Who was Raja Todar Mal?

Raja Todar Mal was one of the Navaratnas (Nine Gems) in the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He is remembered as a brilliant administrator who completely transformed India's land revenue system.

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What is Todar Mal known for?

Answer

Todar Mal was Akbar's Finance Minister (Diwan) and one of the Navaratnas. He is most famous for creating the Zabt system (Ain-i-Dahsala), a scientific land measurement and revenue system that classified land quality and set fair taxes.

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Key Facts

Todar Mal: One of Akbar's Navaratnas; served as Finance Minister.

Zabt System: A scientific land measurement and revenue system.

Ain-i-Dahsala: The 10-year average system for fixing tax rates.

Legacy: His methods influenced Indian land revenue administration for centuries.

Who was Todar Mal?

Todar Mal began his career under Sher Shah Suri before joining Akbar's court. He rose to become Akbar's Finance Minister (Diwan) and was the chief architect of the Mughal land revenue system.

The Zabt System (Bandobast)

Todar Mal's greatest contribution was developing the Zabt System (also called Ain-i-Dahsala or Bandobast):

Land was measured and classified into four categories based on quality: Polaj (best), Parauti, Chachar, and Banjar (worst/wasteland).
A 10-year average of crop prices and production was calculated to fix a fair tax rate.
Taxes were collected in cash (not in kind/produce), which boosted the monetization of the economy.
This system brought regularity, fairness, and massive revenue to the Mughal treasury.

Questions and Answers

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