Seventeenth-Century Mughal Empire Administration

Timeline

1. 1651–1657Shahjahanabad (Delhi) · DelhiBetween 1651 and 1657 the Mughal administrative system under Shah Jahan operated efficiently. Mansab ranks ranged from 10 to 10,000, with high-ranking mansab holders also serving as provincial governors. The diwan managed imperial finances and land revenue, forming a dual-track administration with the subadar. The court was at Shahjahanabad, with the Red Fort as the hub of supreme power. The empire had fifteen provinces, and administrative documents used Persian as the official language.
2. 1657–1658Agra · AgraShah Jahan's grave illness in 1657 triggered a war of succession among four princes, throwing the imperial administrative machine into chaos. Provincial governors were forced to declare their allegiance, and mansab holders split into factions. Administrative authority was temporarily vacant, and both tax collection and military mobilization were severely disrupted.
3. 1658–1660Shahjahanabad (Delhi) · DelhiAfter acceding to the throne, Aurangzeb purged his rivals' followers, redistributed high-ranking mansab positions, and placed loyal generals in key provinces. He moved to strengthen the role of Islamic law in administration, cut court art expenditures, and imposed heavier tax pressure on local non-Muslim landowners. The administrative focus gradually shifted from cultural patronage to military expansion and religious orthodoxy.