What was the relationship between mansabdars …

A jagir was a revenue assignment for the mansabdars. The mansabdars had the right to collect revenue from a jagir but they could not reside in or administer the jagir. They only had rights to the revenue of their assignments which was collected for them by their servants while the mansabdars served in some other part of the country. In Akbar’s reign, these jagirs were carefully assessed so that their revenues were roughly equal to the salary of the mansadar. By Aurangzeb’s reign, the actual revenue collected was often less than the granted sum. Moreover, a huge increase in the number of mansabdars meant a long wait before they received a jagir. These and other factors created a shortage in the number of jagirs . As a result, many jagirdars tried to extract as much revenue as possible while they had a jagir. These factors during Aurangzeb's reign led to the peasantry's suffering and loss.