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Todar Mal

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This article is about finance minister of Akbar. For the Jain scholar, see Pandit Todarmal.

Todar Mal
Mughal painting of Todar Mal
Diwan-i-Wazarat of the Mughal Empire
In office
1560 – 1589
MonarchAkbar I
Preceded byKhwaja Malik I'timad Khan
Succeeded byKalyan Das
Personal details
Born1523-24
Laharpur, Delhi Sultanate (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died(1589-11-08)8 November 1589 (aged 66)
Lahore, Lahore Shubah, Mughal Empire (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
ReligionHinduism
Military career
Allegiance Mughal Empire
Service Mughal Army
Years of service1560–1589
RankMansabdar

Raja Todar Mal (1523-24[1] – 8 November 1589) was an Indian minister, economist,[2] and military commander who served as the Finance Minister (Diwan-i-Ashraff) of the Mughal empire during the reign of Akbar I. He was also the Vakil-us-Sultanat (Counsellor of the Empire) and Joint Wazir. He was one of the premier nobles in the Mughal Empire and was a Mansabdar of 4000. He was one of the Navaratnas in Akbar's court. Under Todar Mal, there were 15 other Dewans nominated for 15 Subahs of Akbar.

Life

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Rohtas Fort, built under Todar Mal.

Todar Mal was born in the town of Laharpur in present-day Uttar Pradesh[3][4] in a Hindu family, considered by historians as either Agrawal Bania,[5] Khatri[6][7][8][9] or Kayastha.[10][11][12] Todar Mal's father died when he was very young leaving no means of livelihood for him. Todar Mal started his career from the humble position of a writer but slowly moved up the ranks when Sher Shah Suri, the Sur emperor, assigned him to the charge of building a new fort of Rohtas in Punjab with the objective of preventing Ghakhar raids and to also act as a barrier to the Mughals in the north-west.[13]

After the Sur dynasty was overthrown by the Mughals, Todar Mal continued in the service of the ruling power, which was now the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Under Akbar, he was placed in charge of Agra. Later, he was made governor of Gujarat. At various times, he also managed Akbar's Mint at Bengal and served in Punjab. Todar Mal's most significant contribution, which is appreciated even today, is that he overhauled the revenue system of Akbar's Mughal empire. Raja Todar Mal built a fortress-palace at Laharpur in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. Todar Mal also translated Bhagavata Purana into Persian.

Beveridge records that Raja Todar Mal had got leave from Akbar and was on his way to Haridwar, but he received a letter from Akbar in which the latter is said to have written that "it was better to go on working and doing good to the world than to go on a pilgrimage." Believing it morally wrong to disobey the emperor, he returned to resume his duties in Lahore, where he passed away a few days later on November 8, 1589, at the age of 66. Following his death in Lahore, his body was cremated according to the Hindu traditions. Raja Bhagwan Das, his colleague in the charge of Lahore, was present at the ceremony.[1]: 130  Of his two sons, Dhari was killed in a battle in Sindh. Another son, Kalyan Das, was sent by Todar Mal to subdue the Raja of Kumaon in the Himalayas. He rose to become the Finance Minister in Akbar's Darbar.

As a soldier

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Todar Mal is recognized as an able warrior, who led in various battles.

In 1571, he was employed under Muzaffar and in 1572, he served under Akbar against Khan Zaman (vide no 61).[14]

In the 19th year of Akbar's reign, a significant event unfolded that showcased the strategic acumen and bravery of Man Singh. Following the conquest of Patna, Man Singh was honored with a Salam and naqqara and was ordered to accompany Munim Khan to Bengal. This expedition was crucial in maintaining Mughal dominance in the region, and Man Singh emerged as the soul of this campaign.

The journey to Bengal was fraught with challenges. The region was known for its rebellious factions and the powerful Afghan chief, Da'ud Khan-i-Kharani. The battle with Da'ud Khan was particularly intense. Khan Alam, a notable Mughal commander, was killed in action, and Munim Khan's horse fled the battlefield, creating a moment of potential chaos. However, Man Singh's unwavering resolve turned the tide. Holding his ground bravely, he not only prevented a defeat but secured a resounding victory. Todar Mal, another key figure in Akbar's court, famously remarked, "What harm if Khan Alam is dead; what fear if the Khan Khanan's horse has run away, the empire is ours!" This statement underscored the resilience and determination of the Mughal forces under Man Singh's leadership.

Man Singh's successes in Bengal were numerous. After founding Akbarnagar, he continued to suppress rebellions, demonstrating his strategic brilliance and unyielding spirit. He personally marched against Isa Bhati and his Afghan forces, resulting in their retreat and the annexation of their lands. Despite falling ill, Man Singh's command did not waver. He dispatched his trusted lieutenant, Himmat Singh, to handle the renewed uprisings, and once again, his forces emerged victorious.

The relationship between Man Singh and the local rulers also played a pivotal role in his campaigns. His support for Raja Lakshmi Narayan of Cooch Behar was instrumental in securing a strategic alliance. The grateful Raja offered his sister in marriage to Man Singh and pledged his allegiance to the Mughal Emperor. This alliance not only strengthened Mughal control over Bengal but also reinforced the importance of diplomacy and marital alliances in maintaining stability.

Man Singh's tenure in Bengal was marked by continuous military engagements. His brief departure to Ajmer saw the resurgence of rebellion in Bengal. However, he swiftly returned to restore order. On February 12, 1601, near Sherpur-Atia, Man Singh defeated the rebels, chasing them for eight miles. His relentless pursuit of the rebels showcased his commitment to maintaining Mughal authority. His campaigns extended to Dacca, where he forced the submission of Kedar Rai, the zamindar of Bhushna, and defeated other notable rebels like Jalal Khan and Qazi Mumin.

In the battles that followed, Man Singh's forces triumphed over numerous adversaries, including the successor of Qatlu Khan, Usman, and the Arakan pirates. His strategic acumen and military prowess ensured the suppression of the most formidable rebels. The capture and subsequent death of Kedar Rai further demonstrated Man Singh's effectiveness as a military commander.

Man Singh's tenure in Bengal solidified his reputation as one of Akbar's most trusted and capable generals. His relentless dedication, strategic brilliance, and ability to forge alliances were instrumental in maintaining Mughal control over Bengal. His legacy as a formidable military leader and a pivotal figure in Mughal history continues to be remembered and revered. Through his unwavering efforts, Man Singh not only expanded the Mughal Empire but also ensured its stability in a region rife with challenges.[15]

In the 19th year, after the conquest of Patna, he got a Salam and naqqara (A'in 19) and was ordered to accompany Munim Khan to Bengal. He was the soul of the expedition. In the battle with Da'ud Khan-i-Kharani, when Khan Alam had been killed, and Munsim Khan's horse had run away, the Raja held his ground bravely, and not only was there no defeat but an actual victory. "What harm" said Todar Mal, "if Khan Alam is dead; what fear if the Khan Khanan's horse has run away, the empire is ours!"[14]

In Malwa

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In July 1564, Todar Mal accompanied Akbar in his campaign against Abdullah Khan Uzbeg, the subahdar of Malwa, who had revolted against the imperial authority. No reason of 'Abdullah's rebellion is furnished by the contemporary writers. Probably, having got the post of a governor he became power-corrupt and decided to become independent. Akbar became very much disturbed and decided to punish him. The emperor started his march on the pretext of elephant hunting on 2 July 1564. The imperial army reached the village Liwani in Indore on 5 August and on the 6th completely defeated 'Abdullah Khan Uzbeg, who fled to Gujarat. The imperial forces returned to the capital on 9 October 1564.

According to Abu-l-Fazl there were 300 officers with the emperor on the day of victory. He gives the name of thirty (30) officers including that of Todar Mal As there is no other mention of Todar Mal's activities, it can be stated that he was with Akbar in his Malwa expedition from start to finish (2 July – 9 October 1564).

As a Finance minister of Akbar

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Todar Mal succeeded Khwaja Malik I'timad Khan in 1560. Raja Todar Mal introduced standard weights and measures, a land survey and settlement system, revenue districts and officers.[16] This system of maintenance by Patwari is still used in Indian Subcontinent which was improved by British Raj and Government of India.

Raja Todar Mal, as finance minister of Akbar, introduced a new system of revenue known as zabt and a system of taxation called dahsala. His revenue collection arrangement came to be known as the "Todarmal's Bandobast".[17][18]

He took a careful survey of crop yields and prices cultivated for a 10-year period 1570–1580. On this basis, tax was fixed on each crop in cash. Each province was divided into revenue circles with their own rates of revenue and a schedule of individual crops. This system was prevalent where the Mughal administration could survey the land and keep careful accounts. For the revenue system, Akbar's territory was divided into 15 Subahs, which were further subdivided into a total of 187 Sarkars across 15 subahs, and those 187 sarkars (sirkar) were further subdivided into a total of 3367 Mahals or Pargana. Several Mahals were grouped into Dasturs, a unit between Mahal and Sirkar. Portion of larger Mahal or Pargana was called taraf. Mahals was subdivided into standardised Bighas. A Bigha was made of 3600 Ilahi Gaj, which is roughly half of modern acre. Unit of measurement was standardised to Ilahi Gaj, which was equivalent to 41 fingers (29-32 inches). Lead measuring rope, called Tenab, was also standardised by joining pieces of Bamboo with iron rings so that the length of Tenab did not vary with seasonal changes.[19][20]

Sometime between 1582 and 1584, as finance minister, Raja Todar Mal issued a decree which stated that all Mughal administration was to be written in Persian and in the "Iranian style".[21] The decree also stated that the Mughal administration was to be staffed by Iranian and Hindu clerks, secretaries and scribes.[21] His systematic approach to revenue collection became a model for the future Mughals as well as the British.

Death

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Todar Mal died in Lahore on 8 November 1589.[22]

Legacy

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The Kashi Vishwanath Temple was rebuilt in 1585 by Todar Mal.[23][24] This temple was later demolished by Aurangzeb, who had the Gyanvapi Mosque built on its ruins. The current Kashi Vishwanath Temple was built later by Ahilyabai Holkar on an adjacent plot of land.

The academic consensus holds that Persian rose to become the dominant language of the Mughal government after the 1582-1584 administrative decree was issued by Raja Todar Mal.[21] Persian would hold such status within the Mughal bureaucracy all the way into early colonial India; eventually, in the 1830s, it would lose such status as the British made coordinated attempts to replace it with English (see also; English Education Act 1835).[21]

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In the historical serial, Bharat Ek Khoj, Todar Mal was played by popular character actor, Harish Patel in the two episodes (Episodes 32 and 33) on the life and times of Emperor Akbar.

Todar Mal is featured in the video games Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings, and most recently in Sid Meier's Civilization VI as a "great merchant".

In the Indian movie Jodhaa Akbar, Raja Todar Mal is portrayed by Pramod Moutho. In the Indian historical fiction television series Jodha Akbar, Todar Mal is portrayed by Shaurya Singh.

Conclusion

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  1. ^ a b Das, Kumudranjan (1979). Raja Todar Mal. Saraswat Library. pp. 7–8. As Todar Mal was a Hindi poet,the opinion of the authors of Hindi literature should get due importance. It seems from their unanimity that the said date has been traditionally current as the Raja's date of birth. In the absence of any contemporary evidence, we intend to accept the year 1580 Samvat / 1523-24 as Todar Mal's date of birth.
  2. ^ Majumdar, Rohit (8 December 2023), "The Boats of Fortune", Concise History of Indian Economy, London: Routledge India, pp. 3–10, doi:10.4324/9781032630618-2, ISBN 978-1-032-63061-8, retrieved 29 April 2024
  3. ^ The Ain i Akbari by Abul Fazlallami, translated from the original Persian, by Heinrich Blochmann and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarrett, Volume 1, Page 376, Low Price Publications India
  4. ^ The Akbar Nama : Abu-I-Fazl : Translated from the Persian by Henry Beveridge, ICS. Pages : 61-62. Vol. III
  5. ^ Dwarka Nath Gupta (1999). Socio-cultural History of an Indian Caste. Mittal Publications, New Delhi. p. 15. Two of Akbar's finance ministers - Madhu Sah and Todar Mal are said to have been Agarwals
  6. ^ Political history, 1542-1605 A.D by Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava. Shiva Lal Agarwala. 1962. p. 357,364. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  7. ^ Studies in Social Change by Krishna Swarup Mathur, B. R. K. Shukla, Banvir Singh. Ethnographic & Folk Culture Society. 1973. p. 96. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  8. ^ Sher Shah and his times by Kalika Ranjan Qanungo. Orient Longmans. 1965. p. 285. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  9. ^ Naravane, Susheila (5 September 2018). Acute Akbar versus the spirited Nur Jahan : the soul's journey through time and the who's who of rebirth. Troubador Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-78901-387-0. OCLC 1063603921.
  10. ^ Hugh Tinker (1990). South Asia: A Short History. University of Hawaii Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-824-81287-4. Retrieved 15 August 2011. kayastha.
  11. ^ Schimmel, Annemarie; Welch, Stuart Cary (1983). Anvari's Divan: A Pocket Book for Akbar. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-87-099331-2. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2016. Raja Todar Mal, a Hindu of the clerical Kayastha caste, was born in Oudh to a family from the Punjab.
  12. ^ Hawley, John Stratton (2010). "Seeing the Bhakti Movement". In Ray, Himanshu Prabha (ed.). Archaeology and Text: The Temple in South Asia. Oxford University Press. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-19-806096-3. All of these temples were established through a connection with the Mughal throne—either through Todar Mal, a Kayasth from Avadh, or through a member of the Kacchvaha lineage of eastern Rajasthan—and they bear a definite stylistic similarity, but it seems to owe nothing to the Dravidian south.
  13. ^ bahādur.), Muḥammad Laṭīf (Saiyid, khān (1896). Agra, Historical & Descriptive: With an Account of Akbar and His Court and of the Modern City of Agra. Illustrated with Portraits of the Moghul Emperors and Drawings of the Principal Architectural Monuments of that City and Its Suburbs, and a Map of Agra. Printed at the Calcutta central Press Company, limited. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ a b The Ain i Akbari by Abul Fazlallami, translated from the original Persian, by Heinrich Blochmann and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarret, Volume 1, Page 376, Low Price Publications India
  15. ^ "Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion". Microsoft Copilot: Your AI companion. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  16. ^ Sheikh, Majid (4 September 2016). "HARKING BACK: Raja Todar Mal and his revenue collection system". The Dawn. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Akbar's Administrative System | IAS Abhiyan". 13 March 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Todar Mal". The Reflective Indian. wordpress.com. 24 February 2013. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  19. ^ [Indian History, VK Agnihotri, pp.B249 ]
  20. ^ [The Challenges of Indian Management, B R Virmani pp.57]
  21. ^ a b c d Sheikh, Samira (2021). "Persian in the Villages, or, the Language of Jamiat Rai's Account Books". Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient. 64 (5–6): 701–702. doi:10.1163/15685209-12341551.
  22. ^ "The Akbarnama of Abu Fazl, Volume 3, chpt. 207". Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  23. ^ "New Page 1". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  24. ^ "Tirupati temple - Medieval history". A.P Tourism. Archived from the original on 18 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.

Resources

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