Mughal Administration c13.s6: § 6. The Bait-ul-mal or Store of Escheats.
Mughal Administration c13.s6
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§ 6. The Bait-ul-mal or Store of Escheats.
c13.s6.1
The *Bait-ul-mal* was the Store Department where, strictly speaking, only the property of persons dying without heïrs should have been kept, but where in actual practice, as we see from Aurangzib’s regulations, the escheated property of noblemen was also deposited. In Islamic theory, this *Bait-ul-mal* belonged to God and its contents could be spent only in works of charity and not on the Emperor’s personal expenses nor on the general needs of the Government. [*Encyclo. Islam*, i. 598.]
c13.s6.2
As Aurangzib writes in one of his letters, “The Khalifa of the Age (*i.e.*, the reigning sovereign of the country) is the trustee [not ‘owner’] of the *Bait-ul-mal*.” [*Ruqaat* No. 107.] And, again, in two other letters, “It is my duty to increase the property of the *Bait-ul-mal*” and “All presents made (to the sovereign) appertain to the *Bait-ul-mal*.” [Irvine MS. 350, No. 29 ; I.O.L. M.S. 3301, No. 102.]
c13.s6.3
Practical effect was given to this theory late in his reign. We read that in 1690 he issued an order appointing the provincial *qazis* as the *amins* or trustees of the branch *Bait-ul-mal* of their province. Thus, the *qazi* of Ahmadabad was ordered to present to the *faqirs* and other beggars of the city 150 coats (*qaba*) and the same number of blankets, priced Rs. 1½ and 8 annas each respectively, every winter. (*Mirat.* i. 338.) The amount of Rs. 6000 was spent on the clothing of the poor in that city ; but there were other occasions for charitable gift out of this fund.
c13.s6.4
The information at our disposal does not enable us to distinguish between the limits of work of the *Bait-ul-mal* and those of the other charity fund which the Emperor used to place in the hands of the *Sadar* or Civil Judge and Almoner. The *zakat* or tithe of 2½ per cent on the incomes of Muslims had to be devoted solely to pious works, such as maintaining Islamic scholars, students of theology, monks and beggars, giving dowries to maidens, &s. Strictly speaking, the *zakat* ought to have been paid into the treasury of the *Bait-ul-mal*, because the king could not lawfully touch any portion of it for his own use. Manucci tells us that in the closing years of Aurangzib's reign, when the Deccan war had exhausted his treasury and he was beset by financial embarrassment, the Emperor at first wished to open and use the contents of the great storehouses filled with goods left by deceased persons, or with property collected in Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan's time from the men, great or small, who had been servants of the State. But afterwards he ordered these storehouses not to be opened—lest the officials should steal more than half of the things in his absence from his northern capitals. (*Storia*, ii. 255.)
c13.s6.5
The *Manual of Officers' Duties* clearly distinguishes between the *amual* or confiscated property of officers who died indebted (*mutalibadar*) to the State and which therefore rightfully belonged to the Public Treasury, and the *Bait-ul-mal* or store-house of the property of heirless persons, which rightfully belonged to God and could be spent on charitable purposes only. But Aurangzib's extensive correspondence never mentions such a department as *amual* and only speaks of depositing the escheated property in the *Bait-ul-mal*. Moreover, the *Manual* shows that the three departments of *ajnas* (i.e., Government stores kept for being advanced to the subahdars and generals on loan), *amual* (i.e., the escheated property of such officers after death), and *bait-ul-mal* (or the effects of persons dying without any heir),—were placed under one superintendent (*darogha*) and one set of accountant, store-keeper and watchmen. Munitions were supplied to the officers from this department on account. Hence, it appears that the surplus powder, shot, lead and water-proofs (*mom-jama*) of the artillery department were kept in the *ajnas*.
c13.s6.6
The instructions issued to a newly appointed *darogha* of this stores department as to his duties are to be found in the *Manual*, pp. 90-92.