Mughal Administration

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 – a 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 for 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, interpreter’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 the authority of the 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 among soldiers
  • The effectiveness of the army depended on Mansabdar

Jagirdari System

• Jagir is a group of revenue villages from where taxes are collected
• Jagirs were 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 on 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 – Fountainhead of justice
• Chief Qazi – Judicial Head – Civil & Criminal
• Sadr-i-sudur – Civil case of a 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