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known for his princely manners and he loved 5. Raja Todermal – Finance Minister
literature and art and encouraged both. In fact, 6. Raja Man Singh – General and commander - in
he was illiterate, but he enjoyed serious discus- Chief
sion. He also had many fine buildings built. He 7. Fakir-Azirao-bin – Mystic and Advisor
was known for the firmness and wisdom of his
8. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana – Poet and Son of
rule and was given the title ‘Guardian of
Bairam Khan
Mankind’.
9. Mullah Do Piaza - Advisor
Akbar was not only a great conqueror, but a
capable organiser and a great administrator as Read the following timeline of Akbar reign :
well. He set up a host of institutions that proved 1. 1556-1570 : Akbar gradually asserted his
to be the foundation of an administrative system independence and freed himself for the
that operated even in British India. Akbar’s rule domination of his guardian Bairam Khan.
also stands out due to his liberal policies towards During this period, Akbar took over Malwa
the non-Muslims, his religious innovations, the
and parts of central India. He also captured
land revenue system and his famous Mansabdari the forts of Chittor and Ranthambhor.
system. Akbar’s Mansabdari system became the
Jodhpur had been conquered earlier.
basis of Mughal military organisation and civil
2. 1570-1585 : During this phase, Akbar
administration.
conquered Gujarat, Bengal, Bihar and
Akbar died in 1605, nearly 50 years after his
ascension to the throne and was buried outside Orissa. The rich parts of Gujarat and Bengal
brought immense profit to the Mughals.
of Agra at Sikandra. His son Jehangir then
assumed the throne. 3. 1585-1605 : Akbar further expanded his
empire in the north-west by capturing
Kashmir, Kabul and Qandhar. In the
Akbar’s courts shone with the talent and brilliance of Deccan, he conquered, Berar, Khandesh
the nine gems or Navartnas. They were : and Ahmadnagar.
1. Abul-Fazl – Author of Akbarnama and Ain-i- Thus, at its peak, Akbar’s empire stretched
Akbari from the Himalayas and Kashmir in the
2. Faizal – Poet north to the river Godavari in the south and
3. Miyan Tansen – Great Misician from Qandhar in the west to Bengal in the
4. Birbal – Great Literature east.
CASE STUDY— servant was given a rank or a mansab and he
Administration Under Akbar or Mughals was known as mansabdar.
Administration of the villages and towns faced a The rank was valued in terms of a certain
little change during the Mughal rule. The earlier number of mounted soldiers. The ranks normally
system continued and most of the local officers given to officers and nobles were valued from 10
were Hindus. Sometimes in the far away villages to 5,000. The rank was held only by the officer
people were hardly aware that a new dynasty during his lifetime. His son could not inherit the
was ruling at Delhi. One of the most important rank if he wished to join the emperor’s service.
features of Mughal administration was the He would have to be appointed to his own rank.
mansabdari system. Every noble, officer or civil Thus the emperor maintained strict control over
his officers.
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