Jagirdari Crisis and the Shifting Allegiance of Zamindars
Modern History › India on the Eve of British Conquest · Topic 3.4
The Mughal Empire rested on two classes, zamindars and nobles. As the number of nobles grew faster than the land to assign as jagirs, a jagirdari crisis arose. Zamindars and nobles then turned to regional loyalties and carved out independent kingdoms.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · India on the Eve of British Conquest
At a Glance
- What it is Two inner causes of Mughal decline: the jagirdari crisis and the zamindars’ shifting loyalty
- Two ruling classes Zamindars and nobles shared the power of the State with the emperor
- Key problem Too many mansabdars and too little land for jagirs
- Result Regional loyalties and independent kingdoms
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: India on the Eve of British Conquest
Where Does It Fit?
This is the fourth topic of the category on India on the eve of British conquest. The previous topic listed all the causes of decline. This topic explains the two most structural ones in detail. The next topic describes the states that rose from the crisis. Previous topic: Causes of the Decline of the Mughal Empire. The medieval background is in Assessment of Aurangzeb’s Reign and the Jagirdari Crisis.
Who Were the Zamindars and Why Did They Matter?
Two classes shared the power of the State with the emperor during the medieval period: the zamindars and the nobles. Zamindars were hereditary owners of their lands who enjoyed certain privileges on a hereditary basis. They were variously known as rais, rajas, thakurs, khuts or deshmukhs.
They held an important place in the empire because they helped in collecting revenue and in local administration, and for this they maintained soldiers. The Mughals had tried to curb the power of the zamindars and keep direct contact with the peasants, but had not wholly succeeded. Even in Aurangzeb’s reign there was a marked increase in the power and influence of zamindars. The biggest fallout was that regional loyalties were encouraged. Many local zamindars helped the nobility to exploit the weakness of the empire and carve out independent kingdoms for themselves.
What Was the Jagirdari Crisis?
The nobility consisted of people assigned large jagirs and mansabs, or appointed subahdars of Mughal subas and given the duty of maintaining them. Many Rajput rulers, subahdars and mansabdars belonged to this class. Mughal rule has often been called the rule of the nobility, because the nobles played a central role in running the empire.
Akbar had provided a well-knit organisation for them, but the nobility was divided by religion, homeland and tribe, and each group formed its own party. In the absence of a strong centre, mutual rivalry, jealousy and contest for power among the groups during the rule of the later Mughals reduced the prestige of the emperor and contributed to the decline.
| Problem | What happened |
|---|---|
| Too many nobles | The number of amirs and their ranks or mansabs rose sharply over time |
| Too little land | There was little land left to give as jagirs, a state called bejagiri |
| Aurangzeb’s remedy | He showed a higher income from jagirs on record to ease the shortage |
| Result of the remedy | The amirs tried to recover the recorded income from their jagirs by pressing the peasantry, so both amirs and peasants were antagonised |
| Other burdens | Wars, the luxurious lifestyles of emperors and amirs, and a reduction in khalisa land (crown land) burdened the state |
| Outcome | Expenditure of the state much exceeded its income |
Why Did the Economy Add to the Crisis?
There was no important scientific and technological advance that could have improved a stagnant economy. The once flourishing trade did not enrich the empire’s coffers, even as European traders made inroads along the coast.
These economic and administrative problems multiplied after Aurangzeb’s death. The empire had become too vast to be run by a centralised system when the rulers were weak and incompetent. As an analytical point, the jagir system tied the pay of nobles to land revenue, so when land revenue stopped growing, the loyalty of nobles was bound to weaken.
How Did Regional Aspirations Rise?
Aurangzeb’s reign itself saw powerful regional groups like the Jats, Sikhs and Marathas defy the Mughal state in their bid to create kingdoms of their own. They did not succeed then, but they shaped political events in their regions.
The Marathas also became a formidable enemy. Their aim was at first limited to regaining control over Maharashtra, but it soon grew to getting legal sanction from the Mughal emperor to collect sardeshmukhi and chauth throughout India. They pushed north and by 1740 had spread their influence over Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand. The Rajput struggle against the empire and the growing ambition and power of the Marathas adversely affected Mughal strength.
- Sardeshmukhi and chauth The levies that the Marathas sought the right to collect across the empire
- Rajputs Once the staunchest supporters of the throne, they stopped trusting the Mughals after attempts to suppress them
- Jats and Sikhs Regional groups that built their own power in their areas
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Economic cause explained The jagir crisis is the central economic cause of Mughal decline in many Mains answers
- Direct facts Terms such as bejagiri, khalisa and the zamindar titles are asked in Prelims
- Link to successor states The crisis pushed nobles to build independent states
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the successor states that rose from Mughal provinces: Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad. Next topic: Successor States: Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad.
Key People and Terms
- Zamindar A hereditary landholder who helped collect revenue and keep order
- Jagir A land assignment to a noble in return for service
- Bejagiri The shortage of jagirs for nobles
- Khalisa Land under the direct control of the crown
- Sardeshmukhi and chauth Maratha levies, taken as a share of revenue
- Amir A noble of the Mughal empire
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Zamindars were also called rais, rajas, thakurs, khuts or deshmukhs.
- Mughal rule was often called the rule of the nobility.
- The shortage of jagirs was bejagiri.
- Aurangzeb showed a higher recorded income from jagirs, and amirs pressed the peasantry.
- By 1740 the Marathas had spread influence over Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand.
Do Not Confuse With
- Zamindars and nobles Zamindars held hereditary lands; nobles held jagirs and mansabs or governorships
- Khalisa and jagir lands Khalisa was crown land; jagirs were assigned to nobles
- Sardeshmukhi and chauth Both were Maratha levies sought across the empire
Memory Hook
More nobles, less land, angrier peasants, and regional kings.
Mains Angle
Questions ask about internal economic causes. These points add depth.
- Fiscal squeeze Falling jagir income forced nobles to press the peasants, who then resisted
- Factions Groups among nobles competed instead of supporting the emperor
- Local power Zamindars and nobles built regional bases that outlived the empire
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Explain the jagirdari crisis and its role in the decline of the Mughal Empire.”
How to Answer
- Define Explain jagirs, mansabs and the role of nobles.
- Describe the crisis Too many nobles, too little land, bejagiri, and Aurangzeb’s remedy.
- Link to decline Faction, peasant unrest and regional power.
- Conclude Say that the crisis weakened the empire’s base from within.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the jagirdari crisis in the Mughal Empire?
The jagirdari crisis was the shortage of land to give as jagirs to a rising number of nobles. As the number of amirs and their mansabs grew sharply, little land was left, and the nobles pressed the peasants to recover recorded incomes, which strained the empire's finances and loyalty.
Who were zamindars in the Mughal period?
Zamindars were hereditary owners of land who enjoyed certain privileges, known as rais, rajas, thakurs, khuts or deshmukhs. They helped collect revenue and run local administration and kept soldiers, so their growing power encouraged regional loyalties and weakened the empire.
What was bejagiri?
Bejagiri was the acute shortage of jagirs for the Mughal nobility. Aurangzeb tried to solve it by showing a higher income from jagirs on record, but the amirs tried to recover that recorded income from the peasants, which antagonised both the nobles and the peasantry.
Why was Mughal rule called the rule of the nobility?
Mughal rule has often been called the rule of the nobility because the nobles, with their jagirs and mansabs, played a central role in running the empire. When the nobles split into rival groups, the empire lost its main support.
How did the Marathas threaten the Mughal Empire?
The Marathas first sought to regain control over Maharashtra, then to get legal sanction for collecting sardeshmukhi and chauth across India. By 1740 they had spread their influence over Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand, which adversely affected Mughal might.
Why did the Rajputs turn against the Mughals?
Aurangzeb, and after him Bahadur Shah I, tried to suppress the Rajputs, which spurred them to fight the Mughals. Later Mughals tried reconciliation, but it was too late, and the Rajputs no longer trusted them enough to ally for the empire's welfare.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Bejagiri refers to a shortage of jagirs for Mughal nobles.
The number of amirs and mansabs rose sharply.
2 Khalisa land was assigned to nobles as jagirs.
Khalisa was crown land; the reduction of khalisa burdened the state.
3 Aurangzeb tried to ease the shortage of jagirs by showing a higher income from them on record.
This made the amirs press the peasants.
4 Zamindars were also known as rais, rajas, thakurs, khuts or deshmukhs.
They were hereditary landholders.
5 By 1740 the Marathas had no influence over Gujarat, Malwa or Bundelkhand.
They had spread their influence over all three.
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