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Evolution OF THE Administrative Apparatus OF THE Delhi Sultanate

For the first 100 years of the Delhi Sultanate, there is very little i...
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Ancient India (HSB654)

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EVOLUTION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS OF THE DELHI SULTANATE

For the first 100 years of the Delhi Sultanate, there is very little information about administration. A fragmented political landscape in the Indian subcontinent's north prior to the arrival of the Turks had long been a source of intrigue for the political empires to the northwest [Ghazni and, later, Ghur]. Because the invaders had no intention of establishing an empire on the subcontinent, this had led to periodic invasions but not the creation of a sophisticated administrative system. When it came to local leaders, however, they often came from disjointed dynasties, and their administrative structures had evolved over time, changing to meet the demands of their times. Blend of West Asian and Central Asian Traditions When Qutubuddin Aybak declared himself sultan of Lahore, he did so in the absence of a formal administrative structure. A mixture of political and administrative institutions from Central Asia and beyond as practised in the Ghurid empire, as well as a formal acknowledgment of existing administrative structures in the Ghurid empire's territories, emerged as a result. For as long as the local kings (Rajas, Rais, and Ranas) acknowledged the Sultan's supremacy in Delhi, they were able to collect taxes and send them as tribute to the central government. While it is clear from historical records that the centre appointed a number of officers (Amil, Karkuns, etc.) to serve in the sultanate's various regions in order to assist the intermediaries (Khots, Muqaddams, and Chaudharies) in their administrative duties, it is also clear that central authority in the sultanate's outer realms did not emerge until the late 13th century.

To give you an idea of how central and western Asian institutions influenced the Delhi Sultanate, we'll first discuss its administrative structure and institions.

It was the Abbasid and Persian-derived administrative structures and institutions brought to India by the Ilba (tribe) Turks that underwent changes under the Samanids (Ghaznavids), Ghoroides (Ghorids), and Seljukids (Samanids) (Turks who ruled in Persia).

The Iqta System

For the services they provided to the state, administrative officers and nobles received a territorial assignment known as the iqta. It was decided that the person who had the iqta would be the muqti for the time being. It was the muqti's job to oversee revenue collection in these areas, as well as serving as the administrative head. They were supposed to keep the money they earned from their own salaries and those of the soldiers they hired. As long as there was any money left over, it was to go into the royal treasury. In the revenue administration section, we'll go over the iqta system in great detail. The Iqta system was established at the end of the Abbasid period and consolidated during the Seljuk period, according to the general consensus. Several factors have been suggested as the cause of its emergence: As a result, citizen armies are being replaced by mercenary armies. Because of the need to keep the army operational after the collapse of gold's economy, some scholars believe it began as an administrative apparatus that evolved into one of military organisation.

As a result of the Turkoman (Turks) tribal movements, an emerging concept of land as communal property held by a tribe led by a Chief emerged. In spite of the diversity of Iqta systems found in West and Central Asia, India adopted the so- called Mustaghall type of Iqta, which was based on the Seljuk model and forbade hereditary rights. Both the military and the administrative aspects were significant in this, but the military gradually took precedence. The Turkish political and military system was built on the Iqta. The Mongol Influence The influence of Mongol inroads into central and western Asia and the impact of Mongol institutions on Turkish rule in India must be discussed. A similar influence can be seen in Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and his Khurasian nobles, who sought to adopt the Mongol Khans' ideas of sovereignty and were likely influenced by the Mongol Yassa (steppe governing class and its traditions). When it came to enforcing discipline in the administration (army and nobility) and treating everyone equally, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq's policies resembled those of the Mongols and Yassa. He also refused to grant special status to Ulema and appointed Hindus to positions of nobility. The Tughlaqs' nobility and army were influenced by Mongol ideas. When Alauddin Khalji was in power, he recruited the Amiran-i-sada and the Hazara, both of whom were originally from Mongolia and Afghanistan. In Muhammad Tughlaq's reign, they rose to prominence. Also, Firoz Tughlaq's attempt to make Iqta a hereditary title was based on the Mongol ruler Ghazan Khan's reform of making shares and the assignment of properties to nobles and soldiers hereditary in China. Unique Features Introduced in the Indian Subcontinent: Change and Continuity Sultans in Delhi recognised the uniqueness of the Delhi sultanate from the outset, which meant that this was the first time in Islamic history that an Islamic ruling group had political control over a predominantly non-Islamic population. During Feroze Tughlak's reign, a separate tax known as Jizyah was levied on everyone, including the Brahmins. Individual sultans used these tactics, but the overall state of affairs remained based on political expediency. It is mentioned in the Quran and referred to as a tax or tribute, Jizyah like Kharaj. Instead of providing protection for people's lives and property or exempting them from military service, the Jizyah was traditionally imposed on non-Muslims. Non-Muslims were not subjected to the same level of taxation. It did not apply to those who were under the age of 18, women, or those who were illiterate, for example. Jizyah is regarded as a lawful tax by Sunni jurists.

According to Upendra Nath Day, the Delhi sultans tried to "adjust and keep them in conformity with the ideas and principles developed in Arabia and Persia" even though they had to introduce specific measures to suit the newly established sultanate's conditions. (United Nations Day, The Sultanate's Government, reprint Delhi, 1993, p. 2) But this seems to be more applicable to specific offices and institutions, such as the qazi, the iqta, the wazir, and so on, rather than the administrative system as a whole. This Patwaris and village head men remained in their traditional roles at the village level.

With a core and outlying provinces, the Sultanate was spread out over a large area. Since the sultanate covered such a large area, it was necessary to develop a separate administrative structure for the capital and the provinces. As a result, the central and provincial administrations of the Delhi Sultanate should be studied separately. The administrative

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Evolution OF THE Administrative Apparatus OF THE Delhi Sultanate

Course: Ancient India (HSB654)

254 Documents
Students shared 254 documents in this course

University: Aligarh Muslim University

Was this document helpful?
EVOLUTION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPARATUS OF THE DELHI SULTANATE
For the first 100 years of the Delhi Sultanate, there is very little information about
administration. A fragmented political landscape in the Indian subcontinent's north prior to
the arrival of the Turks had long been a source of intrigue for the political empires to the
northwest [Ghazni and, later, Ghur]. Because the invaders had no intention of establishing
an empire on the subcontinent, this had led to periodic invasions but not the creation of a
sophisticated administrative system. When it came to local leaders, however, they often
came from disjointed dynasties, and their administrative structures had evolved over time,
changing to meet the demands of their times.
Blend of West Asian and Central Asian Traditions
When Qutubuddin Aybak declared himself sultan of Lahore, he did so in the absence of a
formal administrative structure. A mixture of political and administrative institutions from
Central Asia and beyond as practised in the Ghurid empire, as well as a formal
acknowledgment of existing administrative structures in the Ghurid empire's territories,
emerged as a result. For as long as the local kings (Rajas, Rais, and Ranas) acknowledged the
Sultan's supremacy in Delhi, they were able to collect taxes and send them as tribute to the
central government. While it is clear from historical records that the centre appointed a
number of officers (Amil, Karkuns, etc.) to serve in the sultanate's various regions in order to
assist the intermediaries (Khots, Muqaddams, and Chaudharies) in their administrative
duties, it is also clear that central authority in the sultanate's outer realms did not emerge
until the late 13th century.
To give you an idea of how central and western Asian institutions influenced the Delhi
Sultanate, we'll first discuss its administrative structure and institions.
It was the Abbasid and Persian-derived administrative structures and institutions brought to
India by the Ilba (tribe) Turks that underwent changes under the Samanids (Ghaznavids),
Ghoroides (Ghorids), and Seljukids (Samanids) (Turks who ruled in Persia).
The Iqta System
For the services they provided to the state, administrative officers and nobles received a
territorial assignment known as the iqta. It was decided that the person who had the iqta
would be the muqti for the time being. It was the muqti's job to oversee revenue collection
in these areas, as well as serving as the administrative head. They were supposed to keep
the money they earned from their own salaries and those of the soldiers they hired. As long
as there was any money left over, it was to go into the royal treasury. In the revenue
administration section, we'll go over the iqta system in great detail.
The Iqta system was established at the end of the Abbasid period and consolidated during
the Seljuk period, according to the general consensus. Several factors have been suggested
as the cause of its emergence:
As a result, citizen armies are being replaced by mercenary armies.
Because of the need to keep the army operational after the collapse of gold's economy,
some scholars believe it began as an administrative apparatus that evolved into one of
military organisation.

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