Nature of Mughal State | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

Nature of the Mughal State Shaped by Akbar:

• Akbar played a crucial role in defining and shaping the Mughal state system.
• He established a broad framework for the state, which continued with some variations in later periods.

Historians' Interpretations:

• Different historians have offered various interpretations to explain the nature of the Mughal state.

War state 

War and Military Preparation in Medieval Times:

• War was a common occurrence necessary for sustaining and expanding territories.
• Military preparation was always crucial due to the frequent conflicts of the medieval period.
• During medieval times, states were generally characterized as military and war-focused because survival depended on military strength and the ability to wage wars.

Conquest state 

Mughal Empire: Foreign Conquest to Indigenous Rule:

• The Mughal Empire initially represented a foreign conquest when Babur invaded India in the 16th century.
• However, over time, the Mughals became indigenous in various aspects:
• Political: The Mughals integrated into and eventually dominated the Indian political landscape.
• Economic: They contributed to and shaped the Indian economy, becoming a fundamental part of it.
• Social: The Mughals influenced and adapted to Indian social structures and norms.
• Cultural: They blended with and enriched Indian culture, becoming a vital part of it.

Military state 

• The Mansab system was a key feature of the Mughal state, representing the militarization of services.
• Under this system, everyone was placed under military payroll, with the Mansab essentially serving as a military rank.

Integration of Services:

• The Mansab system integrated all services within the state, giving it a strong military character.
• This integration was crucial for the functioning and organization of the Mughal administration.

Benevolent despotic state 

Centralised state 

State System under the Mughals:

• The Mughal state was characterized by centralized systems, including central departments and political-administrative units directly under the Mughal emperor.
• Historian Irfan Habib views the Mughal state as centralized, particularly regarding its economic organization.
• Mansab-Jagir system: A key aspect of the Mughal administrative structure, involving ranks (mansabs) and land grants (jagirs) to officials.
• Fiscal system: The land revenue system was a crucial part of the Mughal economy.
• Monetary system: The coinage system was important for trade and economic stability.
• Historian Athar Alialso emphasizes the centralization of the Mughal state through the:
  • Mansab-Jagir system
  • Composite nobility: A diverse nobility that included various ethnic and regional groups.
  • Religious ideological approaches: Such as Tauhid-i-Ilahi and Sulh-i-kul, which promoted a unified religious and political ideology.
• Criticism: Historians like Muzaffar Alam,Chetan Singh, and S. Subramaniam question the idea of a centralized Mughal system. They argue that the Mughal administration was not uniformly imposed and varied significantly from region to region, as seen in their studies of Punjab and Awadh.

Monarchical state 

• The head of state and government was a monarch.
• The king held absolute power, with all others being subordinate to him.
• The king served as the head of justice,commander-in-chief, and supreme legislator.

Patrimonial state 

• Peter Hardy and Stephen Blake draw inspiration from Max Weber's concepts and apply them to analyze the Mughal state.
• They describe the Mughal state as a household-dominated,patrimonial, and bureaucratic system.

Bureaucratic state 

• The Suba system (Suba-Sarkar-Pargana) was the foundation of the bureaucratic state system, characterized by various administrative units and officials.
• Rule-based system: Detailed rules and regulations were established for provincial and district-level administration. New rules were continually introduced through the Dastur-ul-Amal, which contained guidelines on rules, regulations, rents, and more.
• An important feature was the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances. This principle was implemented from the top down and existed at the central, provincial, and district levels. It aimed to prevent the abuse of power.

Paper Government 

By Jadunath Sarkar.

• Based on the functioning of the Mughal state, which was marked by written practices.
• Contemporary records indicate that directions and orders were not given verbally.
• The issuance of farmans, maintenance of state accounts, and receipt of messages from spies reflect this pattern.

Nature of State in western writing 

Influence of Bernier's Descriptions on Western Theorists:

• Bernier's observations had a significant impact on Western thinkers starting from the eighteenth century.

Montesquieu's Interpretation:

• The French philosopher Montesquieu drew from Bernier's account to formulate the concept of oriental despotism.
• He believed that rulers in Asia held absolute power over their subjects, who lived in subjugation and poverty.

Karl Marx and the Asiatic Mode of Production:

• In the nineteenth century, Karl Marx expanded upon this idea by introducing the Asiatic mode of production.
• He claimed that in pre-colonial India, the state was responsible for appropriating surplus wealth.

Characteristics of the Pre-Colonial State:

• Marx described the state as strong, centralized, coercive, despotic, static, and stagnant.

Diverse Interpretations of the Mughal State:

• The nature of the Mughal state has been interpreted in various ways by different scholars.
• Each interpretation has its limitations, making it challenging to categorize the state definitively.