A powerful military chieftain in Mughal India dispossessed weaker people to expand his zamindari. Which of the following would most likely have led the state to allow such a show of aggression?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Confirmation by an imperial order (sanad)
Option (1) Approval of the village panchayat headed by the muqaddam — Incorrect. The village panchayat dealt with village matters such as caste rules and disputes. It had no say over a chieftain's conquests.
Option (2) Confirmation by an imperial order (sanad) — Correct. Conquest was one source of the origin of some zamindaris. The state was unlikely to allow such aggression unless the zamindar had been confirmed by an imperial order (sanad).
Option (3) Recording of the seized lands as his milkiyat — Incorrect. Milkiyat were the zamindar's personal lands for private use. Calling seized land milkiyat did not make the conquest acceptable to the state.
Option (4) Consent of the jagirdar holding the area — Incorrect. A jagirdar held a revenue assignment for a time and was often transferred. The state's approval came through an imperial order.
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