A historian wants to reconstruct how Indian society was organised at the turn of the seventeenth century. Which part of the Ain-i Akbari enables historians to do this?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Its information on people, their professions and trades
Option (1) Its information on people, their professions and trades — Correct. The Ain records people, their professions and trades, and the imperial establishment and grandees. This lets historians rebuild the social fabric of India around 1600.
Option (2) Its quantitative data on revenue from the subas — Incorrect. The revenue figures from the subas are the Ain's quantitative evidence. Their value lies in the study of agrarian relations.
Option (3) Its list of prices and wages around the capital — Incorrect. Prices and wages are economic data about the area near the capital. They tell us about costs and earnings of the time.
Option (4) Its account of the organisation of the army — Incorrect. The Ain describes how the army was organised as part of the administration. That shows the working of the state.
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