Explain Iqta.

The Iqta system was a form of land revenue assignment prevalent in medieval Islamic societies, particularly during the Abbasid Caliphate and subsequent Islamic empires. In the Iqta system, the ruler or the central authority granted the right to collect and retain revenue from a specific territory or region to a military officer or bureaucrat in return for their services, usually military or administrative.

The Iqta holder, known as the Iqta'dar, was responsible for ensuring the collection of taxes, maintaining law and order, and contributing troops for military service. In exchange for these duties, the Iqta'dar was entitled to a share of the revenue generated from the assigned land. The Iqta system served as a means of compensating military and administrative officials, ensuring their loyalty to the central authority.

The Iqta system played a crucial role in the administrative and economic structure of medieval Islamic empires, providing a decentralized mechanism for revenue collection and administration. Over time, the Iqta system evolved and adapted in various Islamic states, reflecting the changing needs and circumstances of the ruling authorities.