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the muGhal administRation
The Mughal administration was based on Central Asian, Indian and Persian traditions. Its
details are mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari, a part of Akbar’s biography. Akbarnama written
by the courtier Abul Fazl.

CentRal administRation

The king controlled the entire administration. He was assisted by a council of minister.
Among his ministers were the wakil (prime minister), the diwan or wazir (minister of
revenue and expenditure), the mir bakshi (minister of military of royal household) and the
solar (minister for enforcing the sharia, that is, Islami (law).
PRovinCial administRation

The empire was divided into subahs (provinces), each governed by a subahdar. The subahs
were divided into sarkars (districts) and the sarkars into parganas each made up of a
number of villages.
Officials were posted in every adminsitrative division. They were paid regular cash salary.

Sometimes they received jagirs (land grants) for distinguished service.
loCal administRation
The towns were administered by Kotwals. Kotwals maintained law and order, checked
weights and measures and kept a record of the people living in the area. The police stations

were called Kotwalis, a name still used in North India.
Sher Shah’s village administration continued throughout the Mughal period. Village headmen
called Muquddams collected land revenue and maintained law and order. Officials called
patwaris maintained revenue records.

aRmy

The Mughal army had infantry, cavalry, war elephants and artillery. Akbar also had a navy,
which was, however, rather weak. The emperor maintained a group of trained and well-
equipped royal bodyguards and armed palace guards.

mansabdaRi system
With the help of the Mansabdari system, Akbar organised his nobility and gave them military
responsibilities. Every Mansabdar held a Mansab meaning a position or rank called zat. The
mansabs were divided into zat and sawar. Zat meant the personal salary and sawar meant
the number of horsemen, he had to maintain. Apart from his own salary, the mansabdars

also had the responsibilities to maintain a specified number of sawars or horsemen. The
mansabdar brought his cavalrymen for review, got them registered and their horses
branded. The Mansabdars got their salaries in the form of Jagirs or landed estates whose
revenue was given to them as their salary. However, they did not reside in or administer
their jagir. The revenue was collected by the servants.
The Mansabdars were taken from a diverse group. They were rightly described as a bouquet
of flowers or guldasta held together by loyaly to the emperor. The Mansabdars came from
a mixed group of Irani, Turani, Mughals, Afghans and Rajputs. The Mughal Mansabdars were

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