Which of the following statements about ‘Mughal Mansab’ system are cor

Which of the following statements about ‘Mughal Mansab’ system are correct?

  • 1. ‘Zat’ rank was an indicator of a Mansabdar’s position in the imperial hierarchy and the salary of the Mansabdar.
  • 2. ‘Sawar’ rank indicated the number of horsemen the Mansabdar was required to maintain.
  • 3. In the seventeenth century, Mansabdars holding 1000 or above ‘Sawar’ rank were designated as nobles (Umara).

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1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2020
All three statements about the Mughal Mansab system are correct.
The Mansabdari system was a military and administrative system introduced by Akbar.
1. ‘Zat’ was the personal rank, indicating the holder’s status in the hierarchy and determining the basic salary.
2. ‘Sawar’ was the cavalry rank, indicating the number of horsemen a Mansabdar was required to maintain and the associated grant for their upkeep.
3. High-ranking Mansabdars, especially those with 1000 Zat and/or Sawar rank and above (though the threshold varied slightly over time), were generally considered part of the ‘Umara’ or nobility.
The Mansab system was a complex graded system. A Mansabdar was a military unit within the imperial bureaucracy, responsible for military service and civil administration. The distinction between Zat and Sawar ranks was crucial, especially later in the system’s evolution, with concepts like ‘do aspa seh aspa’ also developing to differentiate the number of horses maintained per trooper. The ‘Umara’ constituted the elite of the Mughal administration and military.
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