Administrative Systems
Delhi Sultanate: The Iqta System
- Structure: Territories were assigned to nobles called Iqtadars (or Muqtis).
- Role: Collect taxes from the region.
- Pay for their own troops.
- Send the surplus to the Sultan.
- Nature: Posts were transferable and not hereditary (initially) to prevent rebellion.
Mughal Empire: The Mansabdari System
Introduced by Akbar to organize the nobility and army.
- Mansabdar: An officer holding a rank (Mansab).
- Rank: Determined the number of horses/troops they had to maintain.
- Payment: Paid via Jagirs (land revenue assignments).
- Checks & Balances: Regular inspections and branding of horses.
- Raja Todar Mal: Akbar’s finance minister who introduced a standard revenue system based on detailed land surveys and crop yields.
Economy and Trade
India remained one of the wealthiest regions in the world.
- Agriculture: The mainstay of the economy. Revenue was typically 1/5th to 1/2 of the produce. Introduction of the Persian Wheel improved irrigation.
- Trade:
- Exports: Textiles (cotton, silk), spices, indigo, sugar.
- Imports: Horses, metals, luxury goods.
- Ports: Surat, Calicut, Masulipatnam, Hooghly.
- Financial System:
- Hundi: A traditional bill of exchange (like a traveler’s cheque) allowing merchants to transfer money safely across borders without carrying cash.
Society
- Temples: acted as economic centers, functioning as banks and managing community infrastructure.
- Inequality: While the courts were incredibly wealthy, the peasantry often faced harsh conditions and famines.