A historian studying Mughal records asks where the power of the zamindars in the countryside came from. Which of the following would the sources support as sources of their power?
(A) Collecting revenue on behalf of the state, a service for which they were paid
(B) Control over military resources such as fortresses and armed contingents
(C) Holding jagirs assigned by the emperor in place of a cash salary
(D) Heading the village panchayat as the muqaddam chosen by the elders
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → A and B only
(A) Collecting revenue on behalf of the state, a service for which they were paid — Correct. Zamindars often collected revenue on behalf of the state and were paid for this service. This gave them power in the countryside.
(B) Control over military resources such as fortresses and armed contingents — Correct. Control over military resources was another source of power. Most zamindars had fortresses (qilachas) and armed units of cavalry, artillery and infantry.
(C) Holding jagirs assigned by the emperor in place of a cash salary — Incorrect. Jagirs were revenue assignments given to mansabdars in place of salary. They belonged to the Mughal nobility serving the emperor.
(D) Heading the village panchayat as the muqaddam chosen by the elders — Incorrect. The muqaddam or mandal headed the village panchayat and was chosen by the village elders. This was a village office held by a peasant leader.
NCERT (2026-27): “5. The Zamindars … |