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Being a high-ranking official in the court, Mir Khalifa (Amir Nizam-ud-din Khalifa) is credited for several administrative and financial measures during his time as a Vakil. He was also partially responsible for bringing stability to an empire on the verge of collapse. A detailed account of Amir Nizam-ud-din Khalifa’s life is not known much, and it is only through his correspondence with other politicians of his era that we know about him. He came from a Persian family settled in Lahore and was interested in Persian literature and history, which he kept throughout his lifetime.
Financial Measures Introduced by Mir Khalifa:
The first financial measure introduced by Mir Khalifa was the opening of mints in Delhi and Agra, which helped control the cash floods in the market. Mir Khalifa also ordered the resumption of minting of old coins that were halted for a long time. He ordered the revision of land tax and fixed the revenue from each empire district.
However, he did not change the revenue rates as he wanted to keep them constant during the previous Vakils’ rule. The revenue from the taxes collected from the peasants was deposited in the emperor’s private treasury. Despite being the main income source, the land tax revenue tax was inadequate since the Mughal Empire suffered from a constant decline in agricultural production.
Establishment of Mints at Delhi and Agra
The second important financial measure introduced by Amir Nizam-ud-din Khalifa was the establishment of mints at Delhi and Agra. The reason behind the establishment of mints was the decline in the value of monetary coins. The decline in the value of coins was mainly because of an increase in their production, and the demand for coins was not increasing in the same proportion, which caused them to lose their value.
To control the decline in the value of coins, Mir Khalifa ordered mints to be established in Delhi and Agra. The purpose behind minting coins at Delhi and Agra was that coins produced at these two places would be pure silver, whereas the coins produced in Lahore were a mixture of silver and copper. The coins minted at Delhi and Agra were purer than those produced in Lahore.
Maintenance of a Military Force in the Mughal Empire
The third financial measure introduced by Mir Khalifa was the maintenance of a military force in the Mughal Empire. A decline in the military power of the Mughal Empire had led to an increase in the power of the Afghans, who were gradually becoming a threat to the Mughals and their sovereignty.
A detailed account of the military strength of the Mughals shows that they were in total control of only five provinces of the empire (out of a total of twelve provinces). The rest of the empire was under the control of the Afghans, and the Mughal authority was lost. To tackle this problem, Mir Khalifa introduced a policy of granting Jagirs (lands) to the Pashtuns (Afghans).
The policy was mainly for the following reasons:
- It helped in maintaining a strong military force in the Mughal Empire
- It ensured that the Pashtuns remained loyal and faithful to the emperor
- It reduced the cost of maintaining a large military force for the Mughals
Steps Towards Reviving Agriculture In Mughal Empire
The fourth financial measure introduced by Mir Khalifa was stepped toward reviving agriculture in the Mughal Empire. The decline in agricultural production in the empire had a direct impact on the financial situation. The decline in agricultural production was mainly due to the frequent wars, which destroyed the society’s economic and social fabric.
The peasants were either killed or forced to abandon their profession. The problem was that a large portion of the empire’s revenue was collected from agricultural taxes. The decline in the agricultural tax meant that the Mughal Empire was slowly heading towards an economic and financial crisis.
The steps by Amir Nizam-ud-din Khalifa to revive the empire’s agriculture were:
- He introduced incentives for cultivating and growing crops like wheat, barley, and cotton within the empire
- He lowered the agricultural taxes for the peasants willing to cultivate and grow crops
- He increased the agricultural land by introducing strict laws for the nobles and landlords to keep their lands under cultivation
Conclusion:
Mir Khalifa was a Vakil of the Mughal Empire from 1722 to 1725. He introduced financial measures for controlling cash floods in the market, minting old coins, and maintaining a military force in the Mughal Empire. He also introduced steps towards the revival of agriculture in the empire. His measures are considered some of the best in the history of the Mughal Empire because they helped bring stability to an empire on the verge of collapse.
