Nobility was an important pillar of Mughal administration, it was the corps of officers for the empire. Unlike European countries, the nobility in Mughal administration was recruited from diverse ethnic and religious groups, this ensured that there was no faction large enough to challenge the emperor.

Among the diverse groups of nobles, there were Turani and Iranian nobles who were present from earliest phases of the empire, groups of Indian origin like Rajputs and Indian Muslims and some of the educational castes like the Khatri Rajputs.

The nobles were given Mansabs ( Ranks ) and their hierarchy and salaries were determined accordingly. They were also given a numerical designation of Sawars which indicated the number of horsemen they had to maintain.

The nobles participated in the military campaigns of the empire with their armies and also served as officers and representatives of the Empire in their respective provinces.