CUET UG History Medieval India Mughal Empire Akbars Administration Din-i-Ilahi Mansabdari

Must‑Know (15–20 detailed bullets)

• Akbar ascended the throne in 1556 at the age of 13 after the Second Battle of Panipat, where Bairam Khan defeated Hemu.
• Akbar’s administration was centralized with the emperor as the supreme authority in military, judicial, and executive matters.
• The empire was divided into provinces called Subas, each governed by a Subedar; initially 12 Subas, later expanded to 15 and then 20 by the end of Akbar’s reign.
• Each Suba had six key officials: Diwan (revenue), Bakhshi (military), Sadr (religious affairs), Faujdar (law and order), Kotwal (city police), and Qazi (judicial).
• The Mansabdari system was introduced by Akbar in 1575 as a rank-based administrative and military hierarchy for officials (mansabdars).
• Mansabdars were assigned a zat rank (personal status/salary) and sawar rank (number of cavalrymen to maintain); e.g., a 5000 zat, 4000 sawar mansab.
• Salaries of mansabdars were paid either in cash (naqdi) or through revenue assignments (jagir), with jagirs being transferable every few years to prevent local entrenchment.
• The dahsala system (also called zabti system) was introduced in 1580 for land revenue assessment, based on average produce and prices over 10 years in regions like Agra and Awadh.
• Land revenue was typically one-third to one-half of the produce, depending on fertility and irrigation.
• Ain-i-Dahsala was the detailed revenue settlement implemented by Raja Todar Mal, Akbar’s Diwan-i-Kul (finance minister).
• Akbar founded Din-i-Ilahi in 1582 as a syncretic spiritual discussion group, not a formal religion, with only about 18 disciples including Birbal and Faizi.
• Din-i-Ilahi emphasized monotheism, tolerance, and Akbar’s role as spiritual head; it was not propagated widely and had no scriptures or rituals.
• Akbar abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims in 1564 to promote religious tolerance.
• The Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was established in 1575 for religious debates among scholars of different faiths; later restricted to Muslims only before being abandoned.
• Akbar’s policy of Sulh-i-Kul (universal peace) formed the ideological foundation of his rule, promoting harmony among all religions without discrimination.
• The Navratnas (nine jewels) were Akbar’s nine distinguished courtiers, including Tansen (music), Abul Fazl (historian), and Raja Birbal (advisor).
• Akbar commissioned the Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama, written by Abul Fazl, which detail administration, society, and culture of the Mughal Empire.
• The Mansabdari system had 33 grades ranging from commanders of 10 to commanders of 10,000, later extended up to 7000 under Jahangir.
• Failure to maintain required sawar strength led to du-aspah sih-aspah system, where some mansabdars were required to maintain double the number of horses.
• Verify from NCERT: Exact number of Subas in Akbar’s empire during final reorganization.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires understanding of administrative structures and their interlinking with socio-religious policies, but facts are clearly outlined in NCERT.

Common CUET Traps (3 bullets)

• Trap: Believing Din-i-Ilahi was a widely accepted religion with many followers. Avoid: It was a small, elite spiritual circle with no mass following and was not a formal religion.
• Trap: Confusing zat and sawar ranks in Mansabdari system. Avoid: Zat indicates personal rank and salary; sawar indicates number of cavalrymen to maintain.
• Trap: Assuming Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system after the Dahsala system. Avoid: Mansabdari was introduced in 1575; Dahsala in 1580.

Practice MCQs (5 questions)

Q1. In which year did Akbar abolish the jizya tax?
A. 1556
B. 1560
C. 1564
D. 1575
Answer: C
Explanation: Akbar abolished the jizya tax in 1564 to promote religious tolerance.
Why others fail: 1556 is the year of Akbar’s accession; students often confuse it with policy milestones.

Q2. Who was the author of the Ain-i-Akbari?
A. Faizi
B. Abul Fazl
C. Badauni
D. Raja Todar Mal
Answer: B
Explanation: Abul Fazl wrote the Ain-i-Akbari, part of the Akbar Nama.
Why others fail: Faizi was a poet and brother of Abul Fazl, often confused due to similar names.

Q3. Which of the following correctly defines the 'zat' rank in the Mansabdari system?
A. Number of horses maintained by the mansabdar
B. Number of soldiers directly commanded
C. Personal status and salary determination
D. Revenue assigned from a jagir
Answer: C
Explanation: The 'zat' rank determined the personal status and salary of a mansabdar.
Why others fail: Students often confuse 'zat' with 'sawar', which relates to cavalry strength.

Q4. The Dahsala system of land revenue was implemented in which year?
A. 1575
B. 1580
C. 1582
D. 1595
Answer: B
Explanation: The Dahsala system was introduced in 1580 under Raja Todar Mal’s supervision.
Why others fail: 1582 is the year of Din-i-Ilahi’s foundation, a common distractor.

Q5. Which of the following statements about Din-i-Ilahi is correct?
A. It was a formal religion with temples and rituals
B. It had widespread acceptance across the Mughal Empire
C. It was based on the teachings of Zoroastrianism alone
D. It was a spiritual forum with limited membership including Birbal
Answer: D
Explanation: Din-i-Ilahi was a small, elite group with no formal rituals, and Birbal was one of its few members.
Why others fail: Option A is tempting because students assume it was a full-fledged religion due to its name.

Last‑Minute Revision (15–20 one‑liners)

• ⚠️ Akbar became emperor in 1556 after Second Battle of Panipat.
• ⚠️ Mansabdari system introduced in 1575 – dual rank: zat and sawar.
• ⚠️ Zat = personal rank/salary; Sawar = cavalrymen to maintain.
• ⚠️ Land revenue system: Dahsala (Zabti) – average of 10 years’ produce.
• ⚠️ Dahsala implemented in 1580 by Raja Todar Mal.
• ⚠️ Abolition of jizya: 1564.
• ⚠️ Ibadat Khana established in 1575 at Fatehpur Sikri.
• ⚠️ Din-i-Ilahi founded in 1582 – not a religion, only ~18 members.
• ⚠️ Sulh-i-Kul = universal peace; foundation of Akbar’s secular policy.
• ⚠️ Akbar’s empire had 15 Subas initially, later 20.
• ⚠️ Suba officials: Subedar, Diwan, Bakhshi, Sadr, Faujdar, Kotwal, Qazi.
• ⚠️ Jagirs were transferable to prevent local power concentration.
• ⚠️ Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama written by Abul Fazl.
• ⚠️ Navratnas included Tansen, Birbal, Faizi, Abul Fazl.
• ⚠️ Failure in maintaining sawar strength led to du-aspah sih-aspah.
• ⚠️ Akbar’s reign: 1556–1605.
• ⚠️ No hereditary succession in Mansabdari – ranks not passed to sons.
• ⚠️ Verify from NCERT: Exact number of mansabdari grades in Akbar’s time.
• ⚠️ Din-i-Ilahi combined elements of Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity.
• ⚠️ Raja Todar Mal was Diwan-i-Kul (finance minister) under Akbar.