Evolution of the Mansabdari system:
1. Under Akbar:
(i) The mansabdari system under the Mughals evolved through the time. Mansabdari was a unique system devised by the Mughals in India. This system, evolved by Akbar with certain changes and modifications, was the basis of civil and military administration under the Mughals. The mansab which means a place or position, awarded to an individual fixed both his status in. the official hierarchy and also his salary. It also fixed the number of armed retainers the holders of mansab were to maintain. The system was formulated to streamline the rank of the nobles, fix their salary and specify the number of cavalry to be maintained by him.
(ii) Under the mansabdari system ranks were expressed in numerical terms. Akbar had established 66 grades of mansabdars ranging from commanders of 10 horsemen to 10,000 horsemen. Initially, a single number represented the rank, personal pay and the size of the contingent of the mansabdar. Later the rank of mansabdar came to be denoted by two numbers zat and sawar.
(iii) The zat denoted the personal rank of an official and the sawar indicated the size of contingents maintained by the mansabdars.
(iv) Depending on the strength of a contingent mansabdars were placed in three categories: (a) a mansabdar having the rank of 7000 zat and 7000 Sawar, (b) a mansabdar having the rank of 7000 zat and 4000 Sawar and (c) having the rank of 7000 zat and 3000 Sawar. The position of the mansabdar was decided by the zat rank. Higher the zat rank higher the position was.
2. Under Jahangir:
(i) A new provision in the sawar rank was introduced by Jahangir. According to it a part of sawar rank was termed du-aspa sih-aspa in case of select mansabdars. For this part additional payment at the same rate 8,000 dams per Sawar was sanctioned. Thus if the Sawar rank was 4000 out of which 1000 was du-aspa sih-aspa, salary for this Sawar was calculated as 3,000 x 8,000+ (1,000 × 8,000 × 2) = 40,000,000 dams. Without du-aspa sih-aspa, the salary for the 4,000 Sawar would have stood at (4,000 x 8,000) = 32,000,000 dams.
(ii) Thus the mansabdar was to maintain double the number of Sawars for the du-aspa sih-aspa category and was paid for it. Jahangir probably introduced this provision to promote nobles of his confidence and strengthen them militarily.
(iii) By this provision he could increase the military strength of his nobles without effecting any change in their Zat rank.
3. Under Shahjahan:
(i) He introduced the month-scale in the mansabdari system to compensate for the gap between Jama (estimated income) and hasil (actual realisation). The mansabdars were generally paid through revenue assignments to Jagirs.
(ii) The biggest problem was that calculation was made on the basis of the expected income (Jama) from the Jagir during one year. The actual revenue collection (hasil) always fell short of the estimated income. In such a situation, the mansabdar's salary was fixed by a method called month-scale. Thus, if a Jagir yielded only half of the Jama, it was called Shashmaha (six monthly), if it yielded only one fourth, it was called Sihmaha (three monthly).
(iii) The month scale was applied to cash salaries also. There were deductions from the sanctioned pay also. During the reign of Shahjahan the mansabdars were allowed to maintain 1/5 to 1/3 of the sanctioned strength of the Sawar rank without any accompanying reduction in their claim on the maintenance amount for the sawar rank.
4. Under Aurangzeb:
He continued with all these changes and created an additional rank called Mashrut (conditional). This was an attempt to increase the sawar rank of the mansabdar. Aurangzeb added one another deduction called Khurak-i-dawwab, towards meeting the cost for feed of animals in the imperial stables.
