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Module - II Rise and fall of the Mughal Empire
Military History of
A Mansab belonged to both civil and military administration and could be transferred
Medieval India
from one department to another. In other words it is a position, rank or status within
the army.
The mansabdari system was not hereditary. The Mughal officers, whether Hindus or
Muslims were granted territorial commands in return for their military service. Each of
them had to bring some number of men at arms, horses or elephants to the army and
were rated as per the numbers they brought with then.
Note
Do you know?
Mansabdari System is a system of military administration first introduced by Akbar in
1571. He wanted to maintain his army by including Hindus and Muslims and giving
them ranks or positions in the military depending upon how many armed men they
could bring with them.
The highest mansab that could be held by a subject, not of the royal house, was that of
commander of 7000 men. In the later years though, we find instances of promotion to
8000 or even 9000. The mansab of a prince ranged from 7000 up to 50000, and even
higher. In the Ain-i-Akbari, sixty-six grades are stated, beginning at commanders of
10000, and ending at those set over 10 men.
In addition to the simple division by mansab alone, there was also a grouping of officers
into three classes. They are as follows:
i. from 20 to 400 were "officers with rank" (mansabdar);
ii. from 500 to 2500 were Nobles (Amir, pl. Umara);
iii. from 3000 to 7000 were Great Nobles (Amir-i-Azam)
All mansabdars were kept on either of two lists:
i. Hazir-i-rikab, present at Court;
ii. Tainat, on duty elsewhere.
Pay (tankhwah) might be either given in cash (naqd); or an assignment of the land
revenue (jagir) of a certain number of villages or of a sub-division.
Fines were of various types, such as for
deficiency in horses (tafawat-i-asp);
deficiency in equipment (tafawat-i-silah);
deficiency of troopers (tafawat-i-tabinan) etc.
Other incidents of military service that affected pay and allowances were:
Absence without leave (ghair-haziri);
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MILITARY HISTORY
