104 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA

qualities of obstinacy, ill-temper, and vindictiveness;
and we must also remember that, apart from his eminence
as revenue administrator, he was a consistently successful
Commander in the field. As such, he was frequently called
away from the Ministry for military duty, and between the
19th and 26th years he had very little to do with its activities.
In the 18th year he was sent to Bihar, and then to Bengal.
A temporary arrangement was made at this time, under
which his staff in the Ministry was not to be changed, and
his policy was to be carried out; so we may infer that he
was in fact responsible for the original collectors, though
he was not actually in charge at the time of their appointment.
 He returned to the Ministry in the 2oth year, but
was almost immediately sent back to Bengal, and the
charge of the Ministry then fell to Khwaja Shah Mansi.
From Bengal the Raja went to Gujarat, and then, in the
22nd year, we find him and Shah Mansiir working together
in the Ministry; but there was clearly friction, and Muzaffar
Khan, the former Chief Minister, was recalled to Court,
apparently to moderate between them, for they were ordered
to work “in consultation with” him. Next year Todar Mal
went on special duty to the Punjab, and, when Muzaffar
Khan left Court, Shih Mansiir remained sole Revenue
Minister, in which capacity he was serving in the 24th year;
Akbar had intended that the reforms of that year should be
introduced by the two Ministers jointly, but, again, he
found it necessary to send Todar Mal to Bengal. where he
remained until the 26th year.
During this interval a bitter quarrel broke out between
the Raja and Shih Mansiir, and the latter was imprisoned
pending enquiry into his conduct. He was reinstated
shortly afterwards; but, in the last days of the 25th year,
he was executed on a charge of treasonable correspondence
with the enemy. Next year Todar Mal returned to the
Ministry, and in the 27th year reached the zenith of his
career, being practically Chief Minister of the Empire.
While holding this position, he wrote the first of the two
documents which we have to examine, a set of proposals
1 Akbarnama, iii." 861, Maasirulumra, ii. 123 ff. The summary which
follows of Todar Mal’s employment is based on Akbarnama, iii. 8o, 1 58,
104, 207, 214, 215, 248. 250, 265, 282, 316, 327, 372. 381. 403, and 457.