26 AKBAR'S REFORMS

purpose of punishing governors who had been guilty of self-seeking and peculation. Much of the improve- ment was due to his employment of Hindus, who at that time were better men of business than the uneducated and mercenary adventurers who formed a large pro- portion of the Mohammedan invaders. No Moslem served Akbar more zealously or with more far-reaching results than the great financier, Raja Todar Mai, a Khatri Rajput, who had served in his youth under the able administration of Sher Shah, and had thus gained priceless experience in the management of lands and revenues. He assisted Akbar 's first chan 7 cellor of the exchequer, Muzaffar Khan, in settling the newly acquired kingdom, and in 1566 took a leading part in suppressing the revolt of Ali Kuli. It was the first time, in Moghul rule, that a Hindu had been sent against a Moslem enemy, and his employment was doubtless due to Akbar 's suspicion that the Moham- medan generals might act in collusion with their old comrade, the rebel. After this he was employed in settling the revenue system of Gujarat, and then again took military command in the conquest of Bengal in 1574-7 and its reduction in 1581, when he distinguished himself by his firm courage. He was rewarded soon afterwards with the office of vizir, and in 1582 became chief finance minister, introducing the famous reforms and the new assessment known as Todar MaPs rent- roll, the Domesday Book of the Moghul empire. He died in 1589. " Careful to keep himself from selfish ambition," writes Abu-1-Fazl, " he devoted himself to