Jagirdari System: Origin, Features, Impact and More 

The Jagirdari System was a land revenue system introduced during the Delhi Sultanate around the 13th century, where rulers granted land called “jagirs” to nobles, soldiers, and officials instead of paying them salaries. This system was organized by Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. The Jagirdar had the right to collect taxes from farmers, maintain law and order, and support the empire with troops. Jagirdars didn’t own the land permanently; it could be transferred by the emperor. Originally called “iqtas” during the Delhi Sultanate, the system was revived by Firuz Shah Tughlaq. Over time, it became corrupt, and peasants were exploited. It was abolished after India’s independence in the 1950s through land reforms, ending centuries of exploitation. Understanding this system gives insight into the politics and economy of that time and is useful for exams.

What is the Jagirdari system?

The Jagirdari System was a land revenue system that began during the Delhi Sultanate and became more organized under the Mughal Empire. In this system, kings or emperors gave pieces of land called “jagirs” to nobles, army officers, or court officials instead of paying them salaries. The person who got the jagir was called a Jagirdar, and he had the right to collect taxes from farmers living on that land. In return, the Jagirdar had to maintain law and order, support the king with soldiers when needed, and send a part of the collected revenue to the empire. Jagirdars did not own the land permanently, and the jagirs were often transferred to stop misuse of power.

The system worked well in the beginning, but later became corrupt, and many Jagirdars started exploiting peasants by collecting heavy taxes. Farming suffered because Jagirdars did not invest in land improvement. The Mughal emperor Akbar linked this system with the Mansabdari system, where officials were ranked and given jagirs based on their rank and duties. After the Mughal decline, the system became weaker and more unfair.

During British rule, it was slowly replaced with systems like Zamindari and Ryotwari. After India became independent in 1947, the government passed land reform laws in the 1950s to abolish the Jagirdari system. These reforms helped farmers by giving them ownership of the land and ending the rule of Jagirdars. Although it was once useful for managing large empires, over time it became harmful to farmers and needed to be removed for justice and equality.

History of Jagirdari System

Period	Important Details
Delhi Sultanate (13th century)	The system began under the Sultans, like Alauddin Khilji.
Mughal Empire (16th–18th century)	Emperor Akbar made the system more organized. Jagirdars were strictly monitored.
Decline (Late 18th century)	After Mughal decline, the system became corrupt and inefficient.
British Abolition (19th century)	British ended the system gradually through reforms and laws.

Origin and development of the Jagirdari System

The origins of the Jagirdari System can be traced back to the 13th century. The Delhi Sultanate faced difficulties in maintaining a vast empire and thus needed an effective revenue collection system. To address this and other problems, it came with the Iqta system, which subsequently evolved into the Jagirdari system. 

• Under the Iqta system, land assignments were given to military commanders, known as Iqtadars. 
• In return, the Iqtadars were required to provide military services. Moreover, they were also authorized to collect revenue from the assigned territories.
• During the reign of the Mughal Empire, the system underwent further development and became an integral part of society.
• Under the Mughal rulers, jagirs were given to prominent members of society.
• These jagirdars were responsible for collecting revenue, maintaining law and order, and providing military support. 
• Moreover, they were also required to keep a part of the collected revenue as their income. 
• To ensure smooth and efficient functioning, the Mughal rulers implemented certain regulations such as periodic assessments. This helped them prevent the accumulation of power and wealth with one person only. 

Also Read: Ryotwari System: About India’s Agricultural Past

What are the Main Features of the Jagirdari System?

The term was a portmanteau of two Persian words, jāgīr (“holding land”) and dār (“official”). The primary features of the Jagirdari system include:

• Jagirs could be allotted conditionally or unconditionally.
• The conditional jagirs required some form of reciprocity to ensure mutual benefits.
• The total money collected was called Hasil. Sometimes, the revenue officers used the phrase Paibaqi as well. 
• The predicted revenue was called Jama. It was calculated in Dam, a small copper coin of about 1/40th the size of a silver Rupya.
• Interestingly, other taxes such as Sair Jihat were also included in the Jama.
• The Jama of the Khalisa in certain provinces, such as Allahabad, Delhi, and Awadh, represented less than 5% of the total revenue during the 31st year of Akbar’s rule over the region.
• While the taxes collected by Jagirs paid their salaries, the rest went to the treasury. 
• A few Mansabdars who received a cash salary were called Naqdi.
• Mansabdars were given different positions according to their social status in society.   
• The Jagirs were also transferable on account of administrative purposes. 

Types of Jagirs

There were multiple types of jagirs, including:

Type of jagirs	Meaning
Tankha Jagir	Given as a salary to officials.
Mashrut Jagir	Conditional grants – service had to be provided.
Watan Jagir	Hereditary (passed from father to son), often in native states.
Altamgha Jagir	Given to royal family members or nobles, sometimes permanently.

Also Read: What was thе Pеrmanеnt Sеttlеmеnt or Zamindari Systеm?

What was the Impact of the Jagirdari System?

The Jagirdari system had both positive and negative impacts on society. Here are some key points to consider:

• Centralized power: The Jagirdari system helped the empire in centralizing power in one place by granting jagirs to loyal military officers and nobles. 
• Effective revenue collection: It also resulted in effective revenue collection from the peasants and farmers. 
• Military support: Since the jagirdars were often military commanders or nobles, this helped in maintaining a strong military force.
• Effective administration: Another important impact of the system was that it resulted in effective land administration and provided a better option for management. 
• Economic exploitation: The Jagirdari system resulted in the economic exploitation of poor peasants and farmers, as the Jagirdars had full authority to collect taxes and revenue from their assigned land. 

Also Read: Mahalwari System of Land Revenue: History, Features, Impacts

What is the Difference Between Zamindar and Jagirdari?

Although the terms jagirdari and zamindari might look the same, there are significant differences between the two. 

Zamindari	Jagirdari
A land revenue system where Zamindars collected taxes.	A system where Jagirdars got land grants in place of salary.
Introduced by Mughals, made formal by British.	Started under Delhi Sultanate, improved under Mughals.
Zamindar – a landowner who collected taxes from farmers.	Jagirdar – a person given land (jagir) to collect revenue.
Zamindars often owned the land or had long-term rights.	Jagirdars did not own the land, only collected revenue.
Land was hereditary or permanent in many cases.	Jagirs were non-hereditary and transferable.
Collect land tax and give part to the government.	Provide military service, collect tax, maintain law and order.
No military duty; only revenue collection.	Yes, had to support the king with soldiers.
Continued and expanded by British in Bengal and other areas.	Slowly faded during British rule, replaced by other systems.
Often harsh, led to exploitation and poverty.	Also exploitative, especially in later Mughal period.
Abolished after independence through Zamindari Abolition Acts in 1950s.	Abolished by Jagir Abolition Acts in 1950s.
Zamindars kept a share of the revenue and gave rest to the state.	Jagirdars kept part and sent rest to the empire.
Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.	Rajasthan, Central India, parts of North India.
More personal control over land and people.	Had administrative control, not full land rights.

Jagirdari System Crises

Over time, the Jagirdari system faced several crises that contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century. Some of the major issues included:

• Not Enough Land: There weren’t enough good jagirs to give to everyone who needed one.
• Moving People Around: Jagirdars were constantly moved, so they didn’t care much about improving the land. They just wanted to collect as much money as quickly as possible.
• Hiring Tax Collectors: Sometimes, jagirdars would hire other people to collect taxes. These hired people often pushed the farmers for more money.
• Powerful People: Some jagirdars became very powerful and started ignoring the king.
• Unhappy Farmers: Farmers were often treated badly and had to pay too much tax.

Table of Advantages and Disadvantages of Jagirdari System 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Helped manage a big kingdom.	Jagirdars could be greedy and unfair to farmers.
Paid people without using only money.	Moving jagirdars around hurt the land.
Provided soldiers for the king.	Not enough good land for everyone.
Organized tax collection.	Hiring tax collectors made things worse for farmers.
	Some jagirdars became too strong and didn’t listen to the king.
	Some areas were treated better than others.
	Farmers often got angry and rebelled.

The Jagirdari system was a method where rulers in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire granted land revenue rights to officials as payment. These jagirdars collected taxes and offered services. Initially a practical way to administer vast territories, the system faced challenges. Frequent transfers of jagirdars hindered development, and the exploitation of peasants became common. Over time, this contributed to the weakening of central authority.

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