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Q5 (IAS/2021) History & Culture › Medieval India › Mughal administrative system Official Key

With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1: Paragana-Sarkar-Suba. This sequence correctly represents the administrative hierarchy of the Mughal Empire in ascending order of geographical size and administrative complexity.

  • Paragana: This was the smallest unit among the three, consisting of a cluster of villages. It was primarily a fiscal and administrative unit headed by officers like the Shiqdar and Amil.
  • Sarkar: A group of Paraganas constituted a Sarkar, which is equivalent to a modern-day district. It was headed by the Faujdar (military/executive) and Amalguzar (revenue).
  • Suba: This was the largest administrative unit, equivalent to a province. Several Sarkars made up a Suba, which was governed by a Subahdar or Governor.

Options 2, 3, and 4 are incorrect because they misplace the hierarchy. In the Mughal system established by Akbar, the order was strictly Village → Paragana → Sarkar → Suba.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size? [A] Paragana-S…
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Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 5/10
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This is a textbook 'Sitter' directly from NCERT Themes Part II. It rewards basic structural clarity over rote memorization of dates. If you skipped the administrative hierarchy of the Mughals, you missed a fundamental pillar of Medieval History preparation.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In medieval India, was the ascending order by administrative unit size Paragana < Sarkar < Suba?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State > 8. The Ain-i Akbari of Abu'l Fazl Allami > p. 218
Presence: 5/5
“After setting out details at the suba level, the Ain goes on to give a detailed picture of the sarkars below the suba. This it does in the form of tables, which have eight columns giving the following information: (1) parganat/mahal; (2) qila (forts); (3) arazi and zamin-i paimuda (measured area); (4) naqdi, revenue assessed in cash; (5) suyurghal, grants of revenue in charity; (6) zamindars; columns 7 and 8 contain details of the castes of these zamindars, and their troops including their horsemen (sawar), foot-soldiers (piyada) and elephants (fil ). The mulk-abadi gives a fascinating, detailed and highly complex view of agrarian society in northern India.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly describes Ain-i Akbari presenting details first at the suba level and then giving a detailed picture of the sarkars below the suba
  • Lists parganat/mahal as an entry under the sarkar tables, placing pargana/mahal beneath sarkar
  • Directly implies the hierarchical ordering: pargana/mahal under sarkar, and sarkar under suba
History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The Marathas > Provinces > p. 235
Presence: 3/5
“Provinces under the Peshwas were of various sizes. Larger provinces were under the provincial governors called Sar-subahdars. The divisions in the provinces were termed Subahs and Pranths. The Mamlatdar and Kamavistar were Peshwa's representatives in The districts. They were responsible for every branch of district administration. Deshmukhs and Deshpandes were district officers who were in charge of accounts and were to observe the activities of Mamlatdars and Kamavistars. It was a system of checks and balances. In order to prevent misappropriation of public money, the Maratha government collected a heavy sum (Rasad) from the Mamlatdars and other officials. It was collected on their first appointment to a district.”
Why this source?
  • Refers to Subahs as provincial divisions and names provincial governors (Sar-subahdars), indicating Subah is a large administrative unit
  • Distinguishes Subah-level administration from district-level officers, supporting Subah as above district subdivisions
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 4: India on the Eve of British Conquest > Jagirdari Crisis > p. 65
Presence: 3/5
“The nobility comprised people who were either assigned large jagirs and mansabs or appointed subahdars of Mughal subas and given the responsibility of maintaining these. To this class belonged many Rajput rulers, subahdars and mansabdars. Mughal rule has often been defined as "the rule of the nobility", because these nobles played a central role in administering the empire. Although Akbar had provided a well-knit organisation for them, there was divisiveness among the nobility on the basis of religion, homeland and tribe, and each category formed a group of its own. Mutual rivalry, jealousy and contest for power among the various groups during the rule of the later Mughals (in the absence of a strong central leadership) not only reduced the prestige of the emperor, but also contributed to the decline of the empire.”
Why this source?
  • Refers to subahdars of Mughal subas and assigns them significant administrative responsibility, implying suba is a major province
  • Associates nobles being appointed as subahdars, which signals the larger scale and importance of subas
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