D. The Mir Bakshi in the Mughal Empire was the head of the military department and acted as the chief paymaster. He also held the responsibility of supervising land revenue officials to ensure the financial stability of military assignments.

[Solved] Role of Mir Bakshi: Beyond Military Duties | Concept & Explanation

Duty of Mir Bakshi:

[UPPCS Pre 2004]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

While the Mir Bakshi was the head of the military, the Mughal system was so integrated that military and civil duties often overlapped. The ranking system (Mansabdari) required military heads to oversee administrative productivity.

Authentic Source Evidence

The Mir Bakshi was not just a general; he was an imperial minister responsible for the recruitment and payroll of Mansabdars. As part of his broader administrative reach, he was also tasked with the supervision of land revenue officials to ensure the army's financial backing (Jagirs) remained stable.

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: The Diwan looked after the actual charging of tax and accounts (Option A, B). The Qazi handled justice (Option C).

Logic 2: The Mir Bakshi ensured that the revenue-producing lands assigned to military officers were properly managed by local officials, creating a link between land and military readiness.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"Was the Mir Bakshi the Paymaster of the whole army?"

Yes, he was the chief paymaster, but he primarily managed the payments and land assignments of the higher-ranking Mansabdars.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"The Mir Bakshi's role shows that the Mughal Empire was a 'Paper Government' where military leaders had to be expert administrators and auditors."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Mansabdari 6 Jagirdari 4

Analysing authentic UPPCS Preprevious year questions is non-negotiable for serious aspirants. Thoroughly decoding past exam trends related to Mughal Administrative Integration helps you understand the examiner's mindset. Mastering specific entities like Mir Bakshi and Mughal Administration builds the analytical intuition needed to clear the exam. Practice Previous Year Questions here →