Consider the following statements about the Iqtadari system:

1. It was an indigenous institution, which was continued by the Sultanate kings.

2. Under it the army commanders and nobles were given territories to administer and collect the revenue.

3. During the reign of Feroze Shah Tughlaq, central control over Iqtas was diluted and the Iqtas became hereditary.

Which of the statement given above is/are correct?

• The institution of Iqta had been in force in the early Islamic world, as a form of reward for services to the state. In the Caliphate administration, it was used to pay civil and military officers. After the establishment of the Sultanate, the Iqta system was introduced by the Sultans. To begin with, the army commanders and nobles were given territories to administer and collect the revenue. The territories thus assigned were called Iqtas and their holders as Iqtadar or Muqti.

• In essence, this was a system of payment to the officers and maintenance of army by them. Gradually, rules and regulations were laid down to organize the whole system. Through the years it became the main instrument of administrating the Sultanate.

• Further, the Sultans could get a large share of the surplus production from different parts of the vast territories through this system. From the 14th century, we hear of Walis or Muqtis, who are commanders of military and administrative tracts called Iqta. Their exact powers varied according to the circumstances. In due course, the Muqti was given complete charge of the administration of the Iqta, which included the task of maintaining an army. The Muqti was to help the Sultan with his army in case of need. He was expected to maintain the army and meet his own expenses with the revenue collected.

• From the time of Balban, the Muqti was expected to send the balance (Fawazil) of the income to the centre, after meeting his and the army’s expenses. This means that the central revenue department had made an assessment of the expected income of the Iqta, the cost of the maintenance of the army and the Muqti’s own expenses. This process became even more strict during the time of Alauddhin Khalji.

• As the central control grew, the control over Muqti’s administration also increased. The Khwaja (probably same as Sahib-i-Diwan) was appointed to keep a record of the income of the Iqtas. It was on the basis of this record that the Sultan used to make his revenue demands. A Barid or intelligence officer was also appointed to keep the Sultan informed. During the reign of Muhammad-bin-Thughlaq, a number of governors were appointed on revenue sharing terms where they were to give a fixed sum to the state. During the time of Feroze Shah Tughlaq, the control of the state over Iqtas was diluted, when Iqtas became hereditary.