RAS question
The concept of 'Jizya' in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire was:
Correct answer: (B) A tax levied on non-Muslim subjects.
Jizya in the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire was a tax levied on non-Muslim subjects.
Explanation
Jizya is best understood as a status-based tax on non-Muslim subjects, not as a trade, military, or land tax. eGyanKosh, Unit 26: The Delhi Sultanate-II explains that jizya was traditionally imposed on non-Muslims in return for protection of life and property and exemption from military service. It also separates jizya from kharaj, the tax on land, and from zakat, which covered categories such as commercial capital and agricultural produce. In Indian history, jizya continued through the Sultanate, was abolished by Akbar in 1564, and was re-imposed by Aurangzeb in 1679, making it a major political and social issue in medieval India.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A trade tax is not jizya; commercial-capital taxation falls under zakat, while jizya is tied to non-Muslim subject status.
- (C) Jizya was not a military service tax on Muslims; it was imposed on non-Muslims and linked to exemption from military service.
- (D) A tax on agricultural land refers to kharaj, the land tax, not jizya.
Concept
This tests medieval Indian revenue administration, especially how Sultanate and Mughal rulers classified taxes by subject status, land, and commerce. It recurs in RAS because jizya connects fiscal policy with religion, statecraft, and political legitimacy.