With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences

With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar?

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1. Jagirdars were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection.
2. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights of Zamindars were not hereditary.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

This question was previously asked in

UPSC IAS – 2019

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Neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Jagirdars were holders of revenue assignments (jagirs) given in lieu of cash salaries for their service to the state (military, administrative, etc.). They were primarily concerned with revenue collection from their assigned areas, not necessarily judicial or police duties directly, though they might hold administrative posts that included such duties. Zamindars were hereditary landholders or intermediaries who had rights to collect revenue from peasant cultivators, often with additional local administrative powers. Their primary obligation to the state was the punctual payment of the agreed-upon revenue.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Land assignments (jagirs) to Jagirdars were temporary and transferable, not hereditary. They were usually transferred every few years to prevent the Jagirdar from developing strong local roots. Revenue rights of Zamindars, on the other hand, were largely hereditary, often based on long-standing claims or customs, although the state could sometimes modify or abolish these rights.

The Jagirdari system was a system of assigning revenues of a territory to nobles and officers in lieu of salary during the Mughal period. The Zamindari system pre-existed the Mughals in various forms and was adopted and formalized by them as a method of revenue collection. The key difference lies in the nature of their relationship with the state and the land/revenue: Jagirdars were assignees of revenue for service, while Zamindars were hereditary intermediaries with rights over land/revenue collection.

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