Final answer:
Option (3), Mughal administration under Akbar was notably efficient with a merit-based system of mansabdars and an organized provincial structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the information provided, there is no direct argument from Vernier specifically concerning Mughal administration. However, we can derive that Mughal administration, particularly under the rule of Akbar, was a system that demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness.
Akbar's reign signified a bureaucratic revolution, establishing a structured administrative framework that divided the empire into provinces, each governed by appointed officials such as a governor, a chief judge, a military commander, and a financial administrator. Civil servants known as mansabdars were responsible for recruiting cavalry for the Mughal army, and their promotion was merit-based, indicating a high level of administrative efficiency.
On the other hand, the reign of Aurangzeb presented challenges in administration due to religious intolerance, leading to deterioration in relations between the Muslim rulers and Hindu subjects, contributing to the eventual decline of Mughal administrative effectiveness.
This was exacerbated by the imposition of taxes on non-Muslims, destruction of Hindu temples, and favoritism towards Muslim immigrants over Indian-born Hindus for administrative positions. By the mid-17th century, the increased burdens of building projects, military campaigns, and erosion of Akbar's administrative and tax reforms began to signal a decline, which was further precipitated by religious infighting and the rise of British colonial influence.