The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c9.s3.4

c9.s3.4

The salary of the soldiers and expenditure on their horses usually formed part of the pay of the Umara or Mansabdars who were expected to spend it on them. But this system gave the nobleman an opportunity to retain some money from every mans pay and prepare false returns of the horses he was supposed to provide. Many of the lords who hold the rank of 5000 horse, do not keep even 1000 in their employ.⁴¹ This practice was universal throughout the medieval period. It rendered the Amirs income very considerable, particularly when he was so fortunate as to have some good *jagirs* or suitable lands assigned to him. For some of the officers received double, and even more than that, in excess of the estimated value of their grants.⁴² There was thus the practice which prevails too much at all times of purchasing governorships against hard cash. Sometimes the king assigned a governorship to the highest bidder. The governor or farmer of revenue so appointed had to compensate himself by mercilessly fleecing the merchants and peasants of the province.⁴³ In this way many people without the smallest patrimony, some even originally wretched slaves, involved in debt, became great and opulent lords overnight. Bernier even complains that the Great Mogol did not select for his service gentlemen of opulent and ancient families; sons of his citizens, merchants and manufacturers affectionately attached to their sovereign and willing to maintain themselves by means of their own patrimony Instead he is surrounded by parasites raised by the dregs of society. That is how the misery of this ill-fated country is increased.⁴⁴