Question

What was the role of zamindar in the Mughal administration?

Answer 1

Hint: The main source of income of Mughal rulers was tax produced from peasants. In most places, peasants paid taxes to rural elites such as village headman or local chieftain. The Mughals used one term Zamindars for all those who worked as the intermediaries.

Complete answer: Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mal was in charge to carry out data on crop yields cultivated for 10 years from 1570-1580 and fix prices for them. Based on this data, a tax was levied on each crop in cash. Each province was divided into revenue circles with each having its revenue rates for individual crops. This revenue system came to be called Zabt. The system was prevalent in those areas which had Mughal administration so that they could keep a careful account and survey the land. However, it was not possible in the provinces of Gujarat and Bengal. In some areas, zamindars exercised a great deal of power. They were so powerful that the exploitation by Mughal administration could drive them to rebellion. Sometimes the zamindars who were of the same caste of peasants allied with them against the Mughal authority. The peasants also revolted against the stability of the Mughal emperor at the end of the seventeenth century.

Note: Therefore the role of the Zamindar is to collect revenue from peasants on behalf of Mughal administration. Zamindars who collected revenue from peasants were known as intermediaries. The zamindari system was more relevant in North India as Mughals were less famous in the southern region. Historians have divided zamindars into three categories under the Mughal era who have rights according to their status.