The Mughal system of land revenue assessment was one of the most important features of the empire’s administrative and agrarian structure. Since agriculture was the principal source of state income, the Mughal rulers developed different methods to assess and collect land revenue. These methods varied according to the region, quality of land, agricultural practices and administrative arrangements. Under Akbar, particularly during the administration of Raja Todar Mal, the revenue system was organised on a more systematic basis. The principal method was the Zabt system, which was widely applied in the core areas of the Mughal Empire. Under this system, land was measured and its productivity was assessed. The cultivated land was generally divided into different categories according to its condition and cultivation history. The average produce and prices of major crops were calculated for a period of several years. During Akbar’s reign, the famous Dahsala system, introduced around 1580, used the average prices and yields of the previous ten years to determine the state’s demand. The revenue demand was normally fixed as a proportion of the