Muhtasib
Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A muhtasib was an officer in Sultanate and Mughal towns who checked public behaviour. He enforced public morals and Islamic law, for example by acting against drinking and gambling. He also checked weights and measures in markets. The post shows how a ruler's religious policy reached into daily town life.
Example
Aurangzeb, a strict Sunni ruler, appointed muhtasibs throughout the empire early in his reign. They were to stop practices he saw as un-Islamic. This was part of the same policy that banned music and dance at his court.
Don't confuse with
- Kotwal: the kotwal was the town's police chief, who kept order and ran the night watch. The muhtasib enforced morals and religious law.
- Qazi: the qazi was a judge who decided cases. The muhtasib supervised public conduct.