The Mansabdars were appointed to all civil and military posts except that of judiciary, and the positions like wazir, bakshi, faujdar and Subedar were held by the Mansabdars. The Mansabdar appears to be a central Asian institution. There is a view that this institution came to India with Babur. During Babur’s time, instead of the term of Mansabdar, the term Wajahdar was used. There is a definite difference between these two terms of Mansabdari and Wajahdari system. Under the regime of Akbar, Mansabdari system became the basis of military and civil administration. It is also believed that Akbar followed the principles of Changiz Khan in fixing up the grades of Mansabdars.
Abul Fazl states that Akbar provided 66 grades of Mansabdars ranging from commanders of 10 horsemen to 10,000 horsemen but he gives a list of 33 grades of Mansabdars. Thus, the term ‘Mansab’ decided the status of the holder in the graded official hierarchy, it also fixed the pay of the holder or the Mansabdar and it also made it obligatory to maintain a specified number of contingent with horses and necessary equipment.
In the beginning and up to 1595-96, personal pay and the size of the contingent was represented by single rank of jat but from 1595-96, both the Jat and sawar ranks began to decide the position and status of the Mansabdar. While Jat decided the Mansabdar’s personal pay or Talabkhasa and his rank in the official hierarchy and sawar fixed the horses and horsemen to be maintained by the Mansabdar and the amount he received to maintain his contingent.