Mughal Administration Hierarchy: Pargana, Sarkar, Suba
In medieval Indian administration, the correct ascending order of units by size is Pargana (smallest), followed by Sarkar (district), and then Suba (province). This hierarchical structure helped in effective revenue collection and local governance.
Primary Reference: NCERT Class VII: Our Pasts - II
Archived:
Updated:
Exam Year
2021
Evidence Source
Link ↗With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?
[UPSC CSE Pre 2021]
Detailed Solution & Historical Context
Concept
Medieval Indian administration, particularly under the Mughals and Sher Shah Suri, was built on a nested hierarchy. This system allowed the central government to maintain control over vast territories through smaller, manageable units.
Authentic Source Evidence
The hierarchy starts from the smallest unit of administration. A group of villages formed a Pargana. Multiple Parganas were grouped into a Sarkar (equivalent to a modern district). Several Sarkars together constituted a Suba (a province).
Analytical Breakdown
Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic
"Who was the head of a 'Suba' and what was their role?"
Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip
"The Pargana-Sarkar-Suba structure was so efficient that it served as the blueprint for the British district administration system later on."
Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)
Analysing authentic UPSC CSE Preprevious year questions is non-negotiable for serious aspirants. Thoroughly decoding past exam trends related to Mughal Political Structure helps you understand the examiner's mindset. Mastering specific entities like Pargana and Sarkar builds the analytical intuition needed to clear the exam. Practice Previous Year Questions here →