Mansabdari system

The Mansabdari system was the Mughal Empire’s hierarchy of ranks, assigning officials status, military obligations, and salary entitlements. Rank was expressed through numerical designations and linked to imperial service.

Zat and sawar: The two numerical components of a Mughal mansab, representing personal rank and cavalry obligation. Their distinction explains how one rank expressed both courtly status and military responsibility.
Akbar: The third Mughal emperor, who ruled from 1556 to 1605 and expanded and reorganized the empire. His reign established the mansabdari system as a central imperial institution.
Mughal nobility: The elite body of military commanders and administrators who served the Mughal emperors. Mansabs ranked and regulated the service of this imperial elite.
Mughal jagirdari crisis: A late Mughal-era strain involving competition for jagirs and difficulties meeting officials' revenue expectations. Pressure on revenue assignments undermined the compensation structure supporting mansabdars.
Jagir: A revenue assignment granted to an official or intermediary in place of, or alongside, cash payment. Jagirs commonly supplied the revenue from which mansabdars drew their compensation.
Abu'l-Fazl: A Mughal court scholar and administrator who wrote the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari. His accounts describe the system and present its organization under Akbar.
Mughal provincial administration: The institutions through which Mughal authorities governed provinces and collected revenue. Mansabdars often held administrative posts as well as military responsibilities.
Mughal decline: The weakening of Mughal imperial authority, especially from the late seventeenth century onward. Debates about mansabdari and jagir pressures form part of explanations for imperial weakening.
Dagh system: The Mughal practice of branding horses to verify cavalry resources presented by officials. Horse branding helped check whether mansabdars met their cavalry obligations.
Mughal Empire: A South Asian empire founded in 1526 and ruled by the Mughal dynasty until the nineteenth century. The mansabdari system served as a framework for governing this empire.

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