It was a system whereby nobles were granted the rights to hold a jagir, or revenue assignment (not land itself), for services rendered by them, with the direct control of these nobles in the hands of the king. Abu'l Faz'l mentioned 66 grades of mansabdars, but in practice there were not more than 33 mansabs. During the early reign of Akbar, the lowest grade was ten and the highest was 5,000(later raised to 7,000). Higher mansabs were given to princes and Rajput rulers who accepted the suzerainty of the emperor.