BharatNotes Iqta
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
The Delhi Sultanate's reliance on the iqta as a fiscal-military instrument allowed Iltutmish to remunerate his nobility without depleting the treasury, yet its non-hereditary character meant that the centralisation of power perpetually hinged on the Sultan's ability to transfer and resume such assignments at will.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
iqtadar (n, related), muqti (n, related Arabic-Persian form)
Root
Arabic iqṭāʿ (إقطاع) = allotment of revenue; root qaṭaʿa (ق-ط-ع) = to cut off, to allot
Etymology
From Arabic iqṭāʿ (إقطاع), derived from the root qaṭaʿa (ق-ط-ع), meaning "to cut off" or "to allot," signifying the assignment of a portion of revenue.
Memory Hook
Iqta shares the Arabic root q-ṭ-ʿ 'to cut' - think of the Sultan 'cutting off' a slice of revenue and handing it to an officer, who never owns the land but only collects from it.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The assignment of a territory's revenue to an officer in place of a cash salary, and the fiscal and military hinge of the Sultanate. The holder, the muqti or iqtadar, collected the revenue, maintained from it a stipulated body of troops available to the sultan, and remitted the surplus to the treasury. The decisive feature is that the assignment was transferable and not hereditary, so the holder acquired no permanent stake in the land, and both Balban and Alauddin tightened control by transferring holders and auditing their accounts. This is exactly what separates the iqta from European feudalism, since the muqti held a claim on revenue rather than lordship over land and people, and that comparison is a standard question. Where enforcement weakened, assignments drifted towards becoming hereditary in practice, which is precisely how central authority eroded; the Mughal jagir was built on the same principle.
Don’t Confuse It With
An iqta is an assignment of revenue and its holder a muqti or iqtadar. Khalisa is land whose revenue the state retained directly rather than assigning. The Mughal jagir, held by a mansabdar, is the later equivalent. Milk, inam and waqf denote private, charitable and endowed holdings, none of which the iqta was. The contrast with European feudalism is essential, since the iqta conferred a right to collect revenue rather than proprietary lordship, and was in principle transferable at the sultan's will.
Hindi Meaning
इक़्ता (iqtā); जागीर (jāgīr) for the Mughal counterpart and ख़ालिसा for crown land.
Common Questions
- How did the iqta system work?
- The sultan assigned the revenue of a territory to an officer, who collected it, maintained a fixed body of troops from it and remitted the surplus, receiving no cash salary.
- How did the iqta differ from European feudalism?
- The iqta granted a transferable right to collect revenue rather than hereditary lordship over land and its people, and the sultan could revoke or reassign it.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2019 — Medieval India
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Iqta” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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