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R.A.S./R.T.S. Pre 2010

Mughal Economic Reforms

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

During Akbar period, land revenue system 'Ain-i-Dahsala' was developed by:

Solution & Analysis

Answer: C

Concept Revenue stability was the secret to the Mughal Empire’s long life. The Ain-i-Dahsala system replaced annual price fixing with a more predictable and scientific data-driven model.

Explanation Raja Todar Mal, Akbar’s finance minister and one of the 'Navaratnas,' developed the Ain-i-Dahsala system around 1580–82. This system calculated the revenue based on the average yield and prices of crops over the past ten (dah) years, ensuring a fair and consistent tax rate.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: It resolved the chaos of fluctuating market prices, as the state no longer had to set new rates every year.
Logic 2: Todar Mal’s expertise in land measurement and crop surveys made him the architect of the most stable revenue system in the early modern world.

Active Recall

Question

What was the main benefit of the Dahsala system?

Answer

It provided certainty to the peasants about their tax liability and ensured a steady income for the imperial treasury.

Core Insight

Todar Mal's system turned the Mughal state into a 'statistical state' that relied on centuries of data and precision surveying.

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