Important keywords mughal empire Administration & Governance for upsc

1. Central Administration

1. Emperor (Padshah)

• Absolute authority, “Shadow of God” (Zill-i-Ilahi).
• Akbar’s Divine Faith (Din-i-Ilahi) – Symbolized supreme authority.

1. Key Ministers & Officials

• Wazir/Vakil – Prime Minister (Finance & Revenue).
• Diwan-i-Kul – Chief Finance Minister (Revenue head).
• Mir Bakshi – Head of Military (Mansabdari system).
• Sadr-us-Sudr – Incharge of religious/charitable grants.
• Qazi-ul-Quzat – Chief Judge.
• Muhtasib – Censor of Public Morals.

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2. Provincial Administration

1. Subahs (Provinces)

• 12 Subahs under Akbar → 20 under Aurangzeb.
• Governed by Subahdar (Provincial Governor).

1. Sarkars (Districts) & Parganas (Sub-Districts)

• Faujdar – Military head of Sarkar.
• Amalguzar – Revenue collector (Zabt system).
• Kotwal – Police & Municipal officer (in cities).

1. Village Administration

• Muqaddam – Village headman.
• Patwari – Accountant.

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3. Revenue System

1. Land Revenue (Zabt System)

• Todar Mal’s Dahsala System (10-year avg. yield assessment).
• Batai/Ghalla Bakshi – Crop-sharing.
• Kankut – Estimation-based.

1. Revenue Terms

• Jama – Assessed revenue.
• Hasil – Actual collection.
• Zamindars – Intermediaries (not landowners).

1. Taxes

• Jizya – Tax on non-Muslims (abolished by Akbar, reimposed by Aurangzeb).
• Zakat – Tax on Muslims.
• Kharaj – Land tax.

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4. Military & Mansabdari System

1. Mansabdari System (Rank-based bureaucracy)

• Zat – Personal rank (salary).
• Sawar – Cavalry rank (horsemen to maintain).
• Dagh (Branding) & Chehra (Descriptive roll) – Anti-corruption measures.

1. Military Organization

• Ahadis – Elite royal guards.
• Shamshir-bardar – Sword-bearing cavalry.

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5. Judicial System

1. Emperor – Highest judicial authority.
2. Qazis – Islamic judges in provinces.
3. Secular & Religious Laws –

• Sharia (Islamic law) for Muslims.
• Customary laws for non-Muslims.

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6. Key Policies

1. Akbar’s Sulh-i-Kul – Universal tolerance policy.
2. Aurangzeb’s Orthodoxy – Ban on music, reimposition of Jizya.
3. Jagirdari Crisis – Land grants to nobles led to corruption (later decline).

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7. Important Documents

1. Ain-i-Akbari – By Abul Fazl (details on administration).
2. Akbarnama – Official history of Akbar’s reign.
3. Fatwa-i-Alamgiri – Aurangzeb’s legal code.

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Why Important for UPSC?

• Prelims: Terms like Mansabdar, Zabt, Dahsala.
• Mains:
• Compare Mughal & British land revenue systems.
• Impact of Mansabdari system on decline.
• Previous Questions:
• Mansabdari system (UPSC 2019).
• Todar Mal’s reforms (UPSC 2020).