History of the Jagirdari System
The Jagir system came to be adopted from the Delhi Sultanate, which was an already existing agricultural system. It was a feudalistic system and had tendencies to weaken the already existing governing body of the state. The system was slowed down by Sultan Ghiyas al-Din and was abolished completely under Alauddin Khilji. However, was revived again under the age of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
During the reign of Akbar, the territories were divided into Khalisa and Jagir. Akbar used the jagirdari system to consolidate and expand his empire. This system embraces both the civil and military aspects of the administration.
What was the role of Jagirdars in Mughal India?
The jagirdari system during the Mughal period is considered an institution which mainly used to preserve the surplus from the class of peasants. The Jagirdari system was a form of land tenancy in which the collection of revenues from an estate and the power of governing it was bestowed on an official of the state.
It is derived from two Persian words: jagir, which means “holding land” and dar, which means “official”. The system was an adaptation of an existing agrarian system by the Delhi sultanate.
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