Consider the following statements about the Mughal Jagirdari System : (A) The Mughal administrative structure faced the jagirdari crisis during the closing years of Aurangzeb's Reign. (B) There was a limited number of jagirs but unlimited number of mansabdars.

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 4:

The correct answer is Both (A) and (B) are true. This question addresses the fundamental structural flaw that contributed significantly to the decline of the mighty Mughal Empire, famously known as the *Jagirdari Crisis*. Statement (A) is correct because this crisis reached its peak during the long reign of Emperor Aurangzeb (1658–1707), particularly in its later years. The continuous annexation of the Deccan Sultanates and constant warfare increased the number of Mansabdars (military and civil officials) requiring salaries (Jagirs) but did not proportionally increase the amount of land (Jagirs) yielding sufficient revenue. Statement (B) correctly captures the essence of this crisis: the supply of potential Jagirs (revenue-yielding land) became limited, especially as the number of Mansabdars swelled due to Aurangzeb’s expansionist policies in the Deccan. This imbalance—limited land but increasing demand for assignments—meant many Mansabdars had to wait for long periods to receive a Jagir or were assigned Jagirs that yielded far less revenue than expected (a discrepancy between *Jama* and *Hasil*). This led to intense competition, corruption, and a breakdown of administrative loyalty, directly fueling the crisis referenced in statement (A).

The incorrect option is 1: Only (A) is true.
This option is incorrect because statement (B) provides the precise cause and mechanism behind the crisis mentioned in statement (A). The administrative difficulty (the crisis) arose specifically because the supply of assignable land (jagirs) could not meet the rising demand from the growing number of officials (mansabdars).

The incorrect option is 2: Only (B) is true.
While statement (B) is factually correct and describes the core imbalance of the system, it cannot be true alone because this structural imbalance immediately resulted in severe administrative difficulty and decline, which historians define as the Jagirdari Crisis mentioned in statement (A).

The incorrect option is 3: Neither (A) nor (B) is true.
This option is incorrect as both statements are historically accurate and widely accepted explanations for the destabilization of the Mughal Empire in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The crisis and the imbalance between jagirs and mansabdars are intrinsically linked.