Medieval Administrative Systems: Iqta, Mansab, Jagir and Revenue — Part 4: The Jagir System
Part 4: Jagir system — four types (Tankha, Mashrut, In'am, Watan); khalisa proportions under Akbar/Jahangir/Shah Jahan/Aurangzeb; Jagirdari Crisis under Aurangzeb — paibaqi, jama-hasil gap, Mughal decline.
Medieval India — Part 3 of 5
4. The Jagir System
4.1 Types of Jagir
The Mughal Empire assigned revenue from territories (not the land itself) to mansabdars as jagirs in lieu of cash salary. The holder was the jagirdar. The jama (estimated revenue) was the benchmark; hasil (actual collection) was invariably lower. Paibaqi = land reserved for jagir assignment but not yet granted.
Under Babur, former Afghan chieftains received wajh assignments (holders: wajhdars). Under Akbar the territory was formally divided into khalisa (royal) and jagir.
Four types of jagir:
| Type | Character |
|---|---|
| Tankha Jagir | In lieu of pay; transferable every 3–4 years |
| Mashrut Jagir | Given on specified conditions |
| In'am Jagir | No service obligation; independent of rank |
| Watan Jagir | Assigned to zamindars in their homelands; hereditary and non-transferable |
Under Jahangir, some Muslim nobles received al-tamgha grants resembling watan jagirs. When a zamindar was enrolled as a mansabdar, he received a tankha jagir elsewhere in addition to his watan jagir if his rank salary exceeded watan income (e.g., Maharaja Jaswant Singh held watan jagir in Marwar and tankha jagir in Hissar).
The jagirdar employed his own officials (amil, fotadar). Imperial supervision was exercised by the diwan of the suba, the amin (posted from Akbar's 20th regnal year), and the faujdar. Transfers checked jagirdars from developing local roots but discouraged long-term agricultural investment.
Khalisa proportions over time:
| Emperor | Khalisa Share of Total Jama |
|---|---|
| Akbar | ~25% |
| Jahangir | <5% |
| Shah Jahan | ~1/7 (~14%) |
| Aurangzeb | ~1/5 (~20%) |
Despite the apparent recovery under Aurangzeb, approximately four-fifths of total revenue was still alienated in jagirs.
4.2 The Jagirdari Crisis under Aurangzeb
The Jagirdari Crisis was a structural fiscal imbalance that intensified under Aurangzeb, driven by three interlocking factors:
- Expanding mansabdari: Aurangzeb recruited Marathas and Deccanis on a large scale for the Deccan wars, sharply increasing the number of mansabdars and demand for jagirs.
- Shrinking jagir land: In Aurangzeb's reign, out of a total jamadami of 924 crore dams, as many as 724 crore were reserved as paibaqi — already earmarked but not yet assigned, reflecting the acute shortage of assignable jagir revenue.
- The jama-hasil gap: Actual revenue (hasil) consistently fell below estimated jama, making jagirs worth less than their stated value and reducing the effective income of mansabdars.
The crisis bred noble resentment, destabilised central authority, and was one of the principal structural causes of Mughal decline.