Describe the administration under the Delhi Sultans.
Answers
Answer:
Administration during the Delhi Sultanate was based on the laws of the Shariat or the laws of Islam. Political, legal and military authority was vested in the Sultan. Thus military strength was the main factor in succession of throne. Administrative units were, Iqta, Shiq, Paraganaa and Gram.
Answer:
Delhi Sultanate Administration
The Delhi Sultanate period extended from 1206 CE to 1526 CE for almost 320 years.
Administration
The effective administrative system under the Delhi Sultanate made a great impact on the Indian provincial kingdoms and later on the Mughal administrative system. At its peak, the Delhi Sultanate controlled regions as far south as Madurai.
The Turkish ruler Mahmud of Ghazni was the first to adopt the title of Sultan. The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic State with its religion as Islam. The sultans were considered to be the representatives of the Caliph. The name of the Caliph was included in the khutba (prayer) and also inscribed on their coins. This practice was even followed by Balban, who called himself “the shadow of God”. Iltutmish, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and Feroz Tughlaq obtained a ‘mansur’ (letter of investiture) from the Caliph.
The ultimate authority for the legal, military & political activities was with the Sultan. All the Sultan’s sons had an equal claim to the throne since there was no unambiguous succession law at the time. Iltutmish had even nominated his daughter Raziya over his sons. However, such nominations had to be accepted by the nobles. At times, the Ulemas also played a pivotal role in getting a favourable public opinion. Nevertheless, military might was the chief factor when it came to succession.
Central Administration
There were many departments and officials who helped the Sultan in administration. The Naib was the most influential post and virtually enjoyed all the powers of the Sultan. He had control over all the other departments. The post of Wazir was next to the Naib and he headed the finance department known as the Diwan-i-Wizarat. An Auditor-General for examining expenditure and an Accountant General for checking income worked under the Wazir. The period of wazir-ship of Feroz Shah Tughlaq Khan-i-Jahan is generally considered as the high watermark period of the Wazir’s influences.
Diwan-i- Ariz was the military department that was commanded by the Ariz-i-Mumalik. He would recruit the soldiers and administer the military department. However, Sultan himself acted as the Commander-in-chief of the army. During the reign of Alauddin Khalji, the number of soldiers in the department was about three lakh. The efficient army helped in containing the Mongol invasions along with the Decan expansion. The Turks also had a large number of properly trained elephants for war purposes. The cavalry was given prime importance and was considered more prestigious.
The department of religious affairs, Diwan-i-Risalat dealt with pious foundations and granted stipends to deserving scholars and men of piety. This department granted funds for the construction of madrasas, tombs and mosques. It was headed by Chief Sadr who also functioned as Chief Qazi, the head of the judicial system. Other judges and Qazis were appointed in different parts of the Sultanate. Sharia or Muslim personal law was followed in civil matters. The Hindus were governed by their own personal law and their cases were dispensed by the village panchayat. The criminal law was dictated by the rules and regulations established by the Sultans. Diwan-i-Insha was the department of correspondence. All the correspondence between the ruler and the sovereigns of other states as well as with his junior officials was managed by this department.
Provincial Government
Iqtas, the provinces under the Delhi Sultanate were initially under the dominion of the nobles. Muqtis or Walis was the name given to the governors of the provinces and were responsible for maintaining law and order and collecting the land revenue. The provinces were further divided into Shiqs, which was under the control of the Shiqdar. The Shiqs were further divided into Pargana, comprising a number of villages and was headed by the Amil. The village remained the basic unit of administration and its headman was called Chaudhri or Muqaddam. Patwari was the village accountant.
Provincial administration under the Delhi Sultanate