Iqta System in Delhi Sultanate: Features, Types, Changes

Iqta is an Arabic word meaning part or share. The recipient of an iqta was called an iqtadar, Muqti, or Wali. In reality, this Muqti was a military leader who collected revenue, maintained law and order, and carried out administrative responsibilities to maintain the stability of the empire.

Turks primarily held the position of iqtadar. Although the Iqta System started during the Delhi Sultanate period, it was equivalent to the Jagirdari system during the Mughal era.

What is Iqta System?

The Iqta system was a crucial administrative process in the Delhi Sultanate. It was necessary to provide land to the nobles, known as Iqtadars, in lieu of monetary payments. In return, Iqtadars gathered taxes, supplied troops, and managed regional administration. The money allowed the military to remain in place even though the state still owned the land.

The Iqta system was introduced by Iltutmish during his reign. He adopted this system from the rule of Muhammad Ghori, who came from the North-Western Frontier Province. The iqta system that Ghori introduced worked sporadically, but iltutmish first brought the iqtadari system under a fixed policy and made it a major part of the administration. And this practice was widely implemented and expanded during the reign of iltutmish.

Regarding the Iqta system, Nizam-ul-Mulk says in his “Siyasatnama” –

“They should (muqtis) that their right over the subjects is only to take the rightful amount of money or perquisite (mal-I-haq) in a peaceful manner….the life, property, and family of the subject should be immune from any harm; the muqtis have no right over them. If the subject desires to make a direct appeal to the sultan, having no right should not prevent him. Every muqti who violates these laws should be dismissed and punished. The muqtis and walis have so many superintendents over them as the king is superintendent over other muqti…. After three or four years, the amils and the muqtis should be transferred so that they may not be too strong.”

You can also read about : Sher Shah Suri Administration: A Legacy of Reform

Features of Iqta System

• Iqtadars had to give the surplus revenue from the Iqta to the Sultan after meeting their own expenses and maintaining the troops. This surplus was known as Fawazil.
• In exchange for the Iqta, the Iqtadars had to assist the Sultan with troops whenever the Sultan’s army needed them.
• To properly manage the Iqta System, Iltutmish divided the system into two parts. One was the large iqta, whose job it was to fulfill administrative responsibilities and send the surplus revenue to the center after deducting administrative expenses. The iqtadar even had to maintain his subordinate army from the iqta’s income and maintain law and order. The other was the small Iqta, which had no administrative responsibilities except military duties.
• The iqtadars, after meeting administrative expenses, would keep the surplus revenue for themselves by providing false accounts instead of sending it to the central Treasury. Therefore, iqtadars were changed every three to four years to prevent them from becoming too powerful in one place.
• He submitted to the center an annual report of his earnings and expenditures.
• He received money from the residents of his territory.
• The appointment and dismissal of iqtadars depended on the Sultan’s will and desire.

Also Read About : Permanent Settlement 1793

Types of Iqta

1. Iqta I tamlik: hereditary iqta.
2. Iqta I mushtagal: nonhereditary iqta.
3. Iqta I istighal: short-term governorship.
4. Iqta I wajahi: grants of regular soldiers.
5. Iqta I waqf: charitable purpose.

Changes in Iqta System

• After Iltutmish, Balban appointed a khwaja (accountant) for each Iqta. This was because it was very important to know the actual income and expenditure of each Iqta. At that time, he did not pay them salaries in cash.
• After Balban, Alauddin appointed a Diwan-i-wizarat (central finance department) for each Iqta. He took all the land from the Iqtadars and started paying them salaries in cash for the first time. From this, Iqtadars had to maintain the troops. Alauddin separated the Iqtas into two groups under his rule. First were the Iqtas, which had always been ruled by the Delhi Sultans. The second was the territories that Alauddin Khalji established sovereignty over. The audit was stringent, punishments severe, transfers frequent and enhancement (taufir) were often made in the estimated revenue income of the iqta on various pretexts.
• Ghiyasuddin Tughluq also chose to pay salaries in cash. He ordered that 1/10 or 1/20 of the collected revenue should be kept, and the rest should be given to the Sultan.
• Muhammad bin Tughluq separated the roles of Wali/Muqti (economic officer) and Amir (military officer). The job of the Wali/Muqti (Economic Officer) is to collect the revenue from the Iqta and from that revenue pay his own expenses and pay the soldiers. The Amir’s job was to assist the Wali with soldiers. The Amir had no administrative or revenue-based responsibilities. In terms of salary, he would pay the iqtadars separately in cash and also pay their soldiers separately. He even employed a large number of lower-caste Indian people in this system, more than from the upper castes, and expelled the old military personnel.
• A practice that was again altered by Firuz Tughlaq, who began to assign villages to soldiers instead of their salaries. These assignments were called wajh, and the holders were wajhdars. These assignments tended to be not only permanent but hereditary.
• The Lodi Dynasty rulers took revenue in kind. Here, the name of the Iqta system changed to Sarkars and Parganas.

You can also Read About: Balban Theory of Kingship: Divine Right and Sovereignty

Who abolished Iqta System?

The Iqta system was abolished by Alauddin Khalji. However, he didn’t completely abolish the Iqta system. He only abolished the smaller Iqtas and brought them under central control.

This was because at that time, the iqtadars of small iqtas were gradually becoming powerful and attempting to rebel against the Sultan. Additionally, during Alauddin’s time, external attacks had become so intense that he had lost control over the iqtadars.

So, he abolished the small iqtas, but the larger iqtas still existed. However, he did reduce some of the power of the larger iqtas. This accurate description is found in Satish Chandra’s book “From Sultanate to the Mughals: Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)”.

However, many sources have shown that Alauddin abolished the Iqta and brought the smaller iqtas under central control. But no source has explicitly mentioned that Alauddin did not completely abolish the iqta system.

Also Read About : Land Revenue System of Akbar

Conclusion

While the iqtadari system increased rural production, similarly, during the reign of the later sultans, the oppression of iqtadars in collecting revenue from farmers gradually increased. A portion of the revenue collected from IQTAs at that time went to cities, leading to the development of handicrafts there.

As a result, slaves began to receive artisanal training, and paths for livelihood expanded. From this perspective, the Iqta system played an important role in urbanization.

On the other hand, this system had its share of negative consequences. Irfan Habib says that the iqta system during the Sultanate period was not a social revolution; it can be called a new form of exploitation in agriculture. This system had transformed farmers into semi-serfs.

However, looking at it from all angles, it can be said that the Iqta system during the Sultanate period increased the prevalence of a monetary economy, improved technical skills, expanded trade, and developed urbanization.

Iqta System FAQs