Question

Give an account of Todar Mal’s revenue system.

Answer 1

Hint: The land revenue system which emerged under Akbar and can be considered as the culmination of developments which started even before the establishment of Delhi Sultanate.

Complete answer: Todar Mal was associated with the land revenue system of the Mughal Empire. He was the finance minister of the Mughal empire and was also one of the nine Navratanas of the Akbar’s court. He is credited with the evolution of a new revenue system which existed in the Mughal kingdom, leading to what is known as the Dahsala system or Ten-Year system. It was an improved model of the system of measurement adopted by Sher Shah Suri. In the year 1567, Todar Mal affected a major change local zamindars were asked to collect and provide correct records about the area of the land which was cultivated and uncultivated produce of the land and the land revenue statistical figures of the land. The statements of the area which were administered were supervised by 10 superior qanungos and based on that assessment, a new estimate of the revenue for the empire was made. These differences were reflected in the rate list. The system was not based on a ten-year settlement but was based on the average of the products and prices during the ten-period tenure. The lands were categorised into good, bad and middling. One-third of the average produce was fixed for the share of the state. Various other kinds of imposts like cattle, trees were not included in the land revenue and share was also demanded by zamindars and local officials. For the measurement kankut system was adopted.

Note: The system was far better than the previous systems but was not fully satisfactory. The local zamindars adopted corrupt practices; they would never reveal the actual prices so the Jama was not recorded correctly. Also, the kankut system provided loopholes to local officials for corruption.