Examine the distribution of different responsibilities among various
departments in the Mughul administration.
Answers
Answer:
The mughal empire was divided into "Subas" which were further subdivided into "Sarkar","Pargana", and "Gram". There were 15 Subas (provinces) durng Akbar's reigns, which later increased to 20 under the Auranzeb's reign. The Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system. The term "Mansab" indicates the rank of the holder. Mansabdari was both civil and military. During Mughal administration there were 3 methods of revenue collection i.e. Kankut, Rai And Zabti.
Establishing a firm rule in Indian Subcontinent for nearly 200 years, the Mughals built an Empire with not only great political might but also a firm administrative setup that provided strength for a smooth functioning. From the centralization of power to creating conducive conditions for economic and cultural growth, the Mughals looked at administrative matters with great seriousness and precision.Central Administration
Enjoying the absolute power, the Emperor of the Mughal Empire was always the central administrative authority. A number of officers in the different governmental departments were appointed for the smooth functioning of transactions involving various affairs.
The state had four main departments and the four main officers of the central government were diwan; Mir bakhshi; Mir saman; and sadr.
The diwan (also called the Wazir or chief minister), held the primary position among them and looked after revenue and finance, but kept an overview of all matters of expenditure and related departments recording all imperial orders and assigning duties and expense to district faujdars.
Mir Bakshi handled the military pay and accounts and related duties. He not only was the Paymaster for all officers but also played role in recruitment of soldiers, listing of mansabdars and important officials.
The imperial household was held by Khan-i-Saman. He dealt with matters relating to maintaining record and requirement of the state karkhanas, stores, order, interactions and internal relations.
The Sadr was the head of religious donations and contributions. He also looked after education and imperial alms. Sadr acted as the Chief Qazi before Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb divided these two offices and allotted two separate persons for these posts.
Occasionally a dignitary superior to the wazir and other ministers was also appointed called the vakil. He acted as the deputy of the sultanate (naib).