The position and powers of Vakil (Prime Minister} during Akbar’s reign was one of gradual decline. In the beginning of Akbar’s reign, the Vakil enjoyed unlimited authority—political, military, financial and administrative, but his office was gradually shorn of all these powers one by one. By the end of Akbar’s reign, the post of Vakil had become more or less honorific, and though he continued to enjoy the dignity and prestige, he had become the shadow of his former self.
Bairam Khan, who was
responsible for the reconquest of India in 1555 AD, was the first Vakil of
Akbar. As the emperor was a child of merely thirteen years old, Bairam Khan
acted as his Ataliq (tutor). He was
virtually the Grand Wazir, exercising all sovereign powers in the name of the
emperor and controlling the affairs of the State. Ibn Hasan has aptly remarked,
“The King was behind the veil and the rule was that of the Vakil.” He commanded
the army, controlled the finances, and appointed as well as dismissed the high
officials of the State at his will. The dismissal of Pir Mohammad, who in Abul
Fazl’s words was not only Bairam Khan’s deputy, but was virtually the Vakil of
the Sultanate, and the appointment of Shaikh Gadai of the Shia sect to the
office of Sadr (head of ecclesiastical department) in preference to all
Saiyyads, clearly illustrate the vast authority enjoyed by Bairam. Rivals like
Tardi Beg were ruthlessly crushed by capital punishments and imprisonments,
while the emperor was simply informed of what had been done. Further, he
conferred Jagirs and ranks at his own discretion, but caused dissensions to
Akbar as his servants were neglected by the Vakil. Moreover, he directly
interfered in Akbar’s private affairs. As pointed out by Ibn Hasan, “There is
no parallel in the history of Northern India of this position and power of the
vazir. Though Bairam Khan’s services to the ruling family and the newly
established kingdom of the Mu^^ cannot be ignored yet the events of his regime
conclusively show that, after having got the strings of power into his hands,
he failed to rise above the level of an ordinary administrator, and some of his
actions were beyond doubt based on personal considerations, apart from
political exigencies, or the needs of the state.” However, by his lack of tact
and statesmanship, he failed to retain the confidence of the emperor and win
the support of either the nobility or of the public, and was consequently
removed from the office in 1560 AD.
After the fall of
Bairam Khan, the office of Vakil began to decline and gradually lost all its
unlimited powers. Akbar’s personal experience of Bairam Khan’s Vikalat was a
sufficient warning against placing all powers in the hands of a single noble as
Vakil-i-Sultanate.
Akbar distributed the
functions, powers, distinctions and privileges, which had hitherto been the
monopoly of the all-powerful Bairam Khan, among three bodies. Shahab-ud-Din
Khan and Maham Ananga enjoyed political and financial powers, Shams-ud-Din Atka
Khan was given Bairam Khan’s standard drum, and Munim Khan was appointed to the
office of the Vakil.
The appointment of
Munim Khan as the Vakil caused great frustration to Shams-ud-Din Atka Khan, who
himself had been an aspirant for this office. His chief claim, as contended by
him, lay in the services rendered in the overthrow of Bairam Khan. Ultimately
his plea was accepted and the office of Vakil was conferred upon him in
November 1561 AD.
Atka Khan’s appointment
not only deprived Munim Khan of his office, but also Maham Ananga and her party
of all power and influence. The reason stated is that he did not belong to the
Maham party and like Munim Khan, exercised full power in the management of
affairs, political and financial, and disposed of matters relating to the army and
civil population. A conspiracy was formed and Atka Khan was murdered on May 16,
1562 AD. Akbar took prompt action and put Adham Khan to death. Maham Anga died
shortly after.
Akbar, however,
pardoned Munim Khan and restored him to the office of Vakil in June 1562, but
the prestige attached to it was gone. Munim held the office till 1567 AD, but
he never wielded full authority of the Vakil. Moreover, Akbar had by this time
formed the policy of clipping the powers of the Vakil. Consequently within three
months of his reinstatement, Munim was deprived of his financial powers, as a
new office of the Diwan was created and the revenue and financial matters were
separated from the office of the Vakil. Muzaffar Khan, the first full-fledged
Diwan, was not only unrivalled in his knowledge of finance, but was also
independent-minded and did not tolerate any interference in his department. At
about the same time, Lashkar Khan was made in charge of the military department
under the designation of Bakshi, which had the effect of depriving the Vakil of
his military duties and responsibilities as well. Munim Khan’s negotiations
with the Uzbeg rebels further undermined the prestige of the office and in June
1567 AD, he was transferred to Jaunpur to look after the affairs in the East.
The transfer of Vakil from the political center ended his career as the Vakil
of the Emperor.
The career of Munim,
however, determined the position of the Vakil in the empire. He ceased to be
the chief moving spirit of the State and the motive power of the administrative
machinery. The office of the Diwan before long eclipsed that of the Vakil.
However, his position as the first man in the State continued, and he held his
highest rank, but his influence from this time on depended not on his office,
but upon his personality, the conditions of the time and the atmosphere of the
court. Ibn Hasan aptly remarked, “The power was gone, but the show of power and
marks of outward distinction and prestige were retained.”
After Munim Khan’s
transfer, the office was kept in abeyance for about six and a half years. However,
the enormous increase in the size of the empire and the work of administration,
in the meanwhile, necessitated a revival of the office and in 1573 AD, Muzaffar
Khan was appointed as Vakil-i-Sultanate. He combined the offices of Vikalat and
Diwan, but could not enjoy the honour for long. His refusal to accept and carry
out the proposed reforms in the Jagirdari system led to his dismissal from
office in the same year.
However, two years
later, owing to his meritorious services, he was re-appointed as Vakil, but now
his control over finances was only nominal. The Diwans, Raja Todar Mal and Shah
Mansur, were merely to act in consultation with him. Thus he was the head of
ministry, but other ministers were his colleagues and not his subordinates.
Moreover, Akbar was by this time a complete master of all branches of
administration and nothing important could be undertaken by the Vakil without
his full concurrence and approval. It appears that once again he failed to come
up to the expectations of the emperor and his transfer, like that of Munim,
ended his career as the Vakil of the empire.
Muzaffar was the last
of Akbar’s Vakil, who exercised some influence over the administration and
wielded some significant power, but his position was purely personal and the
respect which Akbar showed to him was due to his capacity, loyalty and
efficient services and not to his office.
After this, Akbar
raised Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan to the post of Vakil, but as pointed out by
Ibn Hasan, “It was more a favour and a mark of distinction for his attachment
to the King from his boyhood than the conferment of any real power.”
Nevertheless, he remained in office for about five and a half years. On April
19, 1595 AD, Khan-i-Azam Mirza Aziz Koka, the emperor’s favorite companion, was
elevated to the Vakil’s office, which he held for the rest of the reign. Though
he wielded immense influence with the King, he does not appear to have
exercised any influence in the administration or the affairs of the empire.
The functions of Akbar’s
Vakil have been aptly summed up by Abul Fazl, “He is the emperor’s lieutenant in
all matters concerned with the realism and in the household. He traces the
Council by his wisdom and settles with penetration the great affairs of the
realm. Promotion and degradation, appointment and dismissal depend upon his
insight…. Although the financial offices are not under his immediate
supervision, yet he receives returns from the hands of all financial offices
and wisely abstracts of this return.”
In the final analysis,
the Vikalat retained its dignity and prestige, but it was shorn of most of its
powers. It remained the highest office of the empire and its holder was always
the first man in the State, but he ceased to wield the power which was
associated with its name. Regarding the ultimate position of the office of the
Vakil, Ibn Hasan has very rightly observed that the practice of keeping the
office of the Vakil vacant at times and carrying on the administration in the
empire without the Vakil, further minimized its importance and it ceased to be
a necessary part of the administrative machinery. In fact, the Vakils were the
heads of the nobility and not of administration. They possessed rank, honour
and prestige, but not any significant powers.
