The Ruling Classes – Nobility and Rural Gentry
Medieval History › Medieval Society & Social Structure · Topic 7.7
The Mughal nobility and the zamindars together formed the ruling class. The nobles, drawn first from Turan and Iran and then increasingly from Afghans, Indian Muslims, Rajputs and Marathas, earned the world's highest salaries, spent lavishly, yet also invested in land, markets, loans and trade. Zamindars formed a numerous rural gentry with hereditary rights, forts and arms, whom no central authority could ignore.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Medieval Society & Social Structure
At a Glance
- Nobles Turani, Irani, Afghan, Indian Muslim, Rajput, Maratha
- Hindu share 16% (1594), 24% (Shah Jahan), 33% (late Aurangzeb)
- Pay Highest salaries in the world
- Spending Lavish, but also invested
- Rural gentry Zamindars with hereditary rights
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Medieval Society & Social Structure
Where Does It Fit?
This is the seventh topic of the category on medieval society and social structure. The previous topic described the lives of the masses, and this one describes those above them. The next and last topic covers the middle strata and the merchant classes. Previous topic: Standard of Living in Medieval India.
Who Were the Mughal Nobles?
In short: a privileged, composite class whose doors were open in theory to all but in practice favoured aristocratic families.
The nobility and the landed gentry, the zamindars, formed the ruling class. Theoretically the Mughal nobility was open to everyone; in practice persons from aristocratic families, Indian or foreign, had a decided advantage. At first most nobles came from Turan and its neighbourhood, Tajikistan, Khurasan and Iran. The Mughals never followed a narrow racist policy: Babur tried to win leading Afghans, who proved restless and defected, and from Jahangir’s time more Afghans were recruited. Indian Muslims (Shaikhzadas or Hindustanis) also got service.
| Group | Entry and share |
|---|---|
| Hindus | Inducted regularly from Akbar’s time; Rajputs the largest section, first the Kachhwahas; about 16 per cent in 1594; Birbal, Man Singh and Todar Mal had great influence |
| Aristocratic character | Rajputs recruited were hereditary rajas or from their families, strengthening the aristocracy |
| Talent | Kayasthas and khatris served at many levels, a few becoming nobles; some of humble origin became mansabdars |
| Marathas | A new section; Jahangir realised they were the hub of affairs in the Deccan; Shahji served Shah Jahan though he defected; Aurangzeb recruited many |
| Shares later | Hindus about 24 per cent under Shah Jahan and 33 per cent in the later half of Aurangzeb’s reign, their number up four and a half times; Marathas more than half of them |
Under Jahangir and Shah Jahan the bulk of nobles were India-born, and the nobility attained stability through careful organisation of the mansabdari system, as in Mansabdari System and the Dahsala (Land Revenue) System Under Akbar. High pay and liberal religious policy drew talent from abroad, a reverse brain drain. Bernier’s claim that the nobility consisted of foreigners enticed to court has been found by modern research to be fallacious: immigrants settled in India and assimilated.
How Did the Nobles Live and Spend?
Salaries were extremely high but so were expenses. Each noble kept a large train of servants, a stable of horses and elephants and transport, and many kept a large haram. They aped the emperor’s ostentation, living in fine houses with gardens, fruit trees and running water, and wearing the finest clothes. According to an account, forty dishes were prepared for each meal for Akbar; fruit was imported from Samarqand and Bokhara; ice was used the year round. Jewels were a costly item, and Jahangir started the fashion of men wearing jewels in pierced ears, though jewellery was also a reserve for emergencies. Presents to the emperor twice a year were another expense, graded by status, with return gifts. Spending, not hoarding, was the dominant characteristic, and few nobles stayed out of debt.
How Did the Nobility Affect the Economy?
| Activity | Detail |
|---|---|
| Land | Nobles bought land or received gifts of it where they settled, developing orchards |
| Markets | Built covered markets (mandis) for rent and sales |
| Credit and trade | Lent money to traders or took part in trade, often through merchants; Abul Fazl advised them to invest a little in commercial speculation and to lend on interest, though usury was condemned in Islamic law |
| Shipping | Princes, princesses and royal ladies freighted goods on foreign ships and some owned ships; Mir Jumla owned a fleet trading with Persia, Arabia and Southeast Asia; even Aurangzeb’s chief qazi had commercial interests he tried to conceal |
| Abuse | Some nobles or princes engrossed commodities or forced artisans to sell cheap, but not on a scale that seriously affected trade |
Thus the Mughal nobility, though often divided on ethnic lines, was a composite ruling class representing different regions and religions that patronised painters, musicians and poets in Persian and Hindawi. It was feudal in character since land was its main source of income, but had developed bureaucratic features and grew more commerce-minded. The Mughal state and ruling class did not act as a barrier to economic development, though rapid growth in numbers and the jagirdari crisis later hurt discipline, as in Assessment of Aurangzeb’s Reign and the Jagirdari Crisis.
What Was the Rural Gentry?
The zamindars formed a very numerous and powerful class found all over the country as deshmukh, patil, nayak and other names. Many held the hereditary right to collect land revenue from a number of villages, with a share that could go up to 25 per cent. They had armed forces and lived in forts or garhis, and had close caste, clan or tribal ties with the peasants in their zamindaris and local knowledge about productivity. Their incomes were much lower than the nobles’, and smaller ones lived much like peasants. They set social standards and provided capital and organisation for settling new villages and extending cultivation, so they were not merely exploiters. The structure of village ranks is in Rural Society Structure in Medieval India. As an analytical point, the Mughal state ruled through a partnership: nobles supplied the army and administration from above, and zamindars the local control and revenue from below, and strain in either part would shake the whole.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Composition and share Percentages are commonly asked
- Nobles and the economy Not parasitic only
- Link Prepares the middle strata and the jagirdari crisis
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the middle strata and commercial classes. Next topic: The Middle Strata and Commercial Classes in Medieval India.
Key People and Terms
- Shaikhzada Indian Muslim in Mughal service
- Hindustani Indian-born Muslim noble
- Mandi Covered market
- Garhi Fortified residence
- Deshmukh Regional name for a zamindar
- Composite ruling class Mix of regions and faiths
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Hindus: 16% (1594), 24%, 33%.
- Marathas: more than half of Hindu nobles under Aurangzeb.
- Abul Fazl advised nobles to invest.
- Mir Jumla owned a fleet.
- Zamindar share up to 25 per cent.
Do Not Confuse With
- Noble and zamindar Salaried imperial officer versus hereditary local revenue holder
- Hindustani and Irani Indian-born versus Iranian-born nobles
- Ostentation and hoarding Spending was dominant, hoarding rare
Memory Hook
Rajputs rise, Marathas enter, the court spends, the gentry hold the land.
Mains Angle
Questions on the ruling class ask about composition and economic role. These points add depth.
- Composition Ethnic and religious mix
- Role Spending and investing
- Gentry Zamindars as local partners
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Describe the composition and economic role of the Mughal nobility.”
How to Answer
- Composition Turanis to Marathas.
- Life Salaries and spending.
- Economy Land, markets, trade.
- Gentry Zamindars.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Mughal nobles?
The Mughal nobles were first drawn from Turan, Khurasan and Iran, then increasingly from Afghans, Indian Muslims, Rajputs and Marathas. The nobility was a composite ruling class that was feudal in character but had bureaucratic features.
What was the share of Hindus in the Mughal nobility?
A modern calculation puts Hindus at about 16 per cent of the nobility under Akbar in 1594, about 24 per cent under Shah Jahan, and about 33 per cent in the second half of Aurangzeb's reign.
How did Mughal nobles spend their income?
Nobles spent heavily on large retinues, stables, harams, fine houses and gardens, rich clothing, food and jewels, and on presents to the emperor. Spending, not hoarding, was the dominant characteristic, and few nobles stayed out of debt.
Did the Mughal nobles take part in trade?
Yes. Many bought land, built markets, lent money to traders and took part in trade directly or through merchants. Mir Jumla owned a fleet of ships, and royal princes and ladies also freighted goods on ships.
Who were the zamindars?
Zamindars were a numerous rural gentry, known as deshmukhs, patils and nayaks, who held hereditary rights to collect land revenue, kept armed forces and forts, and provided capital and organisation for settling new villages and extending cultivation.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Hindus formed about 33 per cent of the nobility in Aurangzeb's later reign.
Marathas were more than half of them.
2 Bernier's claim that the nobility was all foreign has been confirmed by modern research.
It was found fallacious.
3 Mir Jumla owned a fleet of trading ships.
He traded with Persia, Arabia and Southeast Asia.
4 Zamindars could collect up to 25 per cent as their share in some areas.
They held hereditary rights.
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