Mansabdari System

One can trace the roots of the Mansabdari system right back to Changez Khan. Changez Khan established his Army on a decimal principle. The lowest section of his Army consisted of ten, and the most leading unit contained ten thousand (toman) whose leader was awarded the title of ‘Khan.’ Then, Babur first began the Mansabdari System in North India. The term mansab means status, rank, or position. However, in the context of the structure of the Mughal administration, people used it to indicate the rank of a mansabdar, that is, the owner of a mansab, in the conventional hierarchy.

To answer the question about who introduced the Mansabdari System in India, we can confidently say that it was Akbar who systematized this system in the Mughal military setup and civil administration at the time of the Mughal Rule in India.

The Mansabdars were regulated by their dependency on wages, frequent transferal from one appointment area to another area, and alteration of revenue acquisition direct to the repository. The Mansabdars, hence, had little opportunity to develop either local connections or any financial resources for establishing private armies.

For most of the Mughal period, the Mansabdars were mainly of foreign provenance or extraction. 70% of the Army toward the end of Akbar’s reign were foreign.

What is the Mansabdari System?

Mansab system is a type of grading system used by the Mughal rulers to establish the rank and wage of a Mansabdar, who were royal officers during the Mughal rule.

The Mansabdars were a rank of nobles who served as military officers, high civil and military administrators, and provincial governors.

There was no difference between the civil and military authorities. Both civil and military officers held mansabs and were likely to be transferred from one departmental branch to other such branches.

The rank of a Mansabdar was defined by the quantity of horses and cavalrymen he managed.

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Image: Mansabdari System in Mughal Administration

Mansabdars

Mansabdars were ranked officials in the Mughal administration. They were the noblemen who joined the Mughal administration to serve the Emperor.

Mansabdars held certified and distinct ranks in the authorized units. Mansabdars were generally appointed to all the civil and military positions and were liable to be transferred to other branches from one branch at any time.

How Were Mansabdars Selected?

The Mughals recruited people of all cultures and religions within the government posts. An individual who wished to join the royal service strictly had to appeal through any noble who conferred a tajwiz to the emperor, which was a petition offered by a nobleman to the emperor counseling that the specific applicant be selected as a Mansabdar.

If the candidate was determined suitable for joining the rank of esteemed noblemen, the owners awarded a position to the specific individual.

More powerful mansabs of the administration were awarded to royalties such as the Princes and Rajput rulers who admitted the emperor's suzerainty. In the practice records of the Empire, there were 33 Mansabdars.

Main Features of Mansabdari System

The Mansabdari System characteristics were in practice during the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Sher Shah. When Akbar formally organized the system, it formed the foundation of the military and civil order of the Mughal Empire.

Mansabdars or officeholders were divided into 33 categories and waged through cash according to their grades. Each Mansabdar had to manage a definite number of horses used in times of emergencies and wars.

Mansabdars were customarily assigned jagirs in order of payment in cash, and some of them commanded troops selected not by themselves but by the state.

Most Mansabdars were immigrants or descendants of Central Asia, Persians, Turks, and Afghans. Indians accommodating this rank was comparatively low. 

The Mansabdars System in India established an imperial bureaucracy, and they were termed to be the mainstays of the Mughal administration since they formed the ruling class in the Mughal Empire's Administration.

The Mechanism and Structure of the Mansabdari System of Akbar

• Mechanism of the Mansabdari System

Mansabdars, as mentioned above, were given either in cash or land as payment. They were entitled to collect revenue and other taxes through a scholar designated by the emperor. 

The jagir (appointed scholar) handed over the income generated, which was deducted from their salary. The Mansabdars funded the salary of cavalrymen maintained through their wages. Those who accepted payment in cash were known as naqdi, and those given duties of jagirs were known as jagirdars. 

Thus, the mansabdari system matured into an indispensable segment of the agricultural system of the Mughal administration under Akbar.

Essentially, the institutional structure of the Mansabdari System existed in both military and civil organizations; the Mansabdars were shifted from the civil to military departments and vice versa, on and off.

• Structure of Mansabdari System

The rank was characterized by coupled representation, one by individual level and another by cavalry rank. Each Mansabdar had the status of both zat and sawar. A Mansabdar was awarded rupees one thousand added allowances if they earned the status of five hundred sawars. 

Moreover, the duties of the Mansabdar were not related to their position. For a Mansabdar of a higher rank, they didn't certainly hold a higher post. 

The emperor was the sole power who awarded, modified, expanded, and renewed the mansab. 

He additionally granted promotions to those who demonstrated their valor in military services. The officers were conferred provincial rights in exchange for military assistance.