During the Mughal period, the term milkiyat denoted which one of the following ?

During the Mughal period, the term milkiyat (derived from the Arabic word milk, meaning ownership) referred to the personal lands held by Zamindars. These were private lands where Zamindars exercised proprietary rights, allowing them to sell, mortgage, or gift the land at will.

• Milkiyat lands were often cultivated with the help of hired labor or sharecroppers, and the revenue from these lands was for the Zamindar's personal use.
• Jagirs (Option A) were land revenue assignments granted to state officials (Jagirdars) in lieu of a cash salary; they did not imply ownership.
• Ijaras (Option B) referred to the system of revenue farming, where the right to collect land revenue was auctioned to Ijaradars.
• Mansabdars (Option D) held ranks in the Mughal administrative system and were usually paid through Jagirs, not through personal milkiyat property by virtue of their rank.