Finance department of the central government
during the Abbaside period. It had a number of wings. Majalis
al-asl (where the chief used to sit) was responsible for drawing
financial estimates. There was majalis al-hisab for reviewing the
provincial accounts before they were ratified in the majalis
alj'amaah, the bureau for closing the accounts of local buyut
al-amwal. Then there were majalis ai-sudan, probably a bureau for
drafts or perhaps for keeping registers and majalis al-tafsil
which kept specified charts over individual tax-payers, their
circumstances, yields, and correspondence regarding their
problems. Finally, it contained majalis al-jaysh that kept an eye
on the military participation on tax levy and the tasabbub that
flowed to them. Diwan al-kharaj functioned independently of other
departments. It acted as an audit office over the wazirs, and also
looked after the agricultural and economic productivity of the
provinces.
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