Class 12 History - CBSE
Peasants Zamindars and the State
This chapter explores the agrarian society of the Mughal Empire from the sixteenth to the seventeenth centuries, focusing on the complex relationships between peasants, zamindars, and the state. It relies heavily on the 'Ain-i Akbari' of Abul Fazl to understand rural life, agricultural production, land revenue systems, and social hierarchies. For CBSE Class 12 board exams, this chapter is crucial as it tests your understanding of primary historical sources, Mughal administrative machinery, and the economic structures that sustained the empire, often featuring in source-based and long-answer questions.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Peasantry (Khud-kashta and Pahi-kashta)
Peasants were broadly divided into two types: khud-kashta, who lived and farmed in their own villages, and pahi-kashta, non-resident cultivators who farmed lands elsewhere on a contractual basis.
Zamindars
An intermediary class in rural society who owned personal lands (milkiyat) and extracted revenue from peasants, often holding higher social and economic status with military power.
Ain-i Akbari
The third volume of the Akbarnama, written by Abul Fazl, detailing Mughal administration, agrarian relations, statistics, and the cultural life of the empire.
Jins-i Kamil
Also known as perfect crops, these were cash crops like cotton and sugarcane that brought higher revenue to the Mughal state.
Pargana and Mandal
A pargana was a cluster of villages comprising an administrative sub-district, while the mandal or muqaddam was the village headman who represented the peasants.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the CBSE Class 12 History board exam, this chapter usually carries around 5 to 8 marks. Questions frequently include 1-mark objective questions, 3-mark short answers, 8-mark long answers, and a compulsory source-based passage from the Ain-i Akbari.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between khud-kashta and pahi-kashta peasants?
Khud-kashta peasants were permanent residents of the village who owned and cultivated their own land, whereas pahi-kashta peasants were temporary cultivators who farmed land in villages where they did not permanently reside, often to take advantage of favorable terms.
Why is the Ain-i Akbari an important source for historians?
It provides a vast amount of quantitative and qualitative data about Mughal administration, crop yields, prices, and revenue systems, though historians must cross-verify its data since it reflects the perspective of the imperial court.
Were zamindars exploited by the Mughal state?
Not necessarily; while zamindars were intermediaries who collected revenue for the state, many held considerable military power, fortified strongholds, and often shared a mutually beneficial, albeit sometimes tense, relationship with the Mughal ruling class.
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