Imperial Administration

India saw the rise of the Mughal Empire in 1526. Several changes were introduced to the Indian subcontinent raging from Mughal coins to new titles for those in power. The administrative changes introduced included capital cities, as well as divisions within the administration for organised management. Along with this, the domestic scenario also saw several new ideas such as polygamy and treatment of these wives on the basis of their royal background. The transformations brought about by the Mughal Empire were highly influential and impactful.

The Imperial Household:

• The emperor’s wives and concubines, his near and distant relatives, female servants and slaves made up the Mughal household
• Polygamy was commonly practised, especially among the ruling classes
• Marriage was a technique of building political alliances and solidifying political relationships. The gift of land was frequently followed by the gift of a married daughter
• In the Mughal household, there was a distinction made between other wives (aghas) who were not of noble descent and the royal wives (begams)
• The Begums were more powerful than the Aghas. Husband has the power to elevate Aghas to Begum status
• The Mughal family also included a large number of men and female slaves who performed a range of chores
• Mughal princesses and queens began to have enormous financial power after Nur Jahan
• Shah Jahan’s daughters Jahanara and Roshanara received annual salaries comparable to high imperial mansabdars
• Surat, a valuable centre of international trade, contributed revenue to Jahanara
• The Mughal household’s influential women were able to commission buildings and gardens because of their control over resources
• Jahanara was involved in a number of Shahjahanabad architectural projects (Delhi)
• A majestic double-storeyed caravanserai with a courtyard and garden was one of them. The bustling heart of Shahjahanabad is Chandni Chowk’s bazaar
• Gulbadan Begum (daughter of Babur and Humayun’s sister) wrote Humayun Nama, which describes the Mughal family in great detail

Ranks of Imperial Officials

• The nobility was drawn from a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds
• As a result, no faction was large enough to challenge the state’s power
• Turani and Iranian aristocrats were present in Akbar’s imperial service from the beginning
• From 1560 onwards, two ruling groups of Indian ancestry joined the imperial service: the Rajputs and the Indian Muslims (Shaikhzadas)
• Raja Bharmal Kachhwaha of Amber, the Rajput chief, married Akbar’s daughter
• Raja Todar Mal, Akbar’s finance minister, belonged to the Khatri caste
• Under Jahangir, whose politically powerful queen, Nur Jahan, was an Iranian, Iranians rose to positions of power
• Aurangzeb promoted Rajputs to prominent posts, while the Marathas made up a significant portion of the officer corps

Holders of government positions were assigned ranks (mansabs), which consisted of two numerical designations:

• Zat: An indicator of the official’s position in the hierarchy as well as his or her compensation (mansabdar)
• Sawar: It told him how many horsemen he needed to keep on the road
• Nobles in the seventeenth century were mansabdars with a fortune of 1,000 zat or more (Umara, which is the plural of amir)
• Nobles took part in military campaigns with their troops and also served as imperial officers in the provinces
• The cavalry was maintained by each military commander
• The troopers rode superior horses with the imperial mark on them (dagh)
• Changes in rank, titles and official status were personally reviewed by the Emperor
• The mansab system was devised by Akbar, who formed spiritual ties with a select group of his aristocracy by treating them as his students (murid)

Recruitment of Officials

• Imperial service was a way for members of the nobility to gain power, wealth, and the best possible reputation
• A noble presented a tajwiz to the emperor on behalf of someone who wanted to join the service. If the candidate was found suitable, he was given a mansab
• On the right of the emperor, the Mir bakhshi (paymaster general) stood in open court and presented all candidates for appointment or promotion, while his office drafted orders with his stamp and signature, as well as the emperor’s
• The diwan-i ala (financial minister) and sadr-us sudur (sadr-us sudur) were two additional significant ministers at the centre (minister of grants or madad-i maash, and in charge of appointing local judges or qazis)
• Nobles stationed at the court (tainat-i rakab) were a reserve force that might be dispatched to a province or military expedition, and they were required to appear before the emperor twice a day

Conclusion

The Mughal Empire has been known to transform India. The Imperial administration involved capitals and courts. Under the Mughal rule, the emperor was not questioned and his decisions were believed to be final and just. Those who worked under the ruler were part of the central treasury. Under the administration, taxes were to be paid according to one’s occupation. As the Mughal rule grew, the Rajputs and Indian Muslims joined forces with them. Government officials were placed into ranks which were also known as mansabs. The recruitment of officials was a long process that began when the emperor was presented with a tajwiz and ended when ministers appointed and stationed them. The Imperial households also transformed the Indian culture by introducing polygamy. There was also gift-giving as a way of showing respect. The women of the house were also given financial powers.