Describe agrarian relations during the Mughal Period.

(i) During the time of Akbar the relations between the Central Government on one and and on the other side with jagirdars, zamindars and the peasants at large were quite good. In the Mughal period the peasants produce eatable and not eatable crops. Ain-i-Akbari gives a list of 16 crops of rabi, 25 crops of kharif and the rate of tax fixed on them has also been given.

(ii)    The peasants were allowed to choose between zabti and batai under certain conditions. Such a choice was given (generally) when the crops had been ruined due to natural climatical or adverse conditions.

(iii)    Under batai, the peasants were given choice of paying renue in cash or in kind, though the state preferred cash.

(iv)    In case of crops such as cotton, indigo, oilseeds, sugarcane, etc., the state demand was veriably in cash, hence, the crops were called-cash crops.

(v)    Akbar adopted many systems of revenue collection at different times. The main system he applied were zabti system, batai system, nasq system, the dehsala system and karori System.

(vi) 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 peasants for seeds, implements, animals, etc.l 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.

(vii)    The zamindar had a hereditary right to take a share of the produce. The peasants, too, had a hierditary right to cultivate their land and could not be ejected as long as they paid the land revenue.

(viii)    Most of the land in the Mughal period was given as grants. Though the jagirs were granted for a temporary period, but Madadd-i-Mash and Saryugal were permanent grants. Jahangir started the Altamga grant on the pattern of central Asia . These grants could only be taken back by the orders of the emperory Altamga grants were given to Maulavis. The receivers of grants were in search of assuming the rights of zamindars.