UPSC Prelims 2019 Q1: Medieval History – Mughal Empire

UPSC Prelims 2019, General Studies Paper I · Medieval History

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

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Jagirdar vs Zamindar in Mughal India

Feature	Jagirdar	Zamindar
Nature of grant	Land assignment (jagir) given in lieu of salary for military/administrative service to the state	Hereditary revenue right over land, often pre-Mughal origin
Primary duty	Maintenance of troops (sawar) and civil/military service to emperor - NOT judicial/police duties	Revenue collection from peasants and payment to state (after keeping share)
Hereditary?	NO - jagirs were transferable (every 3-4 years) and not hereditary	YES - zamindari rights passed from father to son
Relation to land	Right to collect revenue only; no ownership	Actual proprietary interest in land

Statement 1: WRONG - Jagirdars' duty was military/administrative service (maintaining troops), not judicial/police duties.

Statement 2: WRONG (reversed) - Jagirs were NOT hereditary (transferable); zamindar rights WERE hereditary.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Incorrect. Statement 1 wrongly attributes judicial/police duties to Jagirdars - their duty was military service.
(b) Incorrect. Statement 2 is exactly reversed - Jagirs were transferable and Zamindar rights were hereditary.
(c) Incorrect. Both statements contain factual errors.
(d) CORRECT. Both statements are wrong. Jagirdars served the empire militarily (not as police/judges); jagirs were non-hereditary while zamindari was hereditary.

Key point

Jagir = military service assignment, transferable, non-hereditary. Zamindari = hereditary revenue right, pre-existing. Both statements in the question invert or misstate these facts, so answer is Neither.

Remember

In Mughal India, Jagirdars held transferable land assignments in lieu of military service, while Zamindars held hereditary revenue rights over land. Jagirs were never hereditary and Jagirdars did not perform judicial/police duties - so both statements in this question are incorrect.

Common mistakes

Confusing Jagirdar with Mansabdar - Mansab was the rank; Jagir was the revenue assignment attached to it.
Assuming Jagirs were hereditary like European fiefs - Mughal jagirs were systematically rotated to prevent power bases.
Missing that Zamindars pre-dated the Mughals and were autonomous intermediaries with hereditary rights over land.

Exam tip

Rule of thumb: Jagir = state salary in land form (transferable, non-hereditary). Zamindari = hereditary revenue right (hereditary, land-based). If a statement swaps 'hereditary' between them, mark it wrong.

Sources

NCERT Class 12 - Themes in Indian History Part II (Kings and Chronicles: Mughal Empire)
Irfan Habib - The Agrarian System of Mughal India

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