With reference to medieval India, which one of the following is the correct sequence in ascending order in terms of size?

Answer: A. The correct ascending order is PARAGANA — SARKAR — SUBA. The MUGHAL REVENUE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE (organised systematically under Akbar through TODAR MAL'S REVENUE SETTLEMENT, c. 1580 CE) had the following territorial hierarchy from smallest to largest: 1. PARAGANA (Pargana) — the SMALLEST administrative-revenue unit, comprising a CLUSTER OF VILLAGES (typically 20-50 villages). Headed by a SHIQQDAR (administrator) and AMIL (revenue collector); also had QANUNGO (registrar of village records). Pargana was the basic revenue assessment and collection unit. 2. SARKAR — equivalent to a DISTRICT, comprising SEVERAL PARGANAS. Headed by FAUJDAR (military/police) and AMALGUZAR (revenue). Sarkar was the intermediate level between pargana and suba. 3. SUBA — the LARGEST UNIT, equivalent to a PROVINCE. Under Akbar (1580) the empire was divided into 12 subas (later expanded to 22 by Aurangzeb's time). Each suba was headed by a SUBADAR (governor), supported by DIWAN (revenue), BAKHSHI (military pay), QAZI (judicial), SADR (charitable grants). So ASCENDING ORDER (smallest to largest): PARAGANA → SARKAR → SUBA = Option A. Why other options are WRONG: (B) Sarkar — Paragana — Suba: wrong order (Pargana is smaller than Sarkar). (C) Suba — Sarkar — Paragana: this is descending order, not ascending. (D) Paragana — Suba — Sarkar: misplaces Suba between Pargana and Sarkar. Below the pargana were villages (mauza) headed by muqaddam/patwari. Source: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part II 'Peasants Zamindars and the State' / Irfan Habib, 'Agrarian System of Mughal India'.