Mukhtar (MOOKH-tarr)

The rank of Mukhtar is a cross between a tribal chief and a village headman, used in the Durpari kingdom for senior and respected individuals who lead settlements, assisted by a council of elders.
Notable examples are Mukhtar Alham Burak of Bralizzar and Mukhtar Sulaimaan el-Jabour of Ka-Tepi.
Mukhtari are men and women with the respect and approbation of the settlements they lead, and are appointed by the Durpari king. The position is for life, unless and until they feel they can no longer fulfil the role and seek retirement, or the king withdraws the appointment because they are no longer serving the best interests of the kingdom or their settlement.
Each leader is assisted by an advisory council of the elders and most prominent businesspeople of the settlement, who can cite precedent and suggest a path which serves the people of the town or village. In settlements over a certain size, the mukhtar receives an honour guard of Durpari Lancers or Airlancers, who both serve in a ceremonial role and ensure that appropriate respect is paid to the representative of the king. They also report back to their commanding officer, and through the officer, to the king, ensuring that no mukhtar decides their post is their private fiefdom.
Mukhtari are responsible for collecting royal taxes. A percentage are kept by the settlement for its own improvement and the pay of municipal officers such as those responsible for sanitation, water supply, and upkeep of public buildings. The remainder is forwarded to the kingdom. The council of elders are involved in monitoring the accounting of the taxes, and royal auditors periodically check settlements to compare the townspeople's receipts for taxes paid with those included in the royal tax rolls, as well as to receive any reports of corruption from distressed subjects of the crown. Should there be any verified reports, habitually the entire town council is put to death as an example, to inspire honesty where it is not possessed naturally.
A wide gamut of responsibility is laid upon each mukhtar, to accompany the freedom they have under normal circumstances. Together with the council, they manage law-enforcement and the dispensation of justice - unless the town is large enough to have its own judge, or be included in the rounds of a royal circuit judge - together with the town's security and defences. They also manage the town's food supply, ensuring that there is enough for winter and lean years, as well as the tithes to the kingdom that support the army and public works corps.