Agriculture during Mughal Period

Agriculture during Mughal Period

Agriculture during Mughal Period

India is country of villages and most of the people live in villages and adopt agriculture as their profession. Wheat, gram, barley, rice, millets, maize, sugarcane, jute, pulses, linseeds, indigo, poppy, fruits, vegetables etc. were the popular produce of this period. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the centers of wheat production, Bayana was known as indigo growth center and Madras and Kashmir were famous for the production of rice. The implements of agriculture used by the peasants during this period were the same which were in use till the beginning of the twentieth century. Ponds well and canals were the sources of irrigation. Peasants were subjected to famines off and on during the Mughal period. The following famines indicate and confirm the frequency of their happenings.

In A. D. 1555-56, a famine broke out in Delhi and its neighboring territories
Second burst out in Gujarat in A.D. 1573-74
Third took place indifferent regions of India in A.D. 1595-1598
Fourth broke out in south India in A.D. 1630-31.
Fifth tool place in Kashmir in A.D. 1642.
Sixth was in Punjab in A.D. 1646.
Seventh was in A.D. 1659 and it was following later on in A.D. 1682 and 1702-1704.

Besides famines, epidemic also spread out in India from time to time and a large number of people were swallowed by plague and cholera. No doubt, the emperors tried their best to provide help to the famine and epidemic stricken people but very few reached the mouths of the affected people as the means of transportation and communication were not very fast, nor were there enough medicines to save the lives of the affected people.

Moreover, the poor peasants and general masses had to suffer due to wild animals which used to destroy the standing crops. There was no way to get rid of them as there were enough forests during the period which were the refuge of wild animals and antisocial elements. Crops were also destroyed by the movement of armies as wars and rebellions frequently occurred during the period. However, leaving aside the events of famine and other natural calamities the total produce was quite satisfactory and our country was self-dependent from the point of view of agriculture.

Milan Tomic

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