Mughal Administration c13.s6.5

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*.