a form of administrative grant, often (wrongly) translated by the European word “fief”. The nature of the iḳṭāʿ varied according to time and place, and a translation borrowed from other systems of institutions and conceptions has served only too often to mislead Western historians, and following them, even those of the East.〔Claude Cahen, "Iḳṭā'," EI2, Vol.
A mechanism had to be devised to collect the surplus from the peasantry and redistribute it among the members of the ruling class. The crucial element in this mechanism was the ''iqta'' that combined the two functions of collection and distribution without immediately endangering the unity of the political structure. The ''iqta'' was the territorial assignment and its holder was designated ''muqti''
3, p. 1088.〕