Difference between Mansabdars, Jagirdars and Zamindars in Mughal India |

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Mansabdars

Mansabdari system was a grading system used by the Mughal rulers to fix the rank and salary of a Mansabdar, who were basically royal officers.

Mansabdari was the administrative system implemented by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1571. Akbar institutionalized and reformed it on the basis of military and civil administration.
Those nobles who joined Mughal service were enrolled as mansabdars.
The rank of a Mansabdar was determined by the number of horses and cavalrymen he maintained.
The term ‘Mansab’ denotes the rank (position) of a Mughal military officer.

Higher the Mansab, higher the salary, status, and position of the officer.
Initially, a single number represented the rank, salary, and the size of the contingent of the mansabdar. However later, the rank of mansabdar came to be denoted by two numbers – Zat and Sawar.
- Zat — Denote the rank in the administration
- Zat — Denote the Salary of the Mansabdar
- Sawar — Denote the number of cavalry men Mansabdar had to maintain.
The Mansabdars were appointed to all civil and military posts.
They were liable to be transferred from one branch of the administration (civil) to another (military).
Those Mansabdars, who were paid in cash, were called Naqdi.
hose Mansabdars who were paid through land (Jagirs) were called Jagirdars.

It is to be remembered that it is not land that was assigned but only the right to collect revenue or income from the piece of land.
No mansabdar could hold on to the said Jagir for a long term as they were liable for transfer. Mansabdars were not supposed to accumulate their salaries and wealth. After the death of a mansabdar, all his jagirs and wealth was confiscated.
As a result, Mansabders used to spend lavishly. In short, they had no option but to spoil their earning.

The Iqtadari system was used by the Delhi Sultans, while Mansabdari was used by Mughal rulers.
While Iqtedari system was in force, the whole land of the Empire was divided into two parts – one which belonged to Iqtedars and the other which belonged to the emperor. But in Jagirdari, the whole land belonged to the Emperor.
Itqadar was the officer in charge of the revenue collection and distribution. Jagirdar had law and order responsibility in addition to the revenue collection.
Most of the Muqti stayed in their Iqta, unlike Jagirdars.
Initially, ‘Iqta’ was a revenue-yielding piece of land which was assigned in lieu of salary – just like ‘Jagir’. However, Iqtadari system became hereditary in its later days whereas the Mansabdari system was never hereditary.
Mansabdar was a royal officer in charge of revenue collection and law and order duties – who was paid salary either as cash or as land. He used to deduct his own cut before sending the remaining share to the emperor.

The Jagirdars were the king’s officials who enjoyed the land gifted from the King. They were the rank (mansab) holder given by the king called mansabdar. They were allotted a non-inheritable land area equivalent to their fee amount called Jagir.

The Jagirdars were not the permanent holder of land so they tried to collect as much revenue possible from the land. The peasants and Zamindars come under the Jagirdar.
The Jagirdar had right to remove a Zamindar, detain the peasants and brought them back in case they ran away.

The word zamindar is derived from two Persian words-zamin (land) and dar (holder).

The holder of land is termed as the Zamindar.
They had the hereditary right over the land to claim share in the peasant’s output other than land revenues.
They also have the right to detain the peasants. In most of the Mughal period the Zamindar collected land revenue from the actual tillers of land and for this they were allowed one tenth of the collections either in cash or an equivalent amount of tax free land.

During Akbar’s period all the territory was broadly divided into two: khalisa and jagir.
The revenue from the first went to Imperial treasury and that from jagir was assigned to jagirdars in lieu of their salary in cash (naqd) according to their rank. Right to collect revenue was to utilise the same for their salary and to meet their military obligations. The judicial and police functions were performed locally by zamindars.
Zamindar collected land revenue from the actual tillers of land. The peasants and Zamindars come under the Jagirdar.
An important feature of the jagir system was shifting of jagir-holders from one jagir to another for administrative reasons. This system of transfers checked the jagirdars from developing local roots. Thus jagirs were transferable and could be seized too. Zamindars on the other hand were hereditary. The zamindars were present in practically every part of the Mughal Empire and held the most significant position in the agrarian structure of Mughal India.