The head of the military department under Akbar’s reorganized administration was the Mir Bakhshi. His authority was extensive; he was responsible for military recruitment, maintaining the imperial cavalry and infantry, paying the troops and ensuring the smooth functioning of the Mansabdari system. The Mir Bakhshi was not the commander-in-chief, but rather the Chief Paymaster and the head of military administration, whose department maintained all records of the Mansabdars and their associated troops.

The loss of Kandahar to the Persians in 1649 was a severe blow to the Mughal Empire, fundamentally weakening it from the perspective of a strategically important center. Kandahar was militarily crucial because it provided a strong defensive outpost and secured the main mountain passes into India. Economically, it controlled the lucrative trade routes connecting India with Central and West Asia. Its permanent loss marked a decline in Mughal prestige and strained the imperial treasury through costly, failed attempts to recapture it.

The port of Surat, located in Gujarat, was famously known as ‘Bab-ul-Makkah’ (The Gate of Mecca) during the Mughal era. This designation reflects its enormous religious and economic significance. Surat was the largest and most important port on the Arabian Sea, serving as the main embarkation point for Muslims undertaking the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. It was also the headquarters for European trading companies and a major center for Mughal maritime trade and customs revenue.