The correct option is (a).
Explanation
The
Mansabdari system during the reign of Shah Jahan. By this period, the number of mansabdars had increased significantly, leading to a crisis in the availability of
jagirs (land assignments). Historical records from the twentieth year of Shah Jahan’s reign provide specific data regarding the concentration of wealth among the nobility.
Statement-wise Analysis
- Statement 1 is Correct: According to documents from the twentieth year of Shah Jahan’s reign, the total number of mansabdars was approximately 8,000. Out of these, the highest-ranking mansabdars were indeed only 445 in number. This represents a mere 5.6 percent of the total body of mansabdars.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: This small group of 445 mansabdars did not receive 10 percent of the revenue. Instead, they received a massive 61.5 percent of the total estimated revenue of the empire as salaries for themselves and their troopers. This highlights the extreme concentration of resources in the hands of the highest nobility.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: The revenue collected by the Mughal state was extracted from the peasantry; it was not distributed to them. The remaining revenue (after paying the top 445 mansabdars) was used to pay the salaries of the remaining mansabdars, maintain the imperial household, and fund military campaigns. There was no mechanism for distributing state revenue equally among the peasantry.
Key Takeaway
During Shah Jahan's reign, the Mughal administration was characterized by a high degree of economic inequality, where a tiny elite (approx. 5.6% of mansabdars) controlled over
61.5% of the empire's total revenue.