Akbar adopted Sher Shah’s system. But was soon found that the fixing of a central (ray) schedule of prices annually often led to considerable delays, and resulted in great hardships to the peasantry.
• Prices fixed were at the Imperial Court, were higher than in the country-side, the peasants had to part with a larger share of their produce. Akbar, therefore, reverted to a system of annual assessment.
• Officials called ‘Karoris’ were appointed for the collection and also checked the facts and figures supplied to the ‘quanungos’.
• On the basis of information provided regarding the actual produce, local prices, productivity etc. in 1580, Akbar instituted a new system called the ‘dahsla’.
Dahsla system: the average produce of different crops as well as average prices prevailing over the different crops as well as average prices prevailing over the last ten (dah) years were calculated. One third of the average produce was the state share. The state demand was, however, stated in cash. This was done by converting the state share into money on the basis of a schedule of average prices over the past ten years.
zabti system : A further improvement was made in form of zabti system. Under this system Parganas having same type of productivity and similar prices were grouped into separate assessment circles. Thus, the peasant was required to pay on the basis of local produce as well as local prices. The ‘zapti’ system is associated with Raja Todar Mal, and is sometimes called Todar Mal’s bandobast.
Advantages of zabti system: As soon as the area sown by the peasant had been measured by means of the bamboos linked with iron rings, the peasant as well as the state knew what the dues were. The peasant was given remission in the land revenue, if crops failed on account of drought, floods etc. Akbar introduced this system in the area from Lahore to Allahabad, and in Malwa and Gujarat.
‘Batai’ or ghalla bakhshi: In this system, the produce was divided between the peasants and the state in fixed proportion. The crop was divided after it had been thrashed, or when it had been cut and tied in stacks, or while it was standing in the field. This system was considered a very fair one, but it needed an army of honest officials to be present at the time of the ripening or the reaping of the crops.
A third system which was widely used in Akbar’s time was ‘nasaq’. Some modern historians think that it was merely a system of computing the peasant’s dues, not a different system of assessment. Others think that it meant rough appraisement both on the basis of the inspection of the crops and past experience, and thereby fixing the amount to be paid by the village as a whole. It is called ‘kankut’.
• In fixing the land revenue, continuity of cultivation was taken into account.
• ‘Pohaj’: Land under cultivation almost every year.
• Parati (fallow) or land occasionally left fallow to recuperate its productive strength.
• Chachar or land left fallow for three or four years.
• Banjar or land remaining uncultivated for five years and more.
• Akbar asked the amil to act like a father to the peasants. He advanced taccavi loans to the peasants for seed, implements, animals etc.
•To expand his empire and maintain his hold over it, it was necessary for him to organize the nobility as well his army. Akbar realized both these objectives by means the mansabdri system.
Mansab & Jagir System
• Mansab is an Arabic word meaning ‘office’, ‘rank’, or ‘dignity’. Mansab was the measure of status of a Mughal official which determined rank, salary and office. By all account it was instituted by Akbar in 1577 A.D.
• The system was the steel frame of Mughal administration in which the nobility, bureaucracy and the army were all rolled into one. It was based on the Mongols system of decimal organization of army.
• Under Mansab system, every officer was assigned a rank (Mansab); the lowest being 10 and the highest being 10,000. The ranks were divided into two – Zat and Sawar.
• Zat was the personal rank and fixed the person’s status, and also the salary due to him. Sawar indicated the number of cavalrymen (Sawars) a person was required to maintain.
• At Akbar’s time no one could have a higher quota of Sawars than his Zat rank. But Jahangir introduced a system whereby a Mansabdar holding this rank had to maintain, and was paid for, double the quota of troops indicated by his Sawar rank. This was called the “Du-aspa Sihaspa System”. • A Mansabdar was expected to maintain a quota of 1/3rd, 1/4th or even 1/5th of this Sawar rank according to the location of his Jagir and place of his service.
• Another experiment which is called ‘Month Scale’ was introduced by Shah Jahan. The salaries of Mansabdars were put on month-scale – 10 months, 8 months and 6 months or even less, and their obligations of maintenance of Sawars were brought down accordingly. It is aimed at cutting down the state’s expenditure.
• The Mansabdars could not be paid cash salaries out of the central treasury. Each Mansabdar was assigned an area that was officially estimated to yield revenue equivalent to his salary. The land so assigned was ‘Jagir’.
• For purpose of assignment estimates (Jamadani) were preponed for administrative divisions down to the village. The estimates were called ‘Jamadani’ as they were worked out in dues and not rupees.
• A Jagirdar had no permanent rights in the assignment. He merely had the right to collect land revenue on behalf of the state. Moreover, he was liable to transfers. It was also imperative was Mansabs were revised from time to time calling for change in Jagirs.
