Describe the administration measures of the Khaljis?
Answers
The Administration of Delhi Sultanate was largely influenced by their religion. The Sultans were the head of the state that enjoyed unlimited power in legislative, executive and judicial. Here, we are giving the brief story of the comparison between two personalities of Delhi Sultanate- Muhammad bin Tughlaq will forever be remembered for the wild swings in policy, whereas Alauddin Khilji’s administrative measures made him most powerful ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
Comparison between the Administration of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughlaq
Administration of Alauddin Khalji
Administration of Muhammad Tughlaq
He increases his large standing army to protect from invasion (defensive measure) because Delhi was attacked twice, in 1299/1300 AD and 1302-03 AD.
He increased his large standing army to attack on Transoxiana.
He constructed a new garrison town named Siri for his soldiers.
He evacuates four oldest cities of Delhi (Dehli-i Kuhna) and made soldiers garrison. The residents of the old city were relocated to the new capital of Daulatabad in the south.
Soldiers were fed from the tax collected from the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna. Tax was fixed at 50 per cent of the produce.
The tax collected from the area between Ganga and Yamuna was used to feed the army. But to meet the need of the large number of soldiers the Sultan levied additional taxes, including those areas which were suffering from famine.
He paid his soldiers salaries in cash rather than kind. The soldiers were to buy their supplies from the local market. To stop the fear of price rise, he controlled the prices of goods. Prices were carefully monitor by officers, and if merchants did not sell at the prescribed rates were punished.
He paid salary in cash to the soldiers but never controlled the prices. He introduced the token system without royal verification somewhat like present-day paper currency, but made out of cheap metals, not gold and silver.
His administrative measures like Military Reforms, Revenue Reforms and Economic Reforms (Market Regulations) were quite successful. He successfully withstood the threat of Mongol invasions.
His administrative measures like shifting of capital; plans to invade Transoxiana and disbanded his large army; raising of taxes and famine in the Ganga-Yamuna belt led to widespread rebellion; and token system were failure measures.
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq was one of the most interesting personalities of Medieval Indian history because he is popularly called by scholars as an intelligent fool; while Alauddin Khilji was a well-known personality of Medieval India as an efficient reformer and mighty ruler.