​The Iqta system was introduced by ______________ in Delhi sultanate in institutional form. ​

Correct option is C

Correct Answer:C Iltutmish

The Iqta system was introduced in an institutionalized form in the Delhi Sultanate by Iltutmish (r. 1211–1236). It was a system of land revenue assignment where the state granted lands (called Iqta) to military officers or nobles (Iqtadars) in exchange for military service and administration.

Key Features of the Iqta System:

• Iqtadars (Iqta-holders) were responsible for collecting land revenue and maintaining law and order in their assigned regions.
• Revenue from the land was used to pay for the military expenses of the Iqtadars.
• Unlike the feudal system, Iqtas were not hereditary; they were revoked or transferred by the Sultan at will.
• Iltutmish standardized the system, ensuring that the state retained control over land and revenue.
• Later rulers, such as Alauddin Khilji and Firoz Shah Tughlaq, modified the system to strengthen central authority.

Information Booster:

• The Iqta system was borrowed from the Persian and Abbasid administrative traditions.
  
• Alauddin Khilji further centralized the Iqta system by reducing the autonomy of Iqtadars and making direct revenue assessments.
  
• Firoz Shah Tughlaq made the Iqtas hereditary, weakening central control.
  
• The Mughal Empire later replaced the Iqta system with the Mansabdari system under Akbar.
  
• The system played a crucial role in maintaining the Delhi Sultanate’s military and administrative structure.