History Foundational

Class
Delhi Sultanate part 2

D. Kishore Kumar
THE TUGHLAQS (1320 AD-1412 AD)

• Founder: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320 - 1325 AD) established a

new dynasty which ruled till 1412 AD. The Tughlaqs provided
three competent rulers: Ghiyasuddin, his son Muhammad
bin Tughlaq (1325-51 AD), and his nephew Firuz Shah
Tughlaq (1351-88 AD).

• Later Rulers included:

• Mohammad Khan: 1388 AD

• Ghiyassuddin Tughlaq Shah II1388 AD

• Abu Baqr: 1389-90 AD

• Nasiruddin Muhammad: 1390-94 AD

• Humayun: 1394-95 AD

• Nasiruddin Mahmud: 1395-1412 AD

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325 AD):

• Founder: He was the first ruler and the

founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. According to
Amir Khusrau's (courtier) Tughluq Nama,
Tughluq spent a considerable time searching
for a job in Delhi, before he joined the
imperial guard of Jalaluddin Khalji.

• Throne: He repulsed the Mongol trespassers

many times. Khusrau Khan, the last ruler of
the Khilji administration was executed by
Ghazi Malik, who raised the throne
accepting the title Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.
• Administrative reforms: Ghiyasuddin was an
experienced warrior-stateman and an able
administrator.

• Principle of Administration: The administration of

Ghiyasuddin was based principles of justice,
benevolence and public welfare.

• Liberal Rule: He liberalized administration in certain

respects. He restored the lands of those who had
been deprived of them by Alauddin Khilji and
suppressed the followers of Khusrau by confiscating
their lands.

• Less Severe Punishment: The practice of physical

torture in case of economic offence and recovery of
debts was given up.

• Revenue: He also discarded Alauddin's system of

measurement of land for the assessment of land
revenue. The rate of land revenue was also reduced
to one third of the produce.
Conquests:

• Subjugation of Warangal (1323 AD): Juna Khan had expedition against

Warangal in 1323.

• He successfully captured Warangal and took Prataparudra (Ruler of

Warangal) as prisoner. Prataparudra committed suicide on the way to
Delhi and the Kakatiya territories annexed to the Tughlaq empire.

• Bengal (1324 AD): Bengal, which was torn by civil war between the
various contenders for the throne, attracted the attention of the Sultan,
who marched against it and brought it under Delhi's control.

• Nasiruddin was put on the throne of west Bengal as a vassal of Delhi

and East Bengal was annexed to Delhi.

• Defeat of Mongols (1324 AD): In 1324 the Mongols invaded northern

India but they were defeated, their leaders were captured and brought to
Delhi.

• Sultan died under in 1325 A. D.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 AD):

• A man of Rare Qualities but Worst Tragedies of

History

• High level of Centralisation: Centralisation highest

level was also witnessed under Muhammad Bin
Tughlaq. Iqtadar was ordered to deposit the entire
revenue to the treasury (Fawazil), earlier they used
to deposit surplus after deducting their salaries and
expenses.

• Principle of Merit: Principle of Merit was followed by

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq by making appointments
under state.

• Imperialism: Imperialism of highest order was

witnessed under Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. He followed
a policy of direct rule over peninsular India.
Major Experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 AD)

Shifting of Capital (1327 AD): Daulatabad

1. Objective Behind Transfer:

• Barani's View:

• According to Barani, the Sultan made Daulatabad

(Aurangabad, Maharashtra) his capital because it was
situated comparatively in the middle of his empire.

• It had equal distance from Delhi, Gujarat, Lakhnauti,

Sonargavn, Telangana, Mabar, Dwarasmudra and
Kampila.

• Barani wants to say that from here, the Sultan could keep
a more effective control over the whole of Deccan.
Criticism of The Experiment:

• Barani's View:

• Regarding the transfer of capital to Daulatabad, Barani wrote that

without consultation or weighing the pros and cons, he brought
ruin on Delhi which for 170 to 180 years had grown in prosperity
and rivaled Baghdad and Cairo.

• According to Barani the Sultan realized the folly of his

experiment and ordered a return march of the people.

• Ibn Battuta Views: He visited Delhi six years after the emigration
testifies to the greatness and prosperity of Delhi. He tells us that Delhi
was the biggest town of the East, and had beautiful massive buildings.

• A Novel Experiment

Impact of Transfer of Capital:

• Resentment Against Sultan

• Cultural Assimilation
2. Token Currency Experiment:

• Introduction of Copper Coin: The only major innovation in the

currency system established by Iltutmish was made by Muhammad
Tughlaq. The Sultan introduced a coin of copper and brass alloy and
reckoned it at the value of a Silver and Gold tanka.

• Token Currency in Use: There were already examples of such a

currency in China and Persia. Kublai Khan, the Mongol Emperor
of China, had introduced a paper currency in China towards the
close of the 13th century. Gai Khatu, the ruler of Persia, made a
similar experiment in 1294 A.D.

Reason for Introduction:

• Barani's View: tells us that the experiment was due to two causes.

• To maintain Great Army: The first cause was the need of money
to maintain the great army of conquest numbering 3,70,000.

• Deficiency in Treasury: The second cause was the deficiency in the

treasury caused by the lavish gifts made by the Sultan.
Failure of Token Currency:

• Ahead of its Time

• Not a Monopoly of State: Sultan could not make the issue

of copper coins a monopoly State.

• Barani: Barani says rhetorically that every 'Hindu'

household became a mint.

• Sultan successfully withdrew all coins by paying gold and

silver coins for the copper tokens.
3. Expedition of Khurasan (1332-1333 AD):

• Scheme of Conquest: In beginning of his reign Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughluq

had made a scheme to Khurasan, Iran and Transoxiana.

• Khurasani Nobles: Some Khurasani nobles thronged the court of Muhammad

Tughluq due to his extravagant liberality and they incited the Sultan for the
victory of Khurasan. At that time the internal condition of Khurasan was also
favorable.

• Khurasan: It was a part of the Persian Empire and there was serious internal
conflict in Persia and the ruler of Egypt had made a plan to invade Persia due to
its weak position. The ruler of Egypt was the friend of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq.
He instigated the Sultan to invade Khurasan.

• Preparation for Expedition: The Sultan recruited a vast army of 3,70,000

soldiers for this purpose and paid them advance salary for one year but before
the march of this army towards Khurasan, the conditions in Central Asia
changed and the scheme of invading central Asia could not be implemented.

• Abandonment of Expedition: The Sultan had also realized that it would be very
difficult to cross the huge snowbound mountains, so he abandoned the idea of
launching an expedition against Khurasan and the army was dispersed.
Consequences:

• Unemployment: The rest of the army was disbanded after the

abandonment of Khurasan Expedition. This led to spread of
unemployment amongst the soldiers and the groups were
discontented with the Sultan.

• Financial Loss: Mohammad Bin Tughlaq cannot be held fully

responsible for the failure of these expeditions but it will have to be
considered that he had to face very grave consequences. The
government not only suffered financial loss, but also unpopularity
with the people as well.
4. Qarachil Expedition (1333 AD):

• Region: Qarachil was a small Hindu Kingdom located on India-

China Border in modern Himachal Pradesh.

• Preparation: A strong army of 10,000 cavalry men was sent to

conquer Qarachil. The Campaign was a success because the king
of Qarachil accepted the overlordship of Delhi.

• Loss and Damage: When the Victorious army was returning, the
rainy season commenced and led to problems of landslides
causing immense hardships to the soldiers. The Local People also
attacked the soldiers. Due to this most of the Soldiers got killed.

• Barani on Expedition: According to Barani only 10 soldiers could

reach Delhi to tell the tale of this horror.
5. Economic and Agrarian Reforms:

• Taxation in Doab (1333-1334 AD): Barani says

that taxes were increased 10 or 20 times more and
to this were added Ghari or house tax and the
Charai or pasture tax.

• Arbitrary fixation of prices

Impacts:

• Famine & Poverty

• Rebellion
Model Agricultural Farm:

• Creation of New Department: A new ministry designate diwan-i amir-i kohi

was established to promote agriculture. Its two main functions were:
• To extend the area under cultivation and to reclaim the land that
went out of cultivation.
• Improving the cropping pattern.

• Extension of Cultivation: Muhammad Tughlaq introduced the practice of

giving agricultural loans named Sondhar for increasing the area under
plough and for digging wells for irrigation. Barani says that 70 lakhs
tankas (according to Afif 2 krors tankas) were given till 1346-47 in sondhar
but perhaps hardly any amount reached the peasantry.

• Advance Loan (taccavi): Muhammad Tughlaq was also the first Indian ruler
in recorded history to advance loans (taccavi). Taccavi loan was a short-term
loan given to poor farmers to purchase seeds, fertilizers, equipment and
for other agriculture purposes.

• Failure of Experiment: Unfortunately, the experiment proved to be a failure.

The land chosen for the experiment was not fertile. The period of three
years was too small to produce any concrete result. The money was not
properly spent and a large part of it was merely wasted.
Conclusion:

• The closer examination of various ideas, principles and projects of

Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 AD) clearly reveals that
he was not a man with Contradictory qualities.

• A ruler has to be liberal and generous towards men of learning,

religion and the poor. At the same time a ruler has to be cruel
towards rebels and criminals.

• Due to the failure of some of his projects, he cannot be termed as

insane and foolish. Any good initiative at times fails. He was
personally responsible for the failure of his projects.

• His officials were equally responsible for failure in some cases

while others failed due to natural calamities.
Firoz Tughlaq's Overall Policies:

• Initial Efforts (1351- 1362): Firuz in the initial phase tried to control the
nobility by undertaking military campaigns. This includes campaigns
against Bengal, Jajnagar and Sind.

• Policy of Appeasement (1362 onwards): The failure of above campaigns

prompted Firuz to overhaul his efforts which were then turned to
appeasement of those sections which were upset by Mohammad Bin
Tughlaq.

Reform in Revenue and Taxation System:

• Reversal of Policy: When Firuz Tughluq came to the throne, there was
complete chaos in revenue administration. He cancelled all the Taccavi
loans.

• Preparation of Rough Estimate: Khwaja Hisam-ud-Din was entrusted

with the task of preparing a rough estimate of the public revenues of the
kingdom. He ultimately fixed the revenue of the Khalisa land in the
Kingdom at six crores and seventy-five lakhs of Tanka. This income is
fixed in perpetuity, so the peasant does not have to bear any additional
burden.
• Abolition of Non Sharia Taxes: The sultan abolished 24 vexatious and
unjust cesses which had been levied during the previous reigns. He
brought an end to all the other taxes except Jaziya, Khiraj, Zakat and
Khums only because these four were mentioned in Shariat.

• Kharaj: It was the land tax of non-islamic population, which was

equal to 1/10th of the produce of the land.
• Zakat: It was 2.5% tax on property realized from the Muslims
and spent on certain specific religious purposes only.
• Jizya was levied on the non-Muslims and other heretics in lieu of
religious autonomy and protection within Islamic Sultanate.
• Khams was one-fifth of the booty captured during the war. Ala-
ud-Din and Muhammad Tughluq used to get four-fifths of the
booty and left only one-fifth to the army.
• Haqq-i-Sharb: The Sultan levied an irrigation tax at the rate of
10% of the produce of the fields. This was the only non-islamic
tax present in the Firuz's reign.

• Prosperity in Kingdom: The revenue policy of the Sultan also added to

the general prosperity of the people. Shams-i-Siraj Afif tells us that
their (People) homes were replete with grain, property, horses and
furniture.
Encouragement to the Iqta system:

• Appeasement of Nobles: The reintroduction of the Jagir system by

Firoz made big Amirs and chiefs very happy. One of his instructions
was that all the officials involved in the Sindh campaign should
have their Iqtas transferred to their sons unconditionally and
permanently.

• Hereditary Nature: Another instruction issued by him was that after

the death of a Iqtadar, his Jagir or Iqta should pass to his son,
failing which to his son-in-law, failing which to his slave.

• Impact: The revival of the Jagir system proved disadvantageous to

the empire. Gradually, these Jagir holders became more and more
powerful and later, became contributory to the fall of the Delhi
Sultanate. They started taking the services of forced labour from the
peasants and exploited them.
Reforms in Agricultural System:

• Encouragement to Superior Crops: The sultan encouraged

production of superior crops like wheat, lentils, sugarcane etc.

• Gardens: yielded a revenue of 180,000 tankas to the state 1200

gardens were laid out in neighborhood of Delhi.

• Digging of Canals – longest canal 200 km, from Sutlej to Hansi,

another canal from Yamuna

• Irrigation Promotion

• Rate of Taxation: It was imposed at the rate of 1/3 of the total

produce.
Public Work:

• Founder of Cities: The important towns of Firozabad (the

present Kotla Firuz Shah in Delhi), Fatehabad, Hisar, and
Firozpur (near Badaun) were founded by him.

• Hospitals: The Sultan established at Delhi hospital described

variously as Dar-ul-Shifa, Bimaristan and Shifakhana.

• Educational Centers: He built many mosques, colleges and

monasteries that the learned and the devout and the holy,
might worship God in these edifices and aid the kind builder
with their prayers.
Religious Policy: An Ideal Muslim King

• Policy of Appeasement: Firoz Tughlaq provided grants to the

Ulemas to please them. After the Jazanagar (Orissa) campaign, he
distributed about 36,00,000 Tankas as a gift to the Sheikhs
and Alims.

• Follower of Sharia: To please the Ulemas again, he changed the

taxation and judicial system so as to suit the requirement of
the Shariat. During his reign, the Ulemas usually interfered in
politics.

• Policy Towards Hindus: He followed an intolerant policy

towards the Hindus.

• Shias: The Sultan was intolerant towards the Shias and other
non-Sunni Mussalmans who were considered to be heretics by the
orthodox Sunnis.

• Khalifa: The Sultan had great regard for the Khalifa of Egypt. He
associated the name of the Khalifa on his coins along with his
own name.
Judicial Reforms:

• Less Severe Punishments: He ended punishments like

cutting off the limbs and so forth for petty crimes. Praising
his judicial system, British historian V.A. Smith writes that
this measure of bringing an end to corporal punishments
was really worthy of praise.

• Sympathy of People: By putting an end to these barbarities,

the Sultan won for himself the sympathy of the people to a
great extent. The Sultan tried to make the judicial system
that was based on Shariat.

• Enhanced Role of Ulemas and Qazis

• Instructions: He issued the instruction that if any traveller

died on the way, the feudal chiefs and Muqaddam of the
area had to summon the Qazi and Mufti, examine the dead
body of the deceased and only after the Qazi certified that
there was no wound on the body of the dead should the
burial take place.
Slave Department and its Organization:

• Large Slaves: Firoz Tughlaq collected slaves in large numbers.

He ordered his Subedars that whenever they invaded any area in
connection with revenue collection, well-bodied and good
looking children should be selected and sent to the Sultan.

• He preferred to have slaves as presents from his governors.

Gradually, the number of his slaves swelled to about 1,80,000.
The Sultan set up a separate department called Diwan-i-
Bandagan for the slaves.

• Vocational Activities: They were given training in different

vocations. Some of them became artisans and craftsmen; some
joined the army and became warriors; some were employed in the
Royal Karkhanas; a few of them mounted guard at the Royal
Palace.
Organization of Army:

• Reversal of Policies: Firoz Shah Tughlaq amended many of the

military measures introduced by Alauddin Khilji and
Muhammad- bin-Tughlaq. He did away with the practice of
maintaining a standing army, cash payment of salary to the
army, writing descriptive roles, branding the horses, periodical
inspection of army by the state.

• Feudal Army: He organized the army on a feudal basis. The

whole responsibility of army organization was left to the feudal
chiefs and they were given Iqtas and land grants.

• Hereditary Claims: The Sultan had passed a new regulation

that if a soldier became incapable of service in the field on
account of his old age, his son or son-in-law or his slave could
be sent in his place. Obviously, the recognition of the hereditary
claim in the military was highly objectionable.

• Corruption: The inspectors who inspected soldiers and horses

were corrupt and in spite of his knowledge the Sultan would not
dismiss them on account of his tender heart.
THE SAYYID DYNASTY (1414 - 1451 AD)

Introduction:

• Rise of Khizr Khan: The central authority of the Delhi sultanate

had been fatally weakened by the invasion of the Turkish conqueror
Timur and his capture of Delhi in 1398.

• Political Chaos at Delhi: Khizr Khan, who had been appointed

Governor of Lahore, Multan and Depalpur by Amir Timur, acquired
control of Delhi after defeating its de facto ruler Daulat Khan.

• Taking advantage of the confusion that prevailed in India after the

death of the last Tughlaq, Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, Khizr Khan
marched on Delhi, occupied the throne for himself on May 28, 1414.

• Short Rule: The Sayyid Dynasty rule was for a short period of 37
Years during which 4 rulers sat on the throne of Delhi. In 1451,
Bahlul Lodhi removed Ala-ud-din Alam Shah (the last ruler) from
the throne, establishing Lodhi Dynasty.
Dynastic Succession:

Khizr Khan (1414-1421 AD):

• Founder: Khizr Khan laid the foundation of a new dynasty of the

Sayyids. He was a man of high moral character who combined in him
the qualities of a saint, soldier and politician.

• Area Under Control: Khizr Khan ruled Delhi independently for seven
years. His kingdom comprises Sindh, Punjab and some parts of Doab.

• He did not assume the sovereign title of Sultan or Shah nor stuck
coins in his name.

• Successor of Timur: He professed to rule as the deputy to Timur's

son and successor, Shah Rukh, to whom he probably sent occasional
tributes.

• Suppression of Revolts: He tried to suppress the refractory

chieftains in Rohilkhand, Doab and Mewat, but no attempt was
made to re- conquer the provinces which had succeeded from the
Sultan.
Mubarak Shah (1421-1434 AD):

• Military General: Mubarak was the son and successor of

Khizr Khan, who assumed the title of Sultan. He was a
competent military general and suppressed a few revolts of
the Hindu Zamindars of the Doab and defeated the Muslim
nobles in the Punjab.

• Achievements: His successful expeditions against Mewatis,

Katihar and the Gangetic doab enabled him to collect
revenue from that region, although Delhi's authority over
their chiefs was precarious. Mubarak Shah was
assassinated in 1434 by some of his own nobles.
Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526 AD)

Introduction:

• Time Period: The Lodi dynasty was an Afghan dynasty that

ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth
and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.

• First Indo-Afghan Empire: As distinct from the earlier Delhi

rulers who were Turks, the Lodis were Afghans.

• Founder: The Lodi Lodi dynasty was founded by Bahlul Lodi in

1451 CE. Bahlul Lodi was the Governor of Lahore and Sirhind
when the Sultan of Delhi was Alam Shah, the last of the
Sayyid Sultans.
• Help of Nobles: With the help of the few nobles Bahlul Lodi
took charge of the army of the Delhi Sultanate and
consequently went on to became the Sultan of Delhi when Alam
Shah transferred the powers of the Sultanate to his hand. Thus
the rule of the Lodi dynasty began which continued up to 1526
CE.

• Extent of Empire: The Lodis dominated the upper Ganga

Valley and the Punjab from the middle of the fifteenth century.

• Fall of Dynasty: First Battle of Panipat

Bahlul Lodi (1451 - 1489):

• On Throne of Delhi: Bahlul Khan Lodi ascended the throne of the

Delhi sultanate on April 19, 1451, after the last Sayyid ruler of
Delhi, Alauddin Alam Shah, voluntarily abdicated in his favor.

• A Capable General: Sultan Bahlul Lodi was a capable general and

he realized that to establish his control over the Sultanate of Delhi
he would require the support of the Afghan nobles.

Treatment to Nobles:

• The Afghan nobles wanted to be treated as equals by the Sultan

and therefore in order to honor this desire the Sultan publicly
declared himself as one of the Afghan peers and not a king.

• Strong Support: Sultan Bahlul Lodi would not sit on the Throne
and neither the Afghan nobles needed to stay standing in court of
the Sultan. This earned him the respect and support of the nobles
throughout his reign.
• Suppression of Revolts: Bahlul Lodi was successful in
suppressing the revolts in Mewat and Doab.

• Annexation of Sharqi Dynasty (1479 AD): The Sharqi

Sultans of Jaunpur claimed to be the legitimate successors
of the Sayyids of Delhi on the basis of matrimonial relations.
A long war resulted in the decisive defeat of Sultan Husain
Shah Sharqi and the incorporation of his territories in
Bahlul's dom (1479).

• Failures: He failed to re-occupy Bengal, Gujarat, and the

Deccan. Bahlul Lodi tried to restore the greatness of the Delhi
Sultanate and hence conquered territories around Delhi.
When he died in 1489 CE the Sultanate comprised the
territories from Punjab to Varanasi. He was succeeded by his
son Nizam Shah under the title of Sultan Sikandar Lodi in
1489 CE.
Sikandar Shah Lodi (1489 - 1517):

• Succession: Bahlul Lodi was succeeded by his third son, Nizam

Khan, who took the title of Sikandar Shah. He shifted his
capital in 1504 to the village of Agra

• Greatest of the Dynasty: Sikandar Lodi brought the whole of

Gujarat under his control and defeated many rajput chiefs. He
attacked Bengal and forced its ruler, Alauddin Hussain Shah to
sign a treaty with him. His empire extended from Punjab to
Bihar, including some parts of the kingdom of Gwalior and
Nagor.

• Administrator: Sikandar Lodi was also a great administrator.

He set up an efficient espionage system and introduced the
system of auditing of accounts. All jagir holders had to submit
a statement of accounts regularly to the Sultan.

• Innovation in Agriculture: He took keen interest in improving

agriculture. He introduced the Gaaz-i-Sikandar of 32 digits for
measuring cultivated fields.
Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526 AD):

• Division of Empire: After the death of Sikandar Lodi the

nobles divided the empire between his two sons. Ibrahim
Lodi was made the Sultan of Delhi and his brother Jalal
Khan was given Jaunpur.

• Struggle with Nobles: Ibrahim Lodi was not satisfied with this
arrangement, imprisoned Jalal Khan and later executed him.
All throughout his reign there was continuous struggle
between the Sultan and the nobles and the Sultan portrayed a
harsh attitude towards the nobles by either putting them in
prison or putting them to death whenever they showed
disagreement.

• Battle with Rana Sanga: It was during this time Rana Sanga
of Mewar by finding opportunity made inroads into the Lodi
territories and advanced as far as Bayana near Agra. The
Sultan fought and defeated Rana Sanga of Mewar and
captured Gwalior.
• Invitation to Babur: Daulat Khan Lodi, Governor of Lahore
greatly displeased by the arrogance and the insulting attitude of
Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. So he invited Babur, the ruler of Kabul to
invade India and oust Ibrahim Lodi from the throne.

• Invasion of Babur: Daulat Khan later realized his folly but it was
too late by then. By that time Babur had already planned his
invasion in India by 1519 CE and started to raid the regions of
the frontier province. In 1525 CE he came marching towards
Delhi.

• First Battle of Panipat (1526 AD)

Nature of Kingship:

• First Among Equals of Bahlul Lodi

• Centralized Polity of Sikandar Lodi

• Ibrahim's Kingship: The process of centralization accelerated

under Ibrahim.
Government Economic and Social Life under Delhi Sultanate

The Sultan:

• Moral Position of Caliphs: The sultans of Delhi proclaimed themselves as Supreme

however many declared themselves "lieutenant of the faithful", i.e., of the Abbasid
Caliph at Baghdad, and included his name in the khutba in Friday prayers signifying
only a moral position of the Caliph.

• Duties and Responsibilities: The sultan's office was the most important and he was
responsible for:
• The safety and security of the state.
• Administration
• Command of the military forces.
• Maintenance of law and justice. To discharge this function, he appointed
judges.
• Court of appeal from the judges.

• No clear law of Succession: The Islamic theory adhered to the idea of the election of
the ruler, but accepted in practice the succession of any son of a successful ruler. The
idea of primogeniture was fully acceptable neither to the Muslims nor to the Hindus.

• Iltutmish even nominated a daughter in preference to his sons. Thus, military

strength was the main factor in succession to the throne.
It was Balban who first a separate ariz's
department in India.

• Branding of Horses: Alauddin introduced the

branding system (dagh) of the horses and a
descriptive role of each soldier (Chehra) was
also maintained.

• Tackling the Mongol problem: Alauddin

Khalji had the largest standing army and was
also the first sultan who paid his soldiers fully
in cash. The efficiency of Alauddin's army was
the main factor in his ability to contain the
Mongol invasions while conquering the
Deccan at the same time.
Important Departments:

• Military Department (Diwan-i-Arz): The head was called the ariz-i-mamalik.

The special responsibility of the ariz's department was to recruit, equip and
pay the army.

• Diwan-i- Risalat: It dealt with religious matters, pious foundations and

stipends to deserving scholars and men of piety. It was presided over by the
chief sadr.

• Department of Justice: The chief qazi was the head of the department of
justice. The Qazis dispensed civil law based on the Muslim law (sharia).

• The diwan-i-insha: It dealt with state correspondence.

• Department of Intelligence: The rulers posted intelligence agents called barids

in different parts of the empire to keep them informed.

• Household Department: The ruler's household was another important

department of state. It also looked after a large number of karkhanas or
departments in which goods and articles needed by the king and the royal
household were stored. The officer in charge of all these activities was called
wakil-i-dar.
Local Administration:

Iqta System:

• Muqti: Turks divided their territory into a number of tracts

called iqtas, which later became provinces or subas. The
holders of these offices were called muqtis or walis.

• Duties: They were expected to maintain law and order, and

collect the land revenue. As the central government became
stronger and gained experience, it began to control the muqtis
more closely.

• Payment: It began to try to ascertain the actual income, and

to fix the salaries of the soldiers and the muqti in cash.
These rules were relaxed by Firuz Tughlaq towards the end of
the sultanat.
Shiqs and Pargana:

• Head: Below the provinces were the shiqs and below them
the pargana. Villages were grouped into units of 100 or 84
(traditionally called chaurasi). The pargana was headed by
amil.

• Important People at Village Level: The most important

people in the village were the khut (landowners) and
muqaddam or headman and the village accountant or
patwari.

• Continuation of Old System: In the initial stage, hardly

any change was made in the working of the administration
at the local level. Land revenue continued to be collected in
the same manner, more or less by the same set of people.
With reference to Indian history, which of the
following were known as ‘Kulah-Daran’?

(a) Arab merchants

(b) Qalandars

(c) Persian calligraphists

(d) Sayyids

Banjaras during the history were generally

(a) agriculturists

(b) warriors

(c) weavers medieval period of Indian

(d) traders
Consider the following statements. (2019)

1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of

revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’.

2. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous

institution.

3. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khilji
Sultans of Delhi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) 1 and 2

(c) Only 3

(d) 1, 2 and 3
Which one of the following is the correct chrono-logical order of the
Afghan rulers to the throne of Delhi? (2006)

(a) Sikandar Shah, Ibrahim Lodhi, Bahlul Khan Lodhi

(b) Sikandar Shah, Bahlul Khan Lodhi, Ibrahim

(c) Bahlul Khan Lodhi, Sikandar Shah, Ibrahim Lodhi

(d) Bahlul Khan Lodhi, Ibrahim Lodhi, Sikandar Shah