I've been told that there was no feudal system in India or the Islamic World. How were large empires administrated, then? Did no Sultans divide their land amongst Sheikhs and Emirs?
The Mughal Empire in India, and the Persian empire used a system of governance that was called Mansabdari in India. A Mansabdar was a government appointed official for a region, akin to a feudal lord, but appointed at the pleasure of the government on a non-hereditary base.
A Mansabdar was a "rank holder", an official of the government with the authority of having a certain number of troops at his command. They were actually arranged in hierarchy by the number of troops they could command and given allowances and salary to do so.
They could be transferred to another region, had civilian equivalents to their titles, and at their death their domains returned to the empire, or to the Mansabdar appointed in their place.