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Home / IAS Preparation / Mughal Administration

Mughal Administration: Central, Provincial And Local Mughal Administration!

Last Updated on Nov 25, 2024
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Several aspects of the Sultanate and Shershah's governmental structure were kept in the Mughal administration. The Mughals created the suba, a brand-new geographical division. The Mughals also introduced the Jagir and Mansab systems of institutions. The Mughal administration, which led to a high degree of centralisation in the system, was thus defined by change and continuity.

In this article, we will explore the features of the Mughal administration. This forms a major part of the UPSC IAS exam, and questions related to this topic are seen in Prelims, UPSC Mains Paper I, as well as in UPSC History Optional. This topic is equally important for the UGC NET History exam, as 5-6 questions are asked every year from the political history of India.

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Central Administration of the Mughal Empire

Let us look at the various features of the Mughal administration at the central level.

The Emperor

The Emperor was in charge of all governmental functions, including the military and the judiciary. All officers in the Mughal administration owed the Emperor their authority and status. The Emperor had the power to nominate, elevate, and dismiss officials as he pleased. The Emperor was not under any institutional or other pressure. A few departments were established to ensure the empire operated without a problem.

Wazir and Wakil

The Wizarat (or Wikalat) institution existed in some capacity throughout the Delhi Sultanate as well. During the Afghan kings' reign in the Delhi Sultanate, the position of Wazir had lost its prominence. Under the Mughals, the wazir position was reinstated. The Wazir of Babur and Humayun held considerable authority. It was during Bairam Khan's (1556–60) reign as Akbar's regent that the wakil–Wazir, a person with unrestricted power, rose to prominence. Afterwards, Akbar removed Wazir's financial authority in an effort to limit his power. This made a significant decline in Wazir's power.

Diwan-i-Kul

Diwan-i Kul served as the main diwan. He handled the revenue administration of the Mughals.

By giving the diwan the authority over revenue, Akbar strengthened the position of the diwan. The diwan oversaw the provincial diwan and used to oversee all transactions and payments in all ministries. He was in charge of the empire's entire revenue collection and spending. The diwans were required to give the Emperor daily reports on the state's finances.

Mir Bakshi

All administrative issues relating to the military were handled by Mir Bakshi. He was an important officer under the Mughal administration. He approved and endorsed the mansabdar appointment orders and their salary papers. He kept a close eye on the mansabdars' maintenance of the authorised number of armed contingents and military equipment. The Mir Bakshi introduced the new entrants seeking employment to the Emperor.

Mir Saman 

The officer in command of the royal Karkhanas was known as the Mir Saman. For the royal household, he was in charge of handling all kinds of purchases and their storage. He was also tasked with overseeing the production of various items for the royal household.

Sadr-us Sudur

The religious division in the Mughal administration was under the direction of Sadr-us Sudur. His main responsibility was to uphold Sharia law. Distribution of allowances and stipends to deserving individuals and religious organisations was handled by the office of the Sadr. The first 25 years of Akbar's rule made this job exceedingly lucrative. Mahzar was promulgated in 1580, which limited his power. In disagreements among religious academics, Akbar's viewpoint was to take precedence. The revenue-free grants made for religious and philanthropic reasons were likewise governed by this officer. Eventually, a number of limitations were imposed on the Sadr's ability to provide grants that were independent of revenue. Muhtasibs were chosen to make sure that morality was generally upheld. He used to check weights and measurements, enforce fair prices, and other things.

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The Provincial Administration of the Mughals

Akbar split the Mughal empire into twelve subas or regions. Each suba was assigned to a Subedar, or regional governor, who was chosen by the Emperor himself. 

  • The subedar oversaw the province and was responsible for preserving law and order. He was also supposed to put down uprisings and supply an army for excursions.
  • Diwan served as the suba's head of the revenue division. He was an independent officer who had been selected by the Emperor. He was tasked with overseeing the suba's revenue collection and keeping track of all expenses. Peasants were frequently offered advance loans (taqavi) through his agency.
  • The province's Bakshi carried out the same duties as Mir Bakshi did at the centre. On the advice of the Mir Bakshi, the royal court appointed him. He was in charge of making sure that the soldiers and horses that the mansabdars in the suba kept in good shape were checked and inspected. He distributed the soldiers' and mansabdars' paycheques. His office frequently shared space with Waqainiqar. His role was to update the centre on events in his province.
  • Under the Mughal administration, Sadr was the title given to the provincial-level representative of the central Sadr. He was in charge of ensuring the welfare of individuals who studied and participated in religion. Also, he oversaw the Qazis' activities and was in charge of the judiciary.
  • At the provincial level, some additional officers were also appointed.
  • It was Darogai-i-Dak's job to keep the lines of communication open. He once utilised postal runners to deliver letters to the court (Merwars). Waqainavis and waqainigars were chosen to deliver reports to the Emperor personally.

Fig: Mughal Administration

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Mughal Administration: Local Government

The Sarkars were separated into provinces or subas. Parganas were created out of the Sarkars. The smallest division was the village.

  • The Faujdar and the Amalguzar were two crucial officials at the level of Sarkar. The imperial order appointed the Faujdar.
  • His main responsibility was to protect the people who lived in the districts under his jurisdiction, both physically and financially. When force was necessary, he was to handle law and order issues in his localities and aid in prompt revenue collection.
  • The person who collected money was called the amalguzar or amil. He had to evaluate and oversee the revenue collection. He intended to expand the area under cultivation and persuade the peasants to pay taxes voluntarily.
  • The Shiqdar was the executive officer at the Pragana level. He helped the amils with their work of collecting money. The Pargana level income collection was handled by the amils. The land records of the pargana were held by the quanungo. The imperial authority appointed the Kotwals, who were in charge of maintaining law and order, mostly in towns. He was tasked with keeping a register to track who entered and exited the towns. The Patwari managed the village's financial records, while the Muqaddam served as the village's headman. In addition to helping with income collection, the zamindars' services were used to uphold peace and order in their regions.
  • An officer by the name of Qiladar was given control of the forts. He was responsible for overseeing the general management of the fort and the regions that Jagir had delegated to him.
  • The provincial authority had no influence over the port administration. Mutasaddi was the name of the direct choice of the Emperor to lead the port. The Mutasaddi ran a custom house and collected taxes on goods. Also, he oversaw the mint house at the port.

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Administrative Institutions Under Mughals

Let us look at the Administrative Institutions Under Mughals.

System of Mansab

The mansab and Jagir system in India under the Mughal administration. The Mughals in India came up with the novel system known as Mansabdari. The Mughals' civil and military administrations were built on the mansabdari system, which Akbar had modified and changed. 

Mansab is Arabic for place or situation. An individual's rank in the organisational structure and compensation were both determined by the mansab that was given to him. Additionally, it stipulated how many armed retainers the owners of mansab had to have on hand. The system was created to standardise the nobles' positions, set their salaries, and determine how many cavalries they were to maintain.

Jagirdari System

Under the Mughal administration, allocating a specific territory's revenue to nobles in exchange for assistance to the state persisted. The Mughals referred to the designated lands as Jagir and the people who held them as Jagirdars. The Mansabdari system, which was created under Akbar and underwent certain alterations during the rule of his successors, included the Jagirdari system as a crucial component. All of the territories were split in two under Akbar's reign: Khalisa and Jagir. Mansabdars' salary entitlements were determined based on their Zat and Sawar ranks.

None of the jobs, though, were inherited or permanent. The Jagir might be moved in whole or in part by the Emperor at any moment from one area of the imperial domain to another. Throughout the Mughal era, the ratio between Jagir and Khalisa changed frequently.

Khalisa only made up 5% of overall revenue under Akbar's reign; under Jahangir, it increased to 10%; and under Shahjahan, it varied between 9% and 15%. When the number of people vying for Jagir rose along with the number of mansabdars, there was a lot of strain on the Khalisa towards the end of Aurangzeb's reign. Moreover, the jagirdars were moved from one Jagir to another.

It had the drawback of discouraging the Jagirdars from implementing long-term plans for the improvement of their regions. There were different kinds of Jagirs under the Mughal administration.

  • Watan Jagirs were allotted to Zamindars or rajas in their local dominions. They were inherited and could not be shared.
  • Mashrut Jagirs were provided under particular conditions.
  • Tankha Jagirs were given in lieu of salaries. Tankha Jagirs could be transferred every three to four years.
  • Muslim aristocrats received Altamgha Jagirs in the hometowns or birthplaces of their families. 

Only permitted revenue may be collected by the Jagirdars in accordance with imperial rules. The jagirdars employed their own employees, including Amil and others. The Jagirdars were being watched by the imperial authorities. Whenever the Jagirdas had any issues with revenue collection, Faujdar would aid them.

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Conclusion

The Mughal administration was essentially divided into "Subas" and then further divided into "Gram," "Pargana," and "Sarkar." During Akbar's rule, there were roughly 15 Subas, while during Aurangzeb, there were nearly 20 Subas. The Mansabdari system was first used by one of the greatest Mughal rulers, Akbar.

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Mughal Administration FAQs

The ruler of the state was the King or the Emperor. He served as the top executive, the legislator, the supreme commander, and the last arbiter of justice.

Muhammad Shah was the later Mughal king who ruled for the longest.

Babur, a Central Asian king, established the Mughal Empire.

The Diwani-i-Wizarat, Diwan-i-lnsha, Diwan-i-Risalat, and Diwan-i-Arz were the four pillars of the Mughal administration.
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