Aurangzib shared the difficulty of other jagirdars in the Deccan in having to keep up his
normal contingent of troops on an income
reduced to a fraction of his normal pay.
His fiefs in Multan had been fertile and
lucrative; those in the Deccan were estimated to yield 17 lakhs less, and were, besides,
liable to frequent and large arrears in collection.
He rightly protested to his father, "If your
Majesty wishes me to be honoured with a great
viceroyalty, give me the means
The more productive jagirs of the officers are
transferred to him.
worthy of it." The Emperor
ordered him to exchange his
own sterile fiefs for more productive ones in the hands of other
jagirdars.[1] Aurangzib took care to leave the
estates of his competent officers untouched, but
appropriated the fiefs of lazy or minor officers
who did not deserve considerate treatment. The
Revenue Department was ordered by Shah Jahan
to transfer to him good jagirs yielding Rs.
3,17,500 in place of desolate unproductive lands with the same nominal rent-roll. But the jagirdars threatened with dispossession tried to in-
- ↑ Adab, 19b, 25a, 173a. But when he was Governor of Multan he had complained of his fiefs there being unproductive! (See Adab, 172a).
authority; but the items when added together do not come up to the total stated.
