explain balban's policy of blood and iron
Answers
1. Balban displayed great vigour and energy to follow the policy of blood and iron and saved the Delhi Sultanate from the shocks of internal revolts and external invasions.
2. He enhanced the prestige of the king. His rise from the low position of a water carrier to the rank of the Sultan speaks of his extraordinary qualities.
3. This policy implied being ruthless to the enemies, use of sword, harshness and strictness and shedding blood. It allowed use of all methods of terrorisms and inflicting violence upon them. Even before becoming the Sultan of Delhi, Balban had tried these measures to some extent to rise to high posts. He had betrayed Razia and engineered revolts against her.
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The policy of harshness and ruthless to enemies and torture as well as blood shedding adopted by Balban to suppress the internal revolts and Mongol invasions has been described as Policy of Blood and Iron.
He first made the position of Sultan very strong by claiming representative of God, introducing prostration and kissing of feet of King in the court.
After making his position strong, he adopted repressive policies against the rebels and suspicious nobles.
Few examples of his blood and iron policy include :
When Amir Khan, one of his generals was defeated by a rebel, Balban hanged him along with others over the gates of Ayodhya.
Similarly after killing a rebel named Tughril Khan, Balban ordered to kill all his friends and relatives.
Many nobles of the Chahalgani were poisoned to death secretly.
He went down heavily on the Mewatis who used to plundered the outskits of Delhi and thus made roads safe for travel.