The Mansabdari system introduced by the Mughal emperor Akbar for ranking and paying his officials was borrowed from the administrative system prevalent in which region?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to medieval Indian history and focuses on the Mughal administrative structure under Akbar, especially the Mansabdari system. The Mansabdari system was a central pillar of Mughal governance, used to grade officers, fix their salaries and determine the number of troops they had to maintain. Many objective questions ask about the origin of this system, and it is important for students to associate it with the influence of Central Asian and Mongol practices rather than confusing it with purely Persian models.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are dealing with Akbar's Mansabdari system.
• The question asks from which region or country this idea was borrowed.
• The options are Persia, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Turkey.
• Standard exam keys and history notes are taken as the reference.

Concept / Approach:
The word 'Mansab' means rank or position. Under Akbar, every officer was assigned a mansab, which indicated his position in the bureaucracy as well as the number of cavalry he had to maintain. Although the Mughal Empire absorbed influences from multiple cultures, the specific idea of grading nobles and military commanders in a systematic way has strong parallels with the practices followed by the Mongols. Akbar himself was a descendant of Timur and Chinggis (Genghis) Khan through the Timurid line, and many Central Asian and Mongol traditions were adapted into the Mughal system in a refined form. Hence, in standard objective questions, the Mansabdari system is said to have been borrowed from the system prevalent in Mongolia.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Akbar reorganised his nobility and army using the Mansabdari system, which fixed the rank (zat) and military obligation (sawar) of each officer.Step 2: Remember that the Mughal ruling house traced its origin to Timur and the Mongol line, so they were familiar with Central Asian and Mongol administrative traditions.Step 3: Standard exam-oriented history guides explicitly mention that Akbar's Mansabdari system was inspired by, or borrowed from, the system followed in Mongolia.Step 4: Compare the options: Persia, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Turkey. Among these, Mongolia is the correct and commonly accepted answer in MCQs.Step 5: Choose 'Mongolia' as the final answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look at typical competitive exam books and online question banks on the Mughal Empire, you will find this exact question repeated many times with the answer given as Mongolia. They emphasise the connection between the Mansabdari system and the Mongol practice of ranking commanders, which Akbar modified to suit Mughal needs. This repeated endorsement in multiple exam-oriented sources confirms that Mongolia is the expected correct response.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Persia (Iran region): While the Mughals borrowed many cultural and administrative elements from Persian tradition, the specific Mansabdari grading system is not usually attributed to Persia in exam questions.Afghanistan: This region was important in Mughal history, but it is not cited as the source of the Mansabdari system.Turkey (Ottoman region): The Ottoman Empire had its own military and administrative arrangements, but standard Indian history questions do not link Mansabdari directly to Turkish models.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to choose Persia, because students associate the Mughals strongly with Persian culture, language and art. However, not every institution used by the Mughals came from Persia. Another error is simply guessing Afghanistan or Turkey on the assumption that all Islamic empires shared administrative models. For exam purposes, you should specifically memorise that Akbar's Mansabdari system is described as having been borrowed from the system prevalent in Mongolia, reflecting a Central Asian and Mongol influence on Mughal administration.

Final Answer:
The Mansabdari system introduced by Akbar was borrowed from the system prevalent in Mongolia.