Consider the following observations relating to the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar : 1. Akbar strengthened his control on the nobility and the army by introducing the mansabdari system. 2. Under the mansabdari system, every officer was assigned a rank (mansab). 3. The ranks were divided into three : zat, sawar and chehra. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

Akbar introduced the Mansabdari system to provide a systematic and centralized administrative framework, which strengthened his control over the nobility and the army by integrating civil and military officials into a single service [1]. Under this system, every officer was assigned a rank known as a 'mansab', which determined their status and salary [1][t1]. By the later years of Akbar's reign, these ranks were divided into two components: 'zat' and 'sawar' [1][t1][t4]. 'Zat' indicated the officer's personal rank and salary grade, while 'sawar' specified the number of cavalrymen they were required to maintain [t1][t6]. While 'chehra' (descriptive roll of soldiers) and 'dagh' (branding of horses) were essential administrative practices used to prevent fraud within the system, they were not categories of the 'mansab' rank itself. Therefore, statement 3 is incorrect as the ranks were dual (zat and sawar), not triple.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > Mansabdari System > p. 206