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Questions and Answers
What was the title given to the military commanders appointed by the Khalji and Tughluq monarchs?
What was the title given to the military commanders appointed by the Khalji and Tughluq monarchs?
What was the primary duty of the muqtis?
What was the primary duty of the muqtis?
Why was control over muqtis considered most effective?
Why was control over muqtis considered most effective?
Who was responsible for checking the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis?
Who was responsible for checking the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis?
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What was the consequence of the Delhi Sultans bringing the hinterland of cities under their control?
What was the consequence of the Delhi Sultans bringing the hinterland of cities under their control?
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What was the outcome of the state bringing the assessment and collection of land revenue under its own control?
What was the outcome of the state bringing the assessment and collection of land revenue under its own control?
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What was the primary responsibility of the muqtis in terms of revenue collection?
What was the primary responsibility of the muqtis in terms of revenue collection?
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What was the purpose of assigning iqtas to the muqtis for a short period of time?
What was the purpose of assigning iqtas to the muqtis for a short period of time?
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What was the relationship between the muqtis and the state?
What was the relationship between the muqtis and the state?
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What was the result of the state's control over the muqtis during the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq?
What was the result of the state's control over the muqtis during the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq?
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Study Notes
Delhi: 12th to 15th Century
- Delhi became an important city only in the 12th century.
- The Tomara Rajputs made Delhi the capital of their kingdom, but were later defeated by the Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer in the 12th century.
- Under the Tomaras and Chauhans, Delhi became an important commercial centre, with rich Jaina merchants living in the city and constructing temples.
- Coins minted in Delhi, called dehliwal, had a wide circulation.
Social Hierarchy and Gender Distinctions
- Nobles believed they inherited their rights to govern because they were born in certain families.
- Social and biological differences between women and men were used to argue that men were superior to women.
- Minhaj-i Siraj, a chronicler, thought that Raziyya's rule went against the ideal social order created by God, in which women were supposed to be subordinate to men.
Raziyya and Other Queens
- Raziyya, Sultan Iltutmish's daughter, became Sultan in 1236 but was removed from the throne in 1240 due to nobles' discomfort with a queen as ruler.
- Raziyya mentioned her father on her inscriptions and coins, unlike queen Rudramadevi of the Kakatiya dynasty, who changed her name and pretended to be a man.
- Queen Didda ruled in Kashmir (980-1003) and was referred to as "elder sister" by her subjects.
Administration under the Khaljis and Tughluqs
- The consolidation of the Delhi Sultanate required reliable governors and administrators, but this also introduced an element of political instability.
- Slaves and clients were loyal to their masters and patrons, but not to their heirs, leading to conflict between old and new nobility.
- The Delhi Sultans appointed people from humble backgrounds to high offices, which was criticized by the authors of Persian tawarikh.
- Sultan Muhammad Tughluq appointed officials from lowly backgrounds, such as a wine distiller, a barber, and a cook, to high administrative posts.
- Ziyauddin Barani, a mid-fourteenth-century chronicler, reported these appointments as a sign of the Sultan's loss of political judgement and incapacity to rule.
Administration and Governance
- The Khalji and Tughluq monarchs appointed military commanders as governors of territories called iqta, with the duty of leading military campaigns and maintaining law and order.
- In exchange for their military services, the muqtis collected the revenues of their assignments as salary.
- Control over muqtis was maintained by making their office not inheritable and assigning them iqtas for a short period of time before being shifted.
- Accountants were appointed by the state to check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis.
- The Delhi Sultans brought the hinterland of cities under their control, forcing landed chieftains and rich landlords to accept their authority.
- Under Alauddin Khalji, the state brought the assessment and collection of land revenue under its own control, cancelling the rights of local chieftains to levy taxes.
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Description
Learn about Delhi's rise to importance during the 12th century, its Tomara and Chauhan rulers, and its emergence as a commercial center. Discover the social hierarchy and cultural practices of the time.
