hADMINISTRATION OF THE DELHI SULTANATE

OR
THE STAGES OF IQTA SYSTEM

The introduction of the Delhi sultanate marks the period when various
Muslim dynasties ruled in India ( 1210-1526). It all started with the
campaigns of Muhamed bin-Sams and his lieutenant Qutub-ud-din
Aibak between 1175-1206. It was the victory against the Rajput kings
which marked the foundation of Delhi sultanate. It was Prithviraj
Chauhan who ruled the land of Delhi till the 12th century. During his
rule, he fought many prominent battles which also included the two
battle of Tarain. In both of these battles, he fought against Mohamed
of Ghur from the Ghuride dynasty of Afghanistan. In the first battle of
Tarain fought in 1191 A.D between Mohamed of Ghur and Prithviraj
Chauhan with other Indian rulers, the former faced a harsh defeat and
had to retreat. However, in 1192 A.D he came with more
reinforcement and a stronger army that eventually made him succeed.
The defeat of the Rajputs ended their supremacy in northern India and
gave way for the Turkish rulers to establish themselves under the
Delhi sultanate.
Administration during the Delhi Sultanate was completely dependent
on Muslim laws which were the laws of the Shariat or the laws of
Islam. The Sultans and the nobles' primary duty was to observe the
laws of Shariat or Islamic laws in the matters of the state. This period
rightfully stated that the Administration of Delhi Sultanate was
largely influenced by their religion.

Central Administration of Delhi Sultanate

The given figure demonstrates the central administration of the Delhi
Sultanate.
The Central administration of the Delhi Sultanate followed a very
systematic and well-planned administration procedure which was run
by different ministers who had specific work assigned to them.
Besides, there were also several other departments and the Sultan
appointed their officers to carry on specific duties.

1. The SULTAN - was the head of the state and enjoyed unlimited
powers in every sphere of state activity.
2. The NAIB - also enjoyed an equivalent position as that of the
Sultan.
3. The WAZIR - was the Prime Minister of the state and headed the
financial department.
4. Diwan –i- Ariz – He was the head of the department of Diwani-i-
Ariz and in that capacity was the controller-general of the military
department.
5. Diwan –i- Risalat - Department of religious affairs and was headed
by Chief Sadr.
6. Amir -i-Majlis -Shahi - he was the minister who looked after the
festivals of the state, and made sure of all the public conveniences and
arrangements during festive seasons.
7. Diwan-i-Insha- was the minister who looked after the local
correspondence of and different offices.

Administration During Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate was further divided into smaller provinces for it
was convenient for the ministers to help them in the administration.
They were called IQTAS. This eventually led to the emergence of a
system known as the iqta system.
The Iqta system was a unique type of land distribution and
administrative system introduced during the reign of Iltutmish. In the
Iqta system the lands of the Delhi Sultanate were divided into several
large and small tracts called Iqta and assigned these Iqtas to the
Sultan’s soldiers, officers and nobles.
Iqta System
• The Iqtadari was a unique type of land distribution and the
administrative system that evolved during the sultanate of Iltutmish.
• Under this system, the entire empire was very evenly divided into
several large and small tracts of land, called the Iqtas.
• These plots of land were assigned to the various nobles, officers, and
soldiers for the purpose of easy and flawless administration and
revenue collection.
• The Iqtas were transferable, i.e., the holders of Iqtas-Iqtadars-were
transferred from one region to another every three to four years.
• The holders of small Iqtas were individual troopers. They had no
administrative responsibilities.
• Muhammad of Ghur in 1206 A.D. the able king was the first to
introduce the Iqta system in India, but it was lltutmish who gave it an
institutional form. The Iqtadari system witnessed numerous changes
during the Sultanate period. Initially, Iqta was a revenue-yielding
piece of land that was assigned instead of salary. However, during
Firuz Shah Tughlaq's reign, in the year 1351 A,D, it became
hereditary.
(origin of iqtas and 10years ka book)8
Iqtas, the provinces under the Delhi Sultanate were initially under the
dominion of the nobles. Muqtis or Walis was the name given to the
governors of the provinces and were responsible for maintaining law
and order and collecting the land revenue. The provinces were further
divided into Shiqs, which was under the control of the Shiqdar. The
Shiqs were further divided into Pargana, comprising a number of
villages and was headed by the Amil. The village remained the basic
unit of administration and its headman was called Chaudhri or
Muqaddam. Patwari was the village accountant.

Local Administration
• Local administration was vague and undefined and basically a
traditional system.
• The provinces in this period were divided into 6 parts headed by
shiqda
• The main functions were to maintain law and order and protect
people against the oppression of zamindars and had to perform
military obligations.
• The Shiqs were further divided into Parganas and had different
officials some of which were-

1. Amil- officers who collected land revenue and other taxes

2. Mushrif
3. Hazamdars- treasurers who kept the finances in control.
4. Qazi-Civil officials, who maintained developmental records.
5. Shiqdar-Criminal official and lawmakers.
6. Kotwal-Police head under shiqdar.
7. Faujdar-Military official in charge of the fort along with their
adjoining territories.
8. Amin- Officers in charge of measuring land and allocating their
usage’.
9. Qanungo-Maintained previous records of produce and assessment.
10. Patwari-Village record keeper
Revenue Administration
The state got five main types of revenue, according to the Shariyat.
The specifics are as follows:

Uchar: A tenth-of-a-percentage-point tax on agricultural production

paid by Muslim residents.
Kharaj: Non-Muslim citizens pay a tenth-of-a-percentage-point tax
known as Kharaj.
Jaziya: Non-Muslims are charged a fee for remaining in a Muslim
state.
Jakaq: Muslims pay a religious contribution known as jakaq.
Khamas: The name given to 20% of the plunderer's wealth paid to the
state is Khamas.

Lands were also classified into three categories namely iqta land,
khalisa land, and inam land.
Iqta lands were the lands assigned to officials as iqtas instead of
payment of their services. On the other hand khalisa land were under
the direct control of the Sultan. The revenue collected from it were
spent for the maintenance of royal court and royal household. And
last is inam land that was assigned or granted to religious leaders or
religious institutions.

Hence we can decipher that the establishment and expansion of the

Delhi Sultanate led to the evolution of a powerful and efficient
administrative system. At its zenith, the authority of Delhi Sultans had
extended as far south as Madurai. They are even today remembered
for their very systematic administrative capabilities. Although the
Delhi Sultanate had disintegrated, their administrative system made a
powerful impact on the Indian provincial kingdoms and later on the
Mughal system of administration.
The Sultan and the Nobles
The Sultan and his chief nobles enjoyed a standard of living
comparable to the highest standard in the world at the time, namely
the standards of the ruling class in the Islamic world in West and
Central Asia.
While Europe was still trying to overcome its backwardness, the
opulence and wealth of the ruling classes in the Islamic world was
dazzling, and set a standard that the ruling classes in every country
tried to emulate.
Almost every sultan in India, like the Hindu rulers, built his own
palace. Balban had a dazzling court that was designed to impress and
awe visitors.
The same tradition was followed by Alauddin Khalji and his
successors. Ibn Battutah described the palace of Muhammad Tughlaq.
Visitors to the Sultan had to pass through three lofty gates that were
heavily guarded.
He then entered the 'court of thousand pillars,' a vast hall supported by
polished wooden pillars and lavishly decorated with expensive
materials and furnishings. This was the location of the Sultan's public
court.