APPENDIX B 
219 
who could remove him, or transfer him to another charge, at 
any time. The passages proving this statement are too numerous 
to quote: one cannot usually read ten pages or so without 
finding instances of this exercise of the royal authority. The 
biographies already summarised suffice to show that in the 
thirteenth century a Muqti had no necessary connection with 
any particular locality; he might be posted anywhere from Lahore 
to Lakhnauti at the King’s discretion. Similarly, to take one 
example from the next century, Barni (427 ff.) tells how Ghiyas- 
uddin Tughlaq, on his accession, allotted the iqtds among his 
relatives and adherents, men who had no previous territorial 
connection with the places where they were posted, but who were 
apparently chosen for their administrative capacity. Such 
arrangements are the antithesis of anything which can properly 
be described as a feudal system. 
The Muqti was essentially administrator of the charge to 
which he was posted. This fact will be obvious to any careful 
reader of the chronicles, and many examples could be given, 
but the two following are perhaps sufficient. Barni (p. g6) tells 
at some length how Balban placed his son Bughra Khan on the 
throne of Bengal, and records the advice which he gave on the 
occasion. Knowing his son to be slack and lazy, he insisted 
specially on the need for active vigilance if a king was to keep 
his throne, and in this connection he drew a distinction between 
the position of King (iglimdari) and that of Governor (wilayatdari) 
a King’s mistakes were, he argued, apt to be irretrievable, and 
fatal to his family, while a Muqti who was negligent or inefficient 
in his governorship (wilayatdari), though he was liable to fine or 
dismissal, need not fear for his life or his family, and could still 
hope to return to favour. The essential function of a Mugqti 
was thus governorship, and he was liable to fine or dismissal if 
he failed in his duties. 
As an instance from the next century, we may take the story 
told by Afif (414), how a noble named Ainulmulk, who was 
smployed in the Revenue Ministry, quarrelled with the Minister, 
and was in consequence dismissed. The King then offered him 
the post of Muqti of Multan, saying, ‘Go to that province (iqta), 
and occupy yourself in the duties (karhd wa kardarha) of that 
place.” Ainulmulk replied: “When I undertake the adminis- 
tration (‘amal) in the igtd, and perform the duties of that place, 
it will be impossible for me to submit the accounts to the Revenue 
2.