Iqtadar

noun (also rendered Iqtidar / Iqtedar / Iqtidaar)

/ɪqˈtɑːdɑːr/

The holder of an iqta — a territorial revenue assignment given by the Delhi Sultan in lieu of salary, obligating the holder to maintain troops, collect revenue, administer the territory, and remit surplus to the central treasury.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

No sooner had the party tasted iqtadar than its lofty pre-election promises of decentralisation quietly evaporated, illustrating how the intoxication of power can erode the very accountability that democratic governance demands.

Synonyms

authoritypowerdominionsovereigntycommandsupremacy

Antonyms

subjectionpowerlessnesssubservienceimpotence

🌱 Word Family

iqta (n, related), muqti (n, related), zamindar (n, related Persian compound)

🔡 Root

Arabic iqṭāʿ (إقطاع) = revenue allotment; Persian -dār = holder; qaṭaʿa = to cut, to allot

📜 Etymology

From Arabic iqta' (إقطاع, "allotment, grant of land revenue"), from the root qa-ta-a ("to cut, to allot"), combined with Persian -dar ("holder"); the Iqta system originated in the Abbasid Caliphate and was adapted for Indian conditions by Iltutmish.

🧠 Memory Hook

Hear "iqt-i-DARE" — only one with real iqtadar would DARE to command; tie it to its cousin "qudrat" (power/nature) from the shared q-d-r root that always signals POWER and the capacity to MEASURE OUT one's will.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Medieval Administration & Revenue Syst...

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