Mughal Administration c7.s7: § 7. Duties of the Buyutat.
Mughal Administration c7.s7
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§ 7. Duties of the Buyutat.
c7.s7.1
Buyutāt is the double plural of the Arabic word bait, meaning ‘house’. In Mughal India Diwān-i-buyutāt, popularly always shortened into Buyutāt, was the title of an officer who registered the property of deceased persons, in order to secure the payment of the dues of the State as well as to safeguard the property for the heirs of the deceased. In addition, he was in some respects an understudy of the Khan-i-sāmān, as the following list of his duties [Z. 21b; D. 84a] will show:—
c7.s7.2
∗ Variant : “Expenditure on lodgings and buildings.” [D.]
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(1) To allot money to the various funds or cash balances out of the treasury of general expenditure and of the kārkhānahs.
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(2) To escheat the property of deceased nobles in co-operation with the Khan-i-sāmān.
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(3) To make provisions (sarānjām) for the kārkhānahs.
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(4) [To fix] the prices of articles.
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(5) Estimating the [necessary] treasury of the kārkhānahs. Send the estimate of the monthly expenditure to the Diwan's office.
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(6) Daily accounts of the kārkhānahs accompanying the Emperor during his marches.
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(7) Endorsement of receipts (qabuz).
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(8) The Buyutāt should write the date on the descriptive rolls (chihra) of the menials.
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(9) On the report of branding of cattle, he should write "Brought to the branding."
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(10) [Rejection or sale of] old articles in karkhanahs according to the suggestions received from the different kārkhānahs.
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(11) Fixing halting-days for the cattle.
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(12) Siāha of tankhā from the expenditure treasury. The advances to the menials, barqandazes and cattle should be paid in the presence of the Buyutat himself.
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(13) The slips [*chithi*] granting articles [*jins wa ājnās*] should be kept in the office of the Buyutat.
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(14) The rooms of the kārkhānahs should be sealed with the Buyutāt’s seal.
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(15) Grants [to] petty officials for food store [*zakhira.*]
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(16) Ascertainment of the prices of the things in the purchase and other departments and their cash, under the seal of the Buyutat.
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(17) The requisitions of the kārkhānahs to be signed first by the Buyutāt and then by the Khan-i-sāmān.
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(18) The siāha of the expenditure and the summary grant (*sārāsari tankhā*) for food of the cattle should go to the Buyutāt’s office, and thereafter be signed by the Khan-i-sāmān.