Table of Contents hide
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
- Mansabdar system - dual role
- 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
- Diwan - Head in Subha or province
- Amalgulzar - Sarkar Level or sub-provincial level
- Amil, Quanungo & Fotahddhar - Pargana Level
- 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 - SubadharÂ
- 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
- Governed by 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