Medieval Administrative Systems: Iqta, Mansab, Jagir and Revenue — Part 7: Comparison, UPSC Relevance and Revision Summary
Part 7: Sultanate vs Mughal comparison table; UPSC Prelims and Mains focus; one-page revision summary (iqta, mansabdari, jagir, Mughal revenue, central admin); 12-term glossary.
Medieval India — Part 3 of 5
8. Comparison: Delhi Sultanate vs Mughal Administration
| Aspect | Delhi Sultanate | Mughal Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Chief revenue minister | Wazir (diwan-i wizarat) | Diwan-i Kul |
| Military minister | Ariz-i Mumalik | Mir Bakhshi |
| Intelligence | Barid-i Mumalik | Waqai Navis / Sawanih Nigar |
| Religious head | Sadr-us Sudur | Sadr-us Sudur (later separated from Qazi-ul Quzzat) |
| Provincial head | Muqti / Wali | Subadar |
| Revenue assignment | Iqta | Jagir |
| Revenue assessment | Kharaj (tribute-based → measurement under Alauddin) | Zabti, Ghalla Bakhshi, Kankut, Nasaq, Ijara |
| Local unit | Village: khot, muqaddam, patwari | Village: muqaddam, patwari (standardised under Sher Shah) |
| Mode of salary | Cash (Alauddin) or iqta | Jagir (naqd for some) |
| Degree of centralisation | Variable; maximum under Alauddin | Theoretically highly centralised; patrimonial-bureaucratic in practice |
9. UPSC Relevance
Prelims facts to memorise: Iqta holder = muqti/wali; surplus to centre = fawazil; zat = personal pay rank; sawar = cavalry rank; do aspa sih aspa introduced under Jahangir; Ain-i-Dahsala = 1580; tanab = bamboo measuring rod; khalisa share under different emperors; Jagirdari Crisis under Aurangzeb; types of jagirs; waqai navis = intelligence reporters.
Mains GS-I questions to prepare: "Examine the iqta system as an instrument of centralisation under the Delhi Sultanate." "How did Alauddin Khalji's administrative reforms differ from those of his predecessors?" "Analyse the Mansabdari system as the administrative bedrock of the Mughal Empire." "How did the Jagirdari Crisis contribute to the decline of the Mughal Empire?"
History Optional themes: Irfan Habib's analysis of the agrarian system; Athar Ali's resolution of the zat-sawar controversy; debate on Mughal centralisation (Habib vs. Streusand/Chetan Singh); Todar Mal's bandobast as a landmark in Indian fiscal history.
One-Page Revision Summary
Iqta System (Delhi Sultanate)
- Arabic term; territorial revenue assignment to muqti/wali in lieu of cash.
- Transferable (3–4 years); theoretically non-hereditary.
- Muqti: collected kharaj, maintained troops, sent fawazil to centre.
- Evolution: Balban (khwaja audit) → Alauddin (50% demand, taufir, huliya/dagh) → Muhammad Tughlaq (wali + amir separated) → Firuz (hereditary) → Lodis (sarkar/pargana system).
Delhi Sultanate Central Admin Wazir → Ariz-i Mumalik (military) → Dabir-i Mumalik (correspondence) → Sadr-us Sudur (religious) → Barid-i Mumalik (intelligence).
Mansabdari System (Mughals)
- Mansab = rank; Akbar formalised; 66 grades (10–10,000).
- Dual rank from c.1595–96: Zat (personal pay/status) + Sawar (contingent).
- Three classes by zat:sawar ratio. Do aspa sih aspa under Jahangir.
- Paid through jagirs (jama vs. hasil gap → month-scale: shashmaha, sihmaha).
- 80% of Empire's revenue controlled by 1,571 mansabdars.
Jagir System
- Revenue (not land) assigned; four types: Tankha, Mashrut, In'am, Watan.
- Khalisa: Akbar ~25%; Jahangir <5%; Shah Jahan 1/7; Aurangzeb 1/5.
- Jagirdari Crisis: mansabdars multiplied; 724/924 crore dams in paibaqi; hasil < jama.
Mughal Revenue
- Ain-i-Dahsala (1580): 10-year averages; 1/3 as minimum state share; tanab; dastur circles.
- Zabti (main; cash), Ghalla Bakhshi (crop sharing), Kankut (estimation), Nasaq (previous figures), Ijara (farming).
Mughal Central Admin Emperor → Diwan-i Kul (finance) → Mir Bakhshi (military/mansabs) → Mir Saman (karkhanas) → Sadr-us Sudur (religion). 12 subas (1580): Subadar + independent Diwan + Bakhshi.
Glossary
- Iqta: Territorial revenue assignment by the Sultan to a noble (muqti/wali) in lieu of cash salary.
- Fawazil: Surplus revenue remitted by the muqti to the central treasury (diwan-i wizarat).
- Muqti/Wali: Holder of an iqta; exercised revenue, military, and administrative authority over the assigned territory.
- Mansab: A rank in the Mughal administrative hierarchy; determined status, personal pay, and contingent obligation.
- Zat: First rank of a mansabdar; determined personal pay (talab-khassa) and position in the official hierarchy.
- Sawar: Second rank of a mansabdar; fixed the number of horses and horsemen (tabinan) to be maintained; always ≤ zat rank.
- Jagir: Revenue (not land) assigned to a Mughal mansabdar in lieu of cash salary; holder called jagirdar.
- Jama: Estimated revenue of a territory; benchmark for jagir assignment and mansabdar salary calculation.
- Hasil: Actual revenue collected; invariably lower than jama; gap led to the month-scale system.
- Khalisa: Land whose revenue went directly to the royal/imperial treasury, not assigned to any noble.
- Zabti: Most important Mughal revenue assessment method; involved measurement of land and fixed cash rates (dastur) per crop; formalised in Ain-i-Dahsala (1580).
- Ain-i-Dahsala: The Ten-Year Settlement (1580) by Todar Mal under Akbar; based on ten-year averages of produce and prices; state minimum share = one-third of average produce.