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UPPCS Pre 1995

Mughal Fiscal System

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

What was the principal source of State income in Mughal India:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept The Mughal Empire was an agrarian state. While trade and war loot contributed to the treasury, the overwhelming majority of imperial wealth was derived from the surplus produced by the Indian peasant.

Explanation Land Revenue was the principal source of state income. The Mughal administration went to great lengths to standardize land measurement and yield calculations (the Zabt system) to ensure a steady and predictable flow of revenue from the villages.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Other sources like war booty (Option A) were inconsistent. Escheat (Option B) refers to the state seizing property of deceased nobles, which was secondary.
Logic 2: Land revenue funded the massive army and the spectacular architectural projects that defined the Mughal era.

Active Recall

Question

How much of the produce did the Mughal state typically claim?

Answer

The state demand usually ranged from one-third to one-half of the average agricultural produce, depending on the land fertility.

Core Insight

The focus on land revenue forced the Mughal state to become a highly efficient 'Surveying State' that tracked every bigha of cultivable land.

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