HistoryMedieval India: Peasants, Zamindars and the State

With reference to the measurement of lands under the Mughals, identif…

With reference to the measurement of lands under the Mughals, identify the odd one out:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Forest tracts of the subcontinent

Option (1) Cultivated lands of a province — Incorrect. Cultivated land was measured in each province, and the Ain compiled its totals under Akbar.

Option (2) Cultivable lands of a province — Incorrect. Land fit for farming but not yet tilled, cultivable land, was also measured in each province.

Option (3) Number of cultivators in a village — Incorrect. In 1665 Aurangzeb told his officials to keep annual records of cultivators in each village.

Option (4) Forest tracts of the subcontinent — Correct. The odd one: forests covered huge areas and remained unmeasured, so they stayed outside the land records.

NCERT (2026-27): “6. Land Revenue System …
Both cultivated and cultivable lands were measured in each province. The Ain compiled the aggregates of such lands during Akbar’s rule. Efforts to measure lands continued under subsequent emperors. For instance, in 1665, Aurangzeb expressly instructed his revenue officials to prepare annual records of the number of cultivators in each village (Source 7). Yet not all areas were measured successfully. As we have seen, forests covered huge areas of the subcontinent and thus remained unmeasured.”