In medieval India, Mansabdari system was introduced for:

Answer: (d) Effecting clean administration

The mansabdari system was the Mughal military and bureaucratic apparatus that ran civil and military affairs, ranking officers by mansab. Of the options given, running the administration fits best.

• ✓ (d) Mansabdars formed the bureaucratic apparatus looking after civil and military affairs of the state, and were transferred regularly.
• ✗ (a) It supplied troops, but its purpose was wider than recruitment.
• ✗ (b) Revenue came through jagirs given in lieu of pay.
• ✗ (c) Religious harmony was a separate policy (sulh-i-kul).

Remember · Mansabdari = rank-based service structure for civil and military administration; pay mostly through jagirs.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 1996, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 1996: the answer shown is the generally accepted one, and the sources above explain the facts behind it. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error