Land revenue System Of Mughal empire

Mughal empire have a great land revenue system and it was implemented by Akbar, During the decade following the conquest of Gujarat, Akbar found time to look at the administartive problems of the empire. The system of administration elaborated by Sher Shah had fallen into confusion after the death of Islam Shah. Akbar, therefore, had to start afresh. 

One of the most important problems faced by the Akbar was the system of land revenue administartion. Sher Shah had instituted a system by which the cultivated area was measured and a crop rate (ray) was drawn up, fixing the dues of the peasant crop-wise on the basis of the productivity of land. This schedule was converted every year into a central schedule prices. Akbar adopted Sher Shah's system.But it was soon found that the fixing of a central schedule of prices often led to considerable delays, and resulted in great hardships to the peasantry since the prices fixed were generally those prevailing at the imperial court, and were higher than those in the countryside. The peasants, therefore, has to part with a larger share of their produce.

At first, Akbar reverted to a system of annual assessment. The qanungos, who were hereditary holders of land as well as local officials conversant with local conditions, were ordered to report on the actual produce, state of cultivation, local prices, etc. But in many areas the qanungos were dishonest and concealed the real produce. Annual assessment also resulted in great difficulty for the peasants and for the state. After returning from Gujarat (1573), Akbar paid personal attention to the land revenue system. Officials called karoris were appointed all over north India. They were responsible for the collection of a crore of dams (Rs 2,50,000), and also checked the facts and figures supplied by the qanungos. On the basis of the information provided by them regarding the actual produce, local prices, productivity, etc., Akbar instituted a new system called the dahsala . Under this system, the average produce of different crops as well as the average prices prevailing over the last ten (dan) years were calculated. One-third of the average produce was the state share. The state demand was, however, stated in cash. This was done by converting the share into money on the basis of a schedule of average prices over the past ten years. Thus, the produce of a bigha of land under share was given to maunds. But on the basis of average prices, the state demand was fixed in rupees per bigha.

         Later, a furthed improvement was made. Not only were local prices taken into account, parganas having the same type of productivity as well as local prices.

      

There were a number of advantages of this system. As soon as the area sown by the peasants had been measured by means of the bamboos linked with iron rings, the peasants as well as the state knew what the dues were. The peasants was given remission in the land revenue if crops failed on account of drought,floods,etc. The system of measurement and the assessment based upon it is called the zabti system. Akbar introduced this system in the area from lahore to Allahabad, and in Malwa and Gujarat. The dahsala system was a further development of the zabti system.

     A number of other systems of assessment were also followed under Akbar. The most common and, perhaps, the oldest was called batai or ghalla bakhshi. In this system, the produce was divided between the peasants and the state in fixed proportion. The crop was divided after it had been thrashed, or when it had been cut and tied in stacks, or while it was standing in the field. This system was considered a very fair one, but it needed an army of honest officials to be present at the time of the ripening or the reaping of the crops.

        The peasants were allowed to choose between zabti and batai under certain conditions. Thus, such a choice was given when the crops has been ruined. Under batai, the peasants were given the choice of paying in cash or in kind, though the state preferred cash. In case of crops such as cotton, indigo, oil seeds, sugarcane, etc., the state demand was invariably in cash. Hence, these were called cash crops.

     A third system which was widely used in Akbar's time was nasaq. It was a rough calculation of the amount payable by the peasants on the basis of what he had been paying in the past. Hence, some modern historians think that it was merely a system of computing the peasants past dues, not a different system of assessment. Others think that it meant rough appraisement both on the basis of the inspection of the crops and past experience, and thereby fixing the amount to be paid by the village as a whole. It is also called kankut, or estimation.

        Other local methods of assessment also continued in some areas. In fixing the land revenue, continuity of cultivation was taken into account. Land which remained under cultivation almost every year was called polaj. When it remained uncultivated it was called parati (fallow). Parati land paid at the full (polaj) rate when it was cultivated. Land which had been fallow for two to three years was called chacher, and banjar if longer than that. These were assessed at concessional rates, the revenue demand gradually rising till the full or polaj rate was paid in the fifth or the eighth year. In this way, the state helped in bringing virgin and uncultivated wasteland under cultivation. Land was classified further into good, middling and bad. One-third of the average produce was the state demand, but it varied according to the productivity of the land, the method of assessment, etc.

      

    Akbar was deeply interested in the improvement and extension of cultivation. He asked the amil to act like a father to the peasants. He was to advance money by way of loans (taccavi) to the peasants for seeds, implements, animals, etc., in times of need, and to recover them in easy instalments. He was to try and induce the peasants to plough as much land as possible and to sow superior quality crops. The zamindars of the area were also enjoined to cooperate in the task. The zamindars has a hereditary right to take a share of their produce. The peasants, too, has a hereditary right to cultivate their land and could not be ejected as long as they paid the land revenue.

                      

The dahsala was not a ten-year settlement. Nor was it a permanent one, the state retaining the right to modify it. However, with some changes, Akbar's settlement remained the basis of the land revenue system of mughal empire till the end of the seventeenth century. The zabti system is associated with Raja Todar Mal, and is sometimes called the Todar Mal's bandobast. Todar Mal was a brilliant revenue officer who had first served under Sher Shah. But he was only one of a team of brilliant revenue officials who came to forefront under Akbar. The dahsala system was the result of their combined labours.