Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, reigning from 1556 to 1605. The Mughal administrative machinery, which functioned throughout the Mughal rule, was introduced by Akbar, which is why we refer to the 'Mughal Administration' as Akbar's Administration. Akbar was a great administrator as well as a brave soldier, successful leader, and religious reformer. He implemented various reforms in all branches of government, whether central, provincial, revenue, military, or judicial. In this article, we will discuss the Administration of Mughal Empire of Akbar which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Administration of Akbar - History

• During the decade following the conquest of Gujarat, Akbar took the time to examine the empire's administrative problems.
• After Islam Shah's death, the administration system devised by Sher Shah had become disorganised. As a result, Akbar had to begin again.
• The system of land revenue administration was one of the most serious issues that faced Akbar.
• Sher Shah had established a system in which the cultivated area was measured and a crop rate (ray) was calculated, determining the peasant's dues crop by crop on the basis of land productivity.
• Every year, this schedule was converted into a centralised pricing schedule. Akbar adopted Sher Shah's administration.
• However, it was soon discovered that fixing a central schedule of prices frequently resulted in significant delays and great hardships for the peasantry because the prices fixed were generally those prevailing at the imperial court and were higher than those in the countryside.
• As a result, peasants had to give up a larger portion of their harvest.

Mansabdari System

• The Mansabdar was a military unit established by Akbar as part of the Mughal Empire's administrative system. Mansab is an Arabic word that means rank or position.
• The system determined a government official's and military general's rank and status. Every civil and military officer received a mansab, which determined their pay and allowances.
• A manasabadar is someone who has a mansab. (which denotes a role) Mansabdars were military commanders, high civil and military officers, and provincial governors in Akbar's mansabdari system.
• Amir denoted mansabdars with a rank of 1,000 or lower, while Amir-al Kabir (Great Amir) denoted those with a rank of 1,000 or higher.
• Some great Amirs with more than 5,000 followers were also given the title of Amir-al Umara (Amir of Amirs).

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Mansabdari System of Mughal Empire of Akbar

Organization of Government

• Akbar's major administrative units were the Subhah, the Pargana, and the Sarkar.
• Subhah was the highest administrative unit, which was further subdivided into Sarkar. Sarkar (equivalent to district) was made up of a number of parganas, and a pargana was the collective administrative unit of a few villages.
• Subedar was the chief officer of Subhah.
• The faujdar and amalguzar were the sarkar's top officers. The faujdar was in charge of law and order, while the amalguzar was in charge of assessing and collecting land revenue.
• The empire's territories were divided into three groups: jagir, khalsa, and inam. The income from khalsa villages went directly to the royal exchequer. The Inam lands were the properties given to learned and religious men.
• The Jagir lands were distributed to nobles and members of the Royal family, including the queens.
• The Amalguzar was tasked with exercising general supervision over all types of lands for the purposes of imperial rules and regulations, as well as the uniform assessment and collection of land revenue.
• Akbar reorganised the central administrative machinery around the division of power among various departments.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Organization of Government of Mughal Empire of Akbar

Land Revenue System

• The primary source of income for the government was land revenue. As a result, Akbar paid special attention to the organisation of the land revenue administration.
• With the assistance of his Diwan (Revenue Minister), Raja Todar Mal, Akbar implemented numerous reforms in his revenue department.
• First, the land was measured in 'bighas,' and then all cultivated land was classified into four divisions: Polaj, Parauti, Chachar, and Banjar.
  • The Polaj land was always cultivated and was never allowed to fallow;
  • The Parauti land was allowed to fallow for a year or two to recover its strength;
  • The Chachar land had to be left fallow for three or four years; and
  • The Banjar land had to be left fallow for five years or more.
• Then, the total yield of each land was calculated separately. Fourth, the state's share was set at one-third of total output.
• Land revenue could be paid in cash or in kind, but cash was preferred. Loans with low interest rates were made available to cultivators.
• In the event of a famine, drought, or other unexpected disaster, remission was granted, and loans were advanced to purchase seeds and animals.
• The revenue collectors were instructed to be friendly to the cultivators and not to oppress them in any way.
• As a result of these measures, the state's revenue increased significantly, cultivators improved, and the country prospered.
• The abundance of food also made the common man's life better and happier than before.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Land Revenue System of Mughal Empire of Akbar

Dahsala System

• Raja Todar Mal established the Dahsala System. Raja Todar Mal was a successful Diwan who made significant changes to the revenue system, earning him accolades.
• Seeing his qualities, Akbar appointed him Diwan in Gujarat in AD 1573, where he measured the entire area of cultivable land, classified land according to quality, and fixed the state revenue after extensive calculation and detailed survey.
• Akbar was very pleased with Raja Todar Mal's success in Gujarat and ordered that the entire empire be surveyed in order to fix the state revenue.
• Raja Todar Mal's labour and vast knowledge of the revenue system brought him fame and name, and the Dahsala system was implemented in 1580 AD.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Dahsala System of Mughal Empire of Akbar

Army of Akbar

• Babur's empire did not last long, and the mughal empire collapsed with Humayun's expulsion, and Akbar's mughal empire, founded in 1556, proved more stable and enduring.
• Akbar reorganised the army and instituted a new system known as the mansabdari system. As a result, the basic structure of the Mughal army began with Akbar's reign.
• The Mughal emperors kept a small standing army. They were only in the thousands. Instead, many of the troops were supplied by officers known as mansabdars.
• Akbar devised this one-of-a-kind system known as the Mansabdari system. There was no regimental structure in the Mughal army.
• In this system, the government employed a military officer who was in charge of recruiting and maintaining his quota of horsemen.

*For detailed notes of this topic, check this link Army of Mughal Empire of Akbar

Conclusion

Akbar was an excellent administrator, and the administrative machinery he established remained in place throughout the Mughal period. By centralizing administration and incorporating non-Muslims (particularly Hindu Rajputs) into the empire's fabric, Akbar extended the Mughal dynasty's reach across the Indian subcontinent and consolidated the empire.