The agrarian system of Moslem India

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1804119261

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-188010

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Moreland, William Harrison http://d-nb.info/gnd/172263670

Title:: The agrarian system of Moslem India

Edition:: 2. ed. Reissue (d. Ausg. Cambridge) 1929; [Reprint]

Place of publication:: Delhi

Publisher:: Oriental Books, Munshiram Manoharlal

Year of publication:: 1968

Scope:: XVII, 296 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter III. The Sayyid and Afghan dynasties

Collection:: Economics Books

108 THE AGRARIAN SYSTEM OF MOSLEM INDIA Badaiini’s account, while it may be exaggerated in detail, is founded on substantial facts. The author of the Akbar- nama closes his description of the matter with the observa- tion that the old accounts were thus settled, and that, through the efforts of the just and sagacious Imperial Com- missioner, the Ministry became a ‘“house of delight”: we can safely infer that that description did not apply to it before the Commissioner’s reform.! On the whole then it seems to me that Badaiini’s account can safely be accepted as supplementing the official record in this matter, but a few words must be added on the literary problem presented by the two documents we have been considering. Why are they in the Akbarnama at all? Their proper place was in the Ain, following the chapter on the ‘“Ten-Year-period,” which breaks off so abruptly. As the text of the Ain stands, Akbar took no action worthy of record in revenue matters between the 24th and the 4oth year; yet the author of the Akbarnama considered the action embodied in these documents to be so important that he departed from his usual practice and inserted them in extenso. 1 can find no other instance of lengthy and technical departmental records being given in the Akbarnama in full, and from the literary standpoint, which was the standpoint of the author, they are a gross disfigurement on his work; why did he so disfigure it, when he could so easily have secured their insertion in the Ain? I know of no evidence bearing on the question: there must have been some strong motive at work, but its nature is a matter for conjecture. My own guess is this. The draft of the Ain contained a full account of the transactions we have been considering in this section, including the two docu- ments: Abul Fazl in editing the draft cut this portion out as undesirable, but subsequently, when the canon of the Ain had been closed, he decided, or else Akbar ordered, that these important documents ought to be preserved; and he inserted them in the third volume of the Akbarnama, 1 Biyazid (f. 154) gives us an interesting glimpse of Fathulla’s work in the Ministry at this time. As has been mentioned in a previous note, Todar Mal lost his temper with Bayazid in an argument over the latter's pargana. After the quarrel had gone on for some days, Fathulla inter- vened. and referred the matter to Akbar. who decided in Bavazid’s favour.

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