The head of the military department under the reorganised central machinery of administration during Akbar’s reign was

Under Akbar’s reorganisation of the central administrative machinery, the Mir Bakhshi was explicitly assigned responsibility for military affairs, while the Diwan handled finances and the Khan-i-Saman took care of the royal household and public works [1]. This structural division meant that the head of the military department was the Mir Bakhshi. The change was embedded within Akbar’s broader administrative innovations, including the Mansabdari system which integrated civil and military duties among officials; military personnel and related organization were therefore coordinated centrally under the Mir Bakhshi’s oversight as part of this system [2]. Hence the correct answer is Mir Bakshi.

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map > The Mughal administrative framework > p. 53
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > Mansabdari System > p. 206