In the time of Suleiman the system of fiefs had become greatly disarranged.[346] The distribution of them had been left to the local governors, and corruption had crept in; the frequent wars also had led to rapid changes and consequent confusion. Moreover, the army always contained a large number of _Gonnullu_, or volunteers, who came at their own expense, and fought with the hope, often realized, of receiving the fiefs of slain men as the reward of signally brave conduct.[347] It is said that during the course of a single bloody day one fief changed owners seven times. If fiefs might thus be granted in the midst of battle, it is not easy to see how a condition of reasonable order could have been preserved in the feudal system. Suleiman, therefore, by a _Kanun_ of the year 1530, attached the granting of all fiefs above a certain size once more to the central government.[348] Each holder of such a fief must obtain a _teskereh_, or document, from Constantinople, in order to have good title.[349] The central treasury administered such estates during vacancies. Only those fief-holders who held by _teskereh_ were entitled to be called _Spahis_;[350] the others were known as _Timarjis_, or Timariotes. The feudal _Spahis_ of Anatolia were more under the authority of the governor than were those of Europe; they were not so well paid, did not have so much practice in fighting, and were not so highly esteemed as soldiers.[351] Thus the country gentry were kept under good control; the accumulation of estates was prevented, any tendency toward independence could easily be thwarted, and the sultan obtained regularly the service for which the lands were granted. In addition, most of the subject Christian population was governed locally without any trouble to the sultan, and was held down well and uniformly by resident seigneurs. A great advantage of the system was that, by the granting of new fiefs in newly-conquered lands, the territorial army was automatically increased in proportion to the increase of the empire.[352] OFFICERS OF THE FEUDAL SPAHIS