3 important Economic Conditions of Mughal Empire in India

Very little is known about the economic condition of the people of India during the Reigns of Babur and Humayun. It is true that Babur has given us a description of the people of India in his Memoirs but that is not considered to be accurate. In Humayun-Nama of Gulbadan Begam,

there is a reference to the cheap prices that prevailed in the country. It is stated that four g could be had for one rupee at Amarkot the place where Akbar was born. A reference to the Ain- i-Akbari of Abul Fazal also shows that wheat was sold at that time at the rate of 12 Dams Man. Barley at 8, Gram at 16’/₂, Jawar at 10, Millet at 8, Ghee at 105, Oil at 80, Milk at 25, and % Sugar at 128 Dams per Man. The vegetables were also cheap. A sheep could be had for Rs. 8-0 and a cow for Rs. 10. The Man of Akbar was equal to 55’/₂ Pounds. If the prices of commodities were low, the wages were also low. An unskilled labourer ordinarily earned 2 D or l/20th part of a rupee per day. A highly skilled labourer, e.g., a carpenter, was paid 7 D day. The view of V.A. Smith and Moreland is that “The ordinary labourer in the time of Ak had more to eat than he has now and he was happier than he is to-day. That was very m due to the fact that the prices of grains were very low.”

Economic Conditions of Mughal Empire

1. Currency

Sher Shah Suri abolished the old currency and issued a copper coin called Dam. weight varied between 311 grains and 322 grains. The Dam was a copper coin which was 4 part of the rupee. Its weight was 5 tankas or one tola, 8 mashas and 7 surkhs. The weight o silver rupee was 11’/₂ mashas. Such a rupee was introduced by Sher Shah. The coin which generally used by the people was the Dam. The revenue of the State was also calculated in the of Dam. There was not much alteration in the currency after the death of Akbar. The rued contained 175 grains of silver.

It was worth 40 Dams up to 1616. From 1627 onwards, the value of a rupee was about 30 Dams. There were rupees of several denominations and weights, but Chalani was accepted as the standard coin. The Foreign Travellers specifically tell us that Indian Rupee was made of pure silver.

2. Famines

There were many famines during the Mughal period. Badaoni tells us that “A famine broke out in the neighbourhood of Agra and Biyana in 1555-56. He writes thus about famines: “Men ate their own kind and the appearance of the famished suffers was so hide tath one could scarcely look upon them. The whole country was a desert.” There was a not serious famine in 1573-74 in Gujarat. The prices shot up and the people suffered terribly.

Another famine lasted for four years from 1595 to 1598. On that occasion, “Men at the own kind and streets were blocked up with dead bodies and no assistance could be render for the removal” The famine was followed by epidemics and floods. It is pointed out that Akbar was the First Ruler who provided relief to those who had suffered from famines.

There was no serious famine in the Reign of Jahangir. However, a terrible famine broke in the Reign of Shahjahan in 1630. The territories affected were the Deccan, Gujarat and Khande Mira Amin Qazwini tells us that great distress prevailed everywhere. The grocers and trad mixed powdered bones with flour. The flesh of dogs was taken for meat by the ignorant people Abdul Hamid Lahori says: “

Destitution at length reached such a pitch that men began devour each other and the flesh of a son was preferred to his love. The number of the dyi caused obstructions in the roads and every man whose dire sufferings did pot terminate death and who retained the power to move wandered off to the towns and viallges of oth countries. Those lands which had been famous for fertility and plenty now retained no tr of productiveness.”

Peter Mandy, the European Traveller, has described the condition in the words: “The highways were strewn with corpses which emitted intolerable stench. In towns especially they drag them (dead bodies) out by the heels stark-naked, of all age a sexes, till they are out of the gates, and there they are left, so that the way is half-barred u The condition was so serious that crowds of people shouted: “

Give us food or kill us.” famine had disastrous effect on trade. Indigo became scarce. The price of cotton cloth went All business came to a standstill. Roads were full of robbers. It became difficult to take goods ft one place to another.

Between 1635 and 1643, general scarcity was felt by the people. There was famine also in certain parts of India, However in 1645-46, there was an intense famine on the Coromndal Coast, The situation was so serious that the people were willing to become slaves in order to save their lives.

There was great misery on the Madras Coast as a result of the failure of rains in 1646, In 1650 again, there was deficiency of rains in all parts of India, In 1658, the prices of provisions doubled at Surat. Famine and disease swept away a large number of people.

There was great distress in Sindh, Khafi Khan wrote in 1659 that prices had gone up on account of the failure of rains and movement of the armies. It is true that there was no serious famine in the Reign of Aurangzeb but the people suffered terribly on account of perpetual wars. Cultivation was neglected. Industries suffered. The lot of the people became miserable,

3. Agriculture

Agriculture was the main industry of the people of India. The peasants took full advantage of the peace established by the Mughals in the country. They were willing to devote all their time and energy to produce more. It is true that the prices were low and the peasants could afford to live within less money, but on the whole their condition was very hard. The demands of the king, the officials and the nobles did not leave much with them.

Most of the Rice was grown in India in Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Eastern Coast, the Western Coast, the Tamil areas and Kashmir. Allahabad, Avadh, Khandesh and Gujarat also produced some rice. Wheat and barley were grown in the Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Agra, etc. Jowar was the main Khariff Crop in Dipalpur Region.

Wheat was the principal Rabi Crop. Millets were particularly grown in Ajmer, Gujarat and Khandesh. Pulses was produced all over the country. Cash crops like cotton and Sugarcane were known as Jins-i-Kamil or Jins-i-Ala. Cotton was produced mostly in Khandesh and Bengal.

Bengal was famous for producing large quantities of sugar of high quality. The best quality indigo was produced in the Bayan Region and in Sarkhej near Ahmedabad. Lower quality of Indigo was cultivated in the Doab, Bengal, Telangana and Sindh.

The chief items of non-agricultural production were fisheries, minerals, salt, sugar, opium, indigo and liquor. Copper was produced in the mines of Central India and Rajputana. Iron was produced in many parts of India. Salt was got from the mines of the Punjab, from the Sambhar Lake and from the waters of the sea. Refined Sugar was got from Bengal.

However, most of the people used Gur or molasses as white sugar was very costly, and only the rich could afford to buy it. Opium was produced in Malwa and Bihar. Indigo was produced at Biana and other places. It is true that efforts were made to restrict the manufacture of liquor but those efforts did not succeed. There was a great demand for the production of saltpetre.

Goods Manufactured

The important crafts of Mughal India were wooden bedsteads, chests, stools and boxes. Leather goods were produced in small quantities. Paper Pottery, and Bricks were manufactured in large quantities. Edward Terry tells us that many curious boxes, trunks, standishes (Pen cases) carpets, etc., were procurable in Mughal Dominions.

Many craftsmen possessed great artistic ability but as the amount of money to be spent on the materials to be used was very high, the necessity of the middle man was very much felt, and it is he who enriched himself at the cost of those who manufactured it. Silk weaving was in practice but the demand was not much.

It is true that the patronage of Akbar gave this industry some stimulus and silk weaving centres were set up at Lahore, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, and also some places in Gujarat, but still the demand was not much. The shawls and carpet weaving industries were also patronised by Akbar.

The shawls were woven at Lahore. Carpets were manufactured at Lahore and Agra. Inducements were offered to foreign carpet weavers to settle in Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Lahore and manufacture carpets, which could compete with those got from Persia. In spite of this, the import of Persian carpets was considerable. Indian industry did not make much head-way.