Mansabdari System
      • Overhauled revenue administration on scientific lines like taxation based on fertility like Sher Shah suri
      • Din-i-ilahi - his own religion
      • Liberated from Ulema or Muslim clerics, interpretor's of shariath
      • Secular
      • Admin posts based on merit - Raja Thodarmal
  • Overemphasis on Revenue and Police
  • Less emphasis on education, health & S&T
  • Enterprising nature
    • Public corporation
    • Karkhanas
  • Villages & Small towns
    • parochial self-government
    • Reasonable local autonomy & political freedom

Personnel Administration

  • Perso-Arabic system in Indian settings
  • No Senapati - so authority of King never questioned
  • Issues with Unity of Command
  • centralisation
  • Specialisation - Division of work
  • Coordination & Control
  • Principle of Hierarchy & Job classification
  • Officers are all interchangeable
  • Mansabdari System

Mansabdari System by Akbar

  • Mansab means position or office or rank
  • Mansabdar had dual duties
    • Civil - peace
    • Military - war
  • Dual Rank Classification of mansab
    • Zat = Rank
    • Sawar = Cavalry Rank (No of horseman to be maintained)
  • Many grades of Ranks
    • < 500 Rank = Mansabdar
    • 500 - 2500 Rank = Amirs
    • > 2500 Rank = Amir-i-umda, Amir-i-azam, Omrahs
  • Based on pay
    • Assignment of Jagirs - Jagirdars
    • paid in cash - naqdi
  • Appointment, transfer and promotion by King based on merit
  • Law or Doctrine of Escheat - Mansabdari not hereditary
    • After death - Property or Jagir confiscated
  • Lacked uniformity in soldiers
    • Effectiveness of army depended on Mansabdar

Jagirdari System

  • Jagir is a group of revenue villages from where taxes are collected
  • Jagirs given to Mansabdars to maintain himself & troops
  • Watan jagir - local Chieftain who collects Jagir for Mansabdars
  • Not all Jagirdars were mansabdars

Revenue Administration

  • Personnel & structure of Revenue Admin
    1. Diwan - Head in Subha or province
    2. Amalgulzar - Sarkar Level or sub-provincial level
    3. Amil, Quanungo & Fotahddhar - Pargana Level
    4. Patwari - Village or Mawdah Level
  • Had an elaborate revenue administration or tax collection system without any emphasis for health care, civil amenities

L & O Administration

  • Empire - King
  • Province - Subadhar 
  • Sub-province or District - Faujdar with Kotwal
  • Paragana or Tehsil - Shiqdhar
  • Village - Chaukidar

Judicial Administration

  • Emperor - Fountain head of justice
  • Chief Qazi - Judicial Head - Civil & Criminal
  • Sadr-i-sudur - Civil case of religious character
  • Judicial Functionaries
    • Mufti - Interpreted the law
    • Qzai - Investigation
    • Miradi - Delivers Judgement
  • Features
    • Sharia Law
    • Civil law depends on religion
    • Criminal Law Uniform

Bureaucracy

Central Admins

  • Sultan or King
  • Wakil - Imp post held by Biram Khan - later abolished
  • Diwan = Like PM + FM = Also a Mansabdar
    • Link b/w king and rest of B'y
    • Stayed at capital
    • Controlled provicial Diwan
  • Qazi - Judge
  • Mir Bakshi - Army pay master

Provincial - Subha

  • Empire divided into Subha
  • Headed by Subadhar & Diwan
    • Subadhar or Nazim or Nizam(later)- L & O & Highest Court of Appeal in Subha
    • Diwan - Revenue Admin
  • Provincial Bakshi
    • Appointed by King
    • On Mir Bakshi's advice
    • Responsible for maintenance of Mansabdars and pay of soldiers

Sub-provincial Level

Sarkhar or District

  • Subha divided into Sarkar or District
  • Departments
    • Governed by Faujdar
      • Assisted & reported to Subadhars
    • Revenue admin by Amal Guzar
      • Assisted & reported to provincial Diwan
    • L & O by Faujdar
      • Ground duty by Kotwal assisting Faujdar
  • Other officials
    • Kazhandahars - Treasury Officer

Paragana

  • Sarkar divide into Paragana or Tehsil
  • Departments
    • Governance & L & O - Shiqdhar
    • Revenue officials - Amin Quanungo (Record Keeper) & Fotahddhar

Village Level

  • Tehsil divided into Villages
  • Revenue - Patwari (VAO)
  • Chaukidar - Watchmen
  • Muqaddam - Headman

Legacy & Conclusion

  • Provincial Administration - DOP & Federalism
  • Revenue Administration - Patwari even now
  • Benevolent Despot, yet backward in outlook
  • Village Autonomy
  • Merit System
  • Codification and Compilation of records
    • Pioneer in Administration
    • Imp of Written communication - Modern B'y

Filed Under: Public Administration

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