how did Firoz Tughlaq benefit the peasants
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Answer:
Explanation:Bright side of Firoz Tughlaq’s reign:
1. Assessment of the revenue:
Firoz Tughlaq appointed a special officer namely Khawja Hisan-ud-Din to prepare an estimate of the public revenue of the kingdom. It took 6 years to complete this work. The Khawja toured the entire kingdom and prepared proper records. Thereafter he fixed the revenue of the ‘Khalsa’ land (Government land) in the kingdom at six crores and eighty-five lakhs of ‘Tankas’ (silver coins).
It was a rough estimate. The revenue which was fixed remained unchanged during the reign of Firoz Tughlaq. The chief merit of this system was that the income of the state was fixed and the expenditure of the state could be adjusted according to the income which was known before hand.
2. New system of taxation:
In accordance with the Islamic law, he imposed the following four taxes:(i) ‘Kharaj’:It was the land tax which was equal to one-tenth of the produce of the land.
(ii) ‘Zakat’:
It was two-and-half per cent tax on property realized from the Muslims and utilized for specific religious purposes only.
(iii) ‘Kham’:
It was one-fifth of the booty captured and the four-fifth was left for the soldiers.
(iv) ‘Jijya’:
It was levied on the Non-Muslim subjects, particularly the Hindus. Women and children were, however exempted from the taxes.
3. Levy of other taxes:
The irrigation tax, garden tax, octroi tax and the sales tax were the other important taxes.
4. Irrigation works:
With a view to encourage irrigation, the Sultan paid a lot of attention to irrigation works.
Following four canals were constructed:
(i) The first and the most important and the longest canal were one which carried the waters of the river Jamuna to the city of Hissar. It was 150 miles long.
(ii) The second canal was drawn from river Sutlej to Ghaghra. It was about 100 miles long.
(iii) The third canal was from Mandvi and Sirmur hills to Hansi.
(iv) The fourth canal ran from Ghaghra to the newly established town of Firozabad.
Irrigation tax was charged at the rate of one-tenth of the produce of the irrigated land.
5. Laying out gardens:
The Sultan laid out about 1200 gardens in and around Delhi. These gardens produced so much fruit that they brought to the treasury an annual income of one lakh and eighty thousand tankas’.
6. Welfare of the peasants:
The Sultan waived off the loans that were given to them by Muhammad Tughlaq at the time of drought. He issued strict instructions to the officers not to harass the peasants.
7. Benevolent works:
These included the following:
(i) ‘Diwan-i-Kherat’:
It performed two main functions. The marriage bureau gave grants to the poor parents for the marriage of their daughters. It also provided financial help to the destitute.
(ii) ‘Dar-ul-Shafa’:
Hospitals were set up in important towns where medicines were given free of charge. Poor people were also supplied food.
(iii) ‘Sarais’:
About 200 ‘ ‘sarais’ (rest houses) were built by the Sultan for the benefits of merchants and other travellers.
(iv) Grants to sufferers:
The Sultan gave liberal grants to all those persons or their heirs who had suffered bodily or executed during the reign of Muhammad Tughlaq.
8. Public works department:
The Sultan got constructed four canals, ten public baths, four mosques, thirty palaces, two hundred, Sarais’, one hundred tombs, 30 towns and one hundred bridges. Firoz Shah had a passion for public works. About his building activities, Sultan himself observed, “Among the gifts which God has bestowed upon me, His humble servant, had a desire to erect public buildings. So 1 built many mosques 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.”
Four important towns founded by him were of Firozabad, Fatehabad, Jaunpur and Hissar Firoza. Two pillars of Ashoka were brought to Delhi—one from Meerut and the other from Topra, Arnbala district—and erected in Delhi. In this regard Dr. V.A. Smith has observed, “Asiatic kings as a rule show no interest in buildings erected by their predecessors, which usually are allowed to decay uncared for. Firoz Shah was particular in devoting much attention to the repair and rebuilding of the structures of former kings and ancient nobles.”
9. Promotion of education and literature:
Firoz Tughlaq was a great patron of historians, poets and scholars. He himself was a man of learning and wrote his biography entitled ‘Fatuhat-i-Firozshah’. He established thirty educational institutions including three colleges. Teachers were liberally paid and stipends were granted to the students.
10. Judicial reforms:
Firoz Tughlaq was opposed to severe punishments. He ended punishments like cutting of the limbs, extracting the eyes, putting melted glass in the throat.