THE REIGN OF AKBAR (1556-1605) 93 
the great bulk of the Empire, sometimes seven-eighths of 
the whole, was in the hands of assignees. 
As the designation implies, the essence of the system was 
to set aside particular items of recurring revenue to meet 
particular items of recurring expenditure, usually, but not 
invariably, the salaries and expenses of the Imperial Service. 
In the Mogul period, it is correct to speak of a Service, 
and not of Services, because at this time there was practically 
no differentiation in regard to functions. Once appointed, 
an officer’s time was entirely at the Emperor’s disposal; he 
might be employed either on military duties or in civil 
administration; and, if he had no specific employment, he 
was required to remain in attendance at Court, unless he 
obtained permission to go elsewhere. In addition to this 
general obligation of service, he was under the liability to 
maintain at his own cost a definite force of cavalry available 
at all times for the Emperor’s needs; and an officer who did 
this was entitled to receive an Income, defined exactly in 
money, corresponding to his rank. Some officers received 
also recurring sums by way of reward,! that is to say, an 
addition to their Income with no corresponding liability 
for expenditure. An officer’s Income, including any reward 
he might receive, was thus always defined in money, but 
the actual payment might be made either in cash from the 
treasury, or by assignment of the revenue of a specified area. 
or partly in one way and partly in the other. 
Up to the end of the seventeenth century, with the ex- 
ception of one short period, payment by assignment was 
the rule of the Mogul Empire, and payment from the 
treasury was exceptional. A few Assignments, which 
carried special administrative jurisdiction, were allocated 
by the Emperor’s personal order; thus a district surrounding 
a fort like Ranthambhor or Kalinjar usaally went with the 
command of the fortress, and some historic areas, such as 
Kanauj or Jaunpur, were treated in the same way; but, in 
the ordinary procedure, allocation was the work of the 
Revenue Ministry. The Emperor made an appointment or 
‘Indm. The rewards we read of were usually enjoyed by high officers, 
A term which includes the Princes and other members of the Imperial 
family ; ladies, in particular, normally received at least a portion of their 
[ncome in the form of reward.