Question

Write a short note about Akbar's administrative policy.

Answer 1

Hint:The third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605, was Akbar. Under a regent, Bairam Khan, Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, who helped the young emperor extend and consolidate Mughal territories in India.

Complete answer:
The central government structure of Akbar was based on the system that had developed since the Delhi Sultanate, but by laying down comprehensive rules for their operation, the functions of different departments were carefully reorganized.

A wazir, responsible for all finances and management of jagir and inam land, headed the revenue department. The head of the military was known as the mir bakshi, named from among the court's leading nobles. Mir Bakshi was responsible for collecting intelligence, and also made recommendations for military appointments and promotions to the emperor. The mir saman, including the harems, was responsible for the imperial household and oversaw the running of the court and the royal bodyguard.
A separate body led by a Qazi leader, who was also responsible for religious views and practices, was the judiciary.

By implementing a method that had been used by Sher Shah Suri, Akbar set about reforming the administration of the land revenue of his empire. A cultivated area where crops have grown well has been assessed and taxed at fixed rates based on the crop and productivity of the area. This put the peasantry in trouble, however, since tax rates were set on the basis of the imperial court's prevailing prices, which were often higher than those in the countryside.

By means of a structure called the mansabdari, Akbar structured his army as well as the aristocracy. Under this scheme, each military officer was given a rank (a mansabdar) and assigned to the imperial army a number of cavalries that he had to supply. The Mansabdars were split into 33 separate grades. The top three commanding ranks were generally reserved for princes, ranging from 7000 to 10000 soldiers.

Note:In religious and philosophical matters, Akbar was profoundly involved. At the beginning, an orthodox Muslim, he later came to be influenced by the Sufi mysticism that was preached in the country at that time, and moved away from orthodoxy, appointing many talented liberal ideas to his court, including Abul Fazl, Faizi, and Birbal. In 1575, at Fatehpur Sikri, he constructed a hall called the Ibadat Khana ('House of Worship'), to which he invited theologians, mystics and chosen courtiers renowned for their intellectual achievements and discussed issues of spirituality.