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Administration UPSC Medieval History

Notes
Under Delhi
Sultanate
Administration Under Delhi Sultanate:Ancient history
Notes for UPSC

During the Sultanate of Delhi, administration was entirely based on Muslim rules, often known as Shariat
or Islamic laws. The Sultans' and nobles' principal responsibility in governmental issues was to follow
Sharia or Islamic rules. This time correctly said that the Sultanate of Delhi's administration was heavily
affected by their religion.
During the Sultanate period, administration was a blend of Indian and foreign systems. It was mostly
based on the systems of Arabic and Persian. It was mostly inspired by Arabic and Persian designs. For
greater outcomes, the kings embraced the Mughal army system and maintained the Hindu land revenue
system.
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Administration under Delhi Sultanate

• The Delhi Sultanate referred to five short-lived Muslim kingdoms of Turkic and Pashtun (Afghan)
origin that governed the territory of Delhi between 1206 and 1526 CE.
• The Mughals overthrew the last of their family in the 16th century, establishing the Mughal Empire
in India.
• The five dynasties were as follows:
o The Mamluk Dynasty (1206–1290)
o The Khilji Dynasty (1290–1320)
o The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414)
o The Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451)
o The Afghan Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526)

• During the Sultanate of Delhi, administration was founded on the Shariat, or Islamic rules. The
Sultan was given political, judicial, and military power.
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• As a result, military might was the most important element in determining who would succeed to
the throne. Iqta, Shiq, Paraganaa, and Gram were the administrative units.

• The Quranic injunctions guided and governed the governance structure of the Delhi Sultanate.
The empire's ultimate law was the Quranic law.
• According to the Islamic notion of sovereignty, the Caliph was the highest sovereign. His
subordinates were all Muslim kings over the world.
• The Caliph's power was at its peak during the Sultanate period.
• Even if a governor became an independent monarch, he had to proclaim himself the Caliph's
subject and invoke the Caliph's name.
• In reality, the Sultanate rulers made every effort to retain a formal relationship with the Islamic
world.

Sultan – Head of the Sultanate Administration

• The Sultan is in charge of the Sultanate's administration. The ruler or Sultan himself was in charge
of the administration of the Delhi Sultanate.
• The Sultan was a self-governing and all-powerful individual. His will became the law of the land.
• The Sultan may also name his successors on his deathbed, which was accepted by all other
nobility. There was no hereditary succession principle.
• During the 15th and 16th centuries, Arabs and Afghans had the opportunity to become Sultans.
• The Sultans saw themselves as members of the Islamic community.
• The Sultans of Delhi were regarded agents of Allah, i.e. God, and it was their responsibility to
implement the divine rules written in the Holy Quran, according to Islamic belief.
• As a result, he was the CEO. He had the responsibility of not only enforcing but also interpreting
the Quranic rules.
• The Sultanate was available to all true Muslims in theory, but in actuality, the Sultanate was
confined to the immigrant Turkes.
• Later, it was limited to a smaller oligarchy, and finally, only members of the royal family.
• Ministers to Sultan
o Wazir – Prime Minister and Finance Minister
o Diwan-I-Risalt – Foreign Affairs Minister
o Sadr-us-Sudur – Minister of Islamic Law
o Diwan-I-lnsha – Correspondence Minister
o Diwan-I-Ariz – Defence or War Minister
o Qazi-ul-quzar – Minister of Justice

Judicial Administration of Delhi Sultanate

• The Sultan was the Sultanate of Delhi's supreme judicial authority. He was the epitome of
autocracy, with broad powers and unrestricted authority.
• His authority rested on two pillars: religion and military might. He had immense and absolute
power as long as he upheld the Quranic law.
• The entire situation, of course, hinged on the Sultan's personality and military prowess. Nobody
dared to defy Ala-ud-din-Khilji and Muhammad-Bin-Tughluq, two formidable sultans.
• In reality, there were no constitutional mechanisms in place to peacefully depose a Sultan. The
only way to get rid of him was through civil war and insurrection.

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• The Sultans of Delhi were not only kings, but also the religious leaders of India's Muslim
population.

Military Administration of Delhi Sultanate

• The Sultan was also the head of the Delhi Sultanate's Military Administration. He also served as
the army's commander-in-chief.
• As a result, the Sultan of Delhi was a military tyrant with complete control over the state.

Revenue Administration:
• According to the Shariyat, the state received five different forms of revenue. The following are the
details:
o Uchar: A tenth-of-a-percentage-point tax paid by Muslim inhabitants on agricultural
production.
o Kharaj: A tenth-of-a-percentage-point tax paid by non-Muslim citizens.
o Jazia: A levy levied on non-Muslims for remaining in a Muslim state.
o Jakaq: A religious tribute paid by Muslims.
o Khamas: Khamas is the name given to 20% of the plundered treasures paid to the state.

Central Administration
• The Delhi Sultanate's central administration followed a fairly methodical and well-planned
administration structure, which was overseen by many ministers with specialised responsibilities.
• There were also numerous more departments, each with its own set of officials assigned to
specific tasks by the Sultan.
• The Sultan was the Emperor's head, and he/she had enormous authority. Other officers were
selected by the Sultan to handle the administration.
• The Delhi Sultanate's central administration followed a fairly methodical and well-planned
administration structure, which was overseen by many ministers with specialised responsibilities.
• There were also numerous more departments, each with its own set of officials assigned to
specific tasks by the Sultan.

Wizarat
• Wazir was a significant post in the royal court, with the responsibility of overseeing all ministries.
He was the Sultan's most trusted counsellor.
• The wazir's principal responsibilities were overseeing the Sultan's financial affairs, providing
counsel to the Sultan, and, on occasion, leading military expeditions at the Sultan's request. He
was also in charge of the army's payroll.
• The wizarat also oversaw the Mints, intelligence offices, royal structures, and other royal court-
affiliated organisations.
• The wazir had direct access to the Sultan, and the Sultan's status was heavily reliant on his
knowledge, honesty, and devotion.
• The wizarat was overseen by a number of different departments. They were given particular
responsibilities.

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Diwan-i-Arz
• Ariz-i-Mumalik was the head of the Diwan-i-Arz. He was in charge of the military affairs
administration.
• He looked after the royal contingent, recruited men, oversaw the army's discipline and fitness,
inspected the Iqta-holders' troops, examined the horses, and branded them with the royal symbol.
• During wartime, the ariz coordinated military supplies, transportation, and administration of the
army at war, as well as providing continual supplies and being the guardian of the war plunder.

Diwan-i-Insha
• The state correspondence was handled by this department. Dabir-iKhas was in charge.
• He collected reports from various officers and prepared and issued royal instructions.
• The Dabir served as an official communication link between the imperial capital and the rest of
the empire.
• He served as the Sultan's personal secretary and was in charge of composing the farmans.
• Barid-i-Mumalik oversaw the state's news collecting and intelligence operations. He had to keep
track of everything that was going on in the Sultanate.

Diwan-i-Risalat
• This division was in charge of the administration of justice. Sadr-usSadr, who was also the qazi-
i-mumalik, was in charge. He was the top religious authority in the country, in charge of all
ecclesiastical matters.
• He also appointed qazis (judges) and sanctioned charitable donations such as waqf, wazifa, and
Idrar. In both civil and criminal cases, the Sultan was the highest court of appeal. Qazi-i-mumalik
was standing next to him.
• The judicial department was helped by the Muhtasibs. Their principal responsibility was to ensure
that the Islamic teachings were not violated in public.
• He was also in charge of overseeing and enforcing public morality and behaviour.

Provincial Officers of Delhi Sultanates

• The provincial administration was overseen by Muqti, Iqtadars, and other government officials.
The landowners were known as Iqtadars.
• The Muqtis and Iqtadars were in charge of providing the Sultans with troops. A number of
parganas were created for each province. Each pargana was subdivided into a number of villages.
• The Sultanate of Delhi was never organised into provinces with a unified administrative structure.
• The Sultanate of Delhi was a centralised monarchy, and no Sultan of Delhi ever considered
uniformly reorganising the provinces.
• The whole Sultanate was made up of military commands in the thirteenth century. The Iqtas were
the name for them.
• The term "iqta" refers to a portion or share of land and land revenue given to a person by the
Sultan, the monarch.
• Sultan Iltutmish established the system after widely disseminating Iqtas among his Turkish
subjects. Muqti, a prominent military official, was in charge of each Iqta.

Local Administration
• The smallest administrative entity was the village. The village's functioning and governance
remained mostly unchanged from those of the pre-Turkish era.
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• Khut, Muqaddam, and Patwari were the principal village functionaries. They worked closely with
the muqti to collect taxes and preserve law and order, among other things.
• The Pargana is made up of a number of settlements. Chaudhary, Amil (the revenue collector),
and Karkun were the most significant Pargana authorities (accountant). Despite the fact that the
village and pargana were separate administrative divisions, there were interconnected territories.
• In some circumstances, the governor was assisted in his responsibilities by a local ruler (Rai,
Rana, Rawat, Raja).
• Local rulers were recognised as Sultan's subordinates in such instances.

The Administration of Provinces (IQTAS):

• In essence, this was a remuneration system for commanders and a way for them to maintain the
army.
• Rules and regulations were gradually established to organise the entire system. It became the
Sultanate's primary administrative tool throughout time.
• Through this arrangement, the sultans could also acquire a considerable percentage of the
surplus products from various regions of the enormous territory.
• There were two types of Iqtas: those that were under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Sultanate from
the beginning, and those that were brought under the control of the Delhi Sultanate during the
reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji.
• For administrative purposes, the empire was divided into provinces. They were known as Iqtas.
The number of Iqtas was not fixed, and their administration was inconsistent.
• The Iqta's leader was known by a variety of titles, including naib Sultan, nazim, muqti, and wali.
Iqtas were separated into two groups under the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji.
• The Iqta was established in the early Islamic world as a type of recompense for state services. It
was used to pay civil and military officers in the caliphate administration.
• The Sultans instituted the iqta system when the Sultanate was established. Army leaders and
nobility were first assigned regions to oversee and collect taxes.
• The lands so given were known as iqta, and the people who held them were known as iqtadar or
muqti. In essence, this was a remuneration system for commanders and a way for them to
maintain the army.
• Rules and regulations were gradually established to organise the entire system. It became the
Sultanate's primary administrative tool throughout time.
• Through this arrangement, the sultans could also acquire a considerable percentage of the
surplus products from various regions of the enormous territory.
• The muqtis or walis of the second group of Iqtas were granted somewhat more extended powers
in order to bring the newly annexed region under the Sultanate's effective authority.

Social System of the Sultanate of Delhi

• Nobles (Aristocrats), Priests, Townspeople, and Peasants were the four primary categories in the
Delhi Sultanate society.
• Sultan and his kin, courtiers and Iqta holders, Hindu and Muslim chieftains, merchants, and
bankers were among the nobles. This clique possessed nearly all of the riches and power. They
lived in opulence and splendour.
• Brahmins and Ulemas made up the second group of priests. Brahmins and Ulemas both received
tax-free land grants, making them wealthy and influential.
• Except under Alauddin Khilji, the influence of the Ulema was so strong during the Sultanate era
that it frequently impacted the Sultan's policy.

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• The residents of the town comprised affluent metropolitan businessmen, craftsmen, and artisans.
Because cities were home to nobility and merchants, they evolved into administrative and military
centres.
• The shrines of Sufi saints become pilgrimage destinations. In metropolitan areas, there was a
tendency of artisan communities, with weavers living in a weavers' colony and goldsmiths residing
in a goldsmiths' colony.
• International trade was booming at the time. The state subsidised the production of items by the
royal Karkhanas.
• Peasants were the lowest social class in the Delhi Sultanate. They lived in communities and
contributed land revenue to the state.
• A change in dynasty did not always result in a change in their lifestyle. There was a strict caste
system in place. Inter Caste marriage and eating have been outlawed.
• The habits and traditions of Hindus and Muslims were impacted by each other. Those who
converted to Islam kept their previous customs alive, resulting in India's composite culture.

Art and Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate

• The introduction of Islamic architectural characteristics, such as genuine domes and arches, as
well as the fusion of Indian and Islamic architectural forms, was the Delhi Sultanate's biggest
contribution to Indian fine arts.
• The Qutb Minar is India's highest minaret, with Indian floral designs and Quran passages adorning
its walls. It was built by Delhi's first ruler.
• Built in 1311 CE, the Alai Darwaza is the principal entrance on the southern side of the Quwwat-
ul-Islam mosque in the Qutb complex. It has India's oldest surviving genuine dome.
• The Sayyid and Lodi eras left little architecture, although the Lodi Gardens in Delhi include a few
outstanding examples, notably the mausoleum of Mohammad Shah, the final sultan of the Sayyid
Dynasty, completed in 1444.
• Despite Islamic prohibitions on the use of anthropomorphic figures in art, the Delhi Sultanate
supported a significant body of work.
• The Delhi Sultanate produced an Indo-Persian painting style that was greatly influenced by
Iranian schools and Jain art.
• Groups of individuals standing in rows with identical stances, thin bands of design extending
across the breadth of the picture, and vivid and exotic colours are all features of Delhi Sultanate
paintings based on Indian traditions.
• The paintings of the Delhi Sultanate reflect a time of innovation that paved the way for the Mughal
and Rajput schools of art to flourish from the 16th to the 19th century.

Main characteristics of the Delhi Sultanate's administration:

• Groups of individuals standing in rows with identical stances, thin bands of design extending
across the breadth of the picture, and vivid and exotic colours are all features of Delhi Sultanate
paintings based on Indian traditions.
• The paintings of the Delhi Sultanate reflect a time of innovation that paved the way for the Mughal
and Rajput schools of art to flourish from the 16th to the 19th century.
• The first distinguishing aspect was that it was to operate in line with Islamic jurisprudence or law.
• The second requirement was that it adhere to the Islamic idea of sovereignty, which states that
all Muslims have only one ruler, the Caliph or Khalifa of Baghdad.
• Nobody else could possibly be considered a sovereign ruler. The Sultan was regarded as the
Caliph's representative.
• The majority of Delhi's Sultans saw themselves as Viceroys of the Khalifa in whose name they
governed. The majority of them featured Khalifa's name on their coins once again.
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• Ala-ud-Din was the first ruler to stop the practise. The third distinguishing element was that the
Sultan monarchs ruled over an Islamic or theocratic realm.
• The state's fourth distinguishing trait was that it was a military state, with the Sultan as the ultimate
commander of his soldiers.
• The fact that it was a feudal state was the fifth aspect. The Sultan was the source of all authority,
according to the sixth characteristic.
• The Ulemas attempted to influence administration and policy, which was the eighth characteristic.

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