Jagirdari System – GK

The Jagirdari System was a land revenue system in medieval India. This mainly associated with the Mughal Empire. Mughal emperors used to conditionally distribute large tracts of land among high-ranking officials or nominees as a source of revenue. All these territories were called jagirs or toyals and the recipients of the jagirs were called jagirdars or toyuldars.

Characteristics of Jagirdari System

1. Jagirdar came with two Persian words: Jagir and Dar.
2. Jagir means “holding land” and Dar means “official”.
3. Jagirdars did not have permanent ownership over jagirs.
4. Jagir was transferable.
5. Jagirs were transferred according to the wishes of the emperor.
6. The jagirs were divided into 3 classes— (i) Vassal or insurgent, (ii) Usat or middle and (iii) Raiyats or revenue-paying territories.
7. The system was adapted from an existing agricultural system by early Delhi sultans.
8. This system was a later form of the IQTA system of the Sultanate period.
9. Nobles and military officials received Jagirs, or land grants, from the Mughal Empire in return for their services, such as military support.
10. Sanbandabish were officials recruited by the king so that Jagirs could not violate the law. The emperor closely monitored them.
11. Jagirdar could collect not more than the salary amount given by the king from the revenue collected by him.
12. The expected revenue was known as Jama. Sair Jihat was the term used to refer to land revenue, port customs, and other taxes.
13. The jagirs were administratively transferable from one person to another.
14. An integral part of the Mansabdari system was the Jagirdari system.
15. Certain Mansabdars got a cash salary and were referred to as Naqdi. A few persons received both cash and jagir.

Extra Info: Emperor Akbar did not like the Jagirdar system. He paid cash as salary instead of land. Some Jagirdar oppressed the Raiyats for higher and extra amounts of taxes. That is why Akbar confiscated the Jagir and made them Khas Jamin ( Khas land).

Classification of Jagirdari System

1. Tankha jagirdars: Mansabdars who were paid in cash or an equivalent amount of salary were given as jagirs for collection of land revenue. They were known as Tankha jagirdars.
2. Masrat Jagirdar: A Jagir was given conditionally when a particular person was appointed to a particular post. They were called Masrat jagirdars.
3. Inam jagirdars: Jagirs were given to learned men, scholars or other persons, not related to job or rank. Grant settlements like inam jagir were known as ‘madd-i-mas’, ‘altamakha‘.
4. Watan Jagirdars: The zamindars or feudal lords who held control of lands or jagirs by descent during the Mughal period were called Watan Jagirdars.

Extra Info: Tankhwah jagirs were transferred once every three or four years.

Extra Info: Watan jagirs were hereditary and could not be transferred.

Extra Info: Watan Jagir was occasionally converted to a Khalisa, as Aurangzeb did in Jodhpur in 1679.