Provincial administration in Mughal Empire

Due to the vast land that the Mughals had claimed through conquests and alliances, the area of administration was large. To overcome the problem of management of a huga area, the Mughal Empire was divided into provinces. Each of these provinces, thus, had to be managed effectively. Due to this, every province had its own head who would take care of these areas. Apart from these, several other officers were appointed to ensure the smooth functioning of these provinces. It is said that the provincial administration was similar to that of the central government. 

Information and Empire:

• Mir Bakhshi was in charge of the court writers (waqia nawis), who kept track of all applications and paperwork, as well as presented all imperial instructions (Farman)
• The whole events of the court were recorded under the headline “News from the Exalted Court” (Akhbarat-i Darbar-i Mualla) by agents (wakil) of nobles and regional rulers, along with the date and hour of the court session (Pahar)
• The akhbarat held a wealth of information, including attendance at the court, the grant of positions and titles, diplomatic missions, gifts received, and the emperor’s inquiries into an officer’s health
• Round-the-clock foot relays (qasid or pathmar) carried papers folded up in bamboo canisters, ensuring that the emperor received reports from all regions

Beyond the Centre: 

Provincial Administration:

• The centrally determined division of functions was mirrored in the provinces (subas), which were led by the Governor (subadar), and in which the ministers had their equivalent subordinates (diwan, bakhshi and sadr)
• The subas were organised into Sarkars, which frequently overlapped with the jurisdiction of faujdars (commandants) stationed in districts with strong cavalry and musketeers

Three semi-hereditary officers were in charge of the local administration at the pargana (sub-district) level

• Qanungo is a term used to describe a person who (keeper of revenue records)
• Chaudhuri (Chaudhuri) (in charge of revenue collection)
• The qazi is a type of muslim priest
• Persian became the official language, while village accounts were kept in native tongues

Beyond the Frontiers

The Safavids and Qandahar:

• To enter the Indian subcontinent, all conquerors had to cross the Hindu Kush, which meant the Mughals had to dominate the posts of Kabul and Kandahar to avoid this potential threat
• Between the Safavids and the Mughals, Qandahar was a point of dispute. It was once owned by Humayun, but was recaptured by Akbar in 1595
• The Safavids continued to claim Qandahar, and a Persian force seized it in the winter of 1622

The Ottomans: 

Pilgrimage and Trade:

• The Mughals’ and Ottomans’ relationship was characterised by a desire to secure free movement for traders and pilgrims in Ottoman-controlled territory
• Cities such as Mecca and Medina, for example
• Exporting costly items to Aden and Mokha, both Red Sea ports, and transferring the revenues in charity to shrine keepers, the emperor frequently blended religion with trade

Jesuits at the Mughal court:

• Following the discovery of a maritime route to India, Portuguese merchants developed a network of commercial stations along the coast, after which the Portuguese ruler grew interested in Christian missionaries (Jesuits)
• Akbar was interested in learning more about Christianity, so he welcomed Jesuit priests
• In 1580, the first Jesuit mission arrived at Fatehpur Sikri and stayed for nearly two years
• The Jesuits discussed Christianity with Akbar and disputed its merits with the ulama
• The tales of the Jesuits are based on personal observation and give light to the emperor’s character and mentality

Timeline of Some Major Mughal Chronicles and Memoirs:

• 1530: A manuscript of Babur’s Turkish memoirs is salvaged from a storm and becomes part of the Timurids’ family collection
• Gulbadan Begum began writing the Humayun Nama in 1587
• Babur’s memoirs, Babur Nama, were translated into Persian in 1589
• Abu’l Fazl worked on the Akbar Nama from 1589 to 1602
• 1605-22: Jahangir completes the Jahangir Nama, his memoirs
• 1639-1647: Lahori composes the Badshah Nama’s first two daftars
• 1650: Muhammad Waris begins his account of Shah Jahan’s reign in the third decade
• 1668: Muhammad Kazim compiles Alamgir Nama, a history of Aurangzeb’s first ten years in power

Conclusion

The Mughal Empire can be looked up to as a great example of organised functioning. The empire was divided into fifteen provinces during Akbar’s rule, and about twenty one during the rule of Aurangzeb. The main head of these provinces were called subedars and were responsible for the provincial administration. They were given similar powers as the emperor. The Mughal Empire welcomed certain conquerors, and had a difficult relationship with some. The Mughals had a conflicted relationship with Safavids over Qandahar, a desire for a strong relationship with Ottomans, and great interest and openness towards the Jesuits. Some of the most famous chronicles of the Mughals include the Akbarnama, the Badshah Nama, and the Alamgir Nama.