Muqata'ah

In the Ottoman timar system, plots of land were assigned to sipahis, who taxed the peasants (reaya) on that land a portion of their crops every growing season. In return the sipahis served in the Sultan's army. Timars could be reassigned at any time, with promotions to more lucrative positions often entailing transfer to another province. Mukata’a were under the control of their lease-holders for the term of the contract, eventually extending to life-terms. Unlike in timar, mukata’a revenues were collected in bullion, at least by the state, providing much-needed sources of currency to the Treasury. ==Role in the Ottoman Transformation==

The move away from timar farming, and to privatized revenue collection, took place against the backdrop of massive upheaval in the 17th and early 18th century Ottoman Empire. Previously, the timar system had been supported by Ottoman military advances and newly conquered territories, opening up newly conquered territories to be assigned, as well as provided spoils of war to pay the troops, which encouraged continual campaigning. As the shift to mukata’a began to gain traction, a new class in Ottoman society began to emerge. With the privatization of annual revenue collection, wealthy officials, or those with the access to information that could make them wealthy in the new investing market for mukata’a, had the ability to turn corners of the Empire into their own private fiefdoms, exerting control through a network of agents. However, Ariel Salzmann identifies this phenomenon not as a loss of control for the center, but instead “rationalized state control in a politically effective form.” ==References==