Question

The Jagirdars during the Mughal period were ______.
(A) Mansabdars
(B) Zamindars
(C) All assignees of Jagirs
(D) All the above

Answer 1

Hint: The Jagirdar system was introduced by the Delhi Sultanate and persisted in the Mughal Empire, but with a difference. In the Mughal period, the jagirdar received taxes that paid his salary and the rest to the Mughal treasury, while the administration and military authority was handed over to a separate Mughal appointee. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the Jagirs system was sustained by the Rajput, Jat, Saini, and Sikh Jat kingdoms, and later by the British East India Company.

Complete step by step answer: A jagir was theoretically a feudal life estate, as the grant returned to the state after the death of the jagirdar. In reality, however, the Jagirs were the successor to the male linear heir of the Jagirdar. Thus, the family was the de facto ruler of the territory, received income from part of the tax revenues, and handed over the rest to the treasury of the state during the Islamic era of rule, and later to parts of India under Afghan, Sikh, and Rajput rulers.
 The jagirdar did not act on its own but named The jagirdar did not act alone but appointed administrative layers for revenue collection. These positions, according to Shakti Kak, were called patwari, tahsildar, amil, fotedar, munsif, qanungo, Chaudhari, dewan, Rao, and others.
During the Mughal era, most of the Mansabdars received a pension, but some of the Mansabdars received Jagir (a piece of land) as their salary. Those Mansabdars who are receiving jagir to collect revenue were known as Jagirdar. It was ensured that the revenue from Jagir was not more than their salary. Thus the man Sardar who was paid in cash were called Naqdi and those who were paid through jagir were called Jagirdar.

Thus, the answer is the option: A: Mansabdars

Note: The tenants were considered to be in the service of the jagirdar. There were two types of jagir, one being conditional and the other unconditional. Conditional jagir required the ruling family to maintain the troops and provide service to the state when necessary. The land grant was called iqta, generally for the life of the holder, and the land returned to the state after the death of the jagirdar.