22.2 Agricultural Production in Mughal India

I. Introduction

Overview of agricultural production in Mughal India

• Mughal India was a vast geographical zone with diverse climatic conditions, which allowed for the cultivation of a wide range of crops.
• The empire was broadly divided into rice zones, wheat and millet zones.
• Rice predominated in the eastern states, on the southwest coast, and in Kashmir.
• Wheat was cultivated mostly in the northern and central regions of India.
• Millets were also cultivated in wheat dominant areas and other drier districts.
• Major cash crops in the 16th-17th centuries included sugarcane, cotton, indigo, and opium.
• Mughal administration emphasized agrarian reform and funded the building of irrigation systems, which led to increased agricultural production.

Importance of agriculture in the Mughal economy

• Agriculture was the main source of national income and the majority of the population depended on agriculture during the Mughal administration.
• The Mughal economy was considered the second largest in the world in the 16th century, with the net domestic production of India estimated to be around 24.5 percent of the total world economy.
• Mughal agriculture was advanced compared to European agriculture at the time, with the common use of the seed drill among Indian peasants before its adoption in Europe.
• Indian peasants were skilled in growing a wide variety of food and non-food crops, increasing their productivity.
• The Mughal government took a conscious interest in the promotion of agriculture, trade, and commerce, as the prosperity of the state depended on the taxes collected from these sectors.
• The introduction of new crops from the Americas, such as maize and tobacco, led to rapid adoption and widespread cultivation across Mughal India between 1600 and 1650.

II. Major Cash Crops in Mughal India

Cotton, sugarcane, indigo, and opium

• Cotton was a major cash crop in Mughal India, cultivated throughout the northern region and considered an important crop in the Bengal province.
• Sugarcane was another significant cash crop, with Bengal being particularly famous for its production.
• Indigo, a plant used for dye, was also a cash crop during this period.
• Opium, derived from the poppy plant, was an important source of income for the Mughal Empire and later became a significant export to China under British rule.