Polity during Sultanate NIS

Polity during Sultanate NIS

2020-04-29 21:43:05

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Political Consequences of Turkish Conquest of India

• @ feudal multi centered polity replaced by centralised state
• Iqta system, Muqtis → regularly transferred
• & succeeded in setting all India administration
• Cities flourished and led to increase in agri surplus → urban growth
• Turks intro Persian wheel, spinning wheel which inc agri production

The Nature of Delhi Sultanate

• sultans recognized the supremacy of the Islamic Law Shariah tried to prevent its open violation.
• @ But it was supplemented by framing secular regulations Zawabits was a theocracy but not in practice. #important
• After the conquest of Ghazni by Mongols/ Genghis Sultanate its rulers ceased to claim suzerainty over Sultanate territories.
• Earlier theory was spiritual and secular authority of Khalifa. The Sultan was separate entity was given an independent position as long as they accepted theoretical superiority of Caliph.
  • @ During this time max freedom was given to military leaders called decentralised despotism. Changed to centralised after Balban.
  • When Lodi afghans came to power briefly it changed to decentralisation.

Legal, Political and Social Character of the State

• Legally DS was an independent entity. ![[#^183106]]
• Tussle b/w sultan and nobles was constant feature until Balban.
• ! Nobles consisted of Islamised Turks and Tajiks. Khaljis were also part of it. Some others were Arabs, Yemenis etc. Iltutmish favores Tajiks who were massacred after his death.
• $ Fakir-i-Muddabir who was a political thinker during the reign of Iltutmish says that posts of Diwan, Shagird and Revenue posts should be given only to ahl-i-qalam who have ancestral history of it.

Central Administration of the Sultanate

• no Sultan in the early Islamic world appeared after disintegration of Caliphate.
• Delhi Sultans made civil, political regulations for public welfare. Khutba and Sikka were imp attributes of sovereignty.
• Balban - Sultan as Shadow of God or Zil-al-Allah.
• Wakil-i-dar looked after entire household and disbursed salaries to Sultans personal staff
• Amir-i-Hajib was master of ceremonies at court all petitions went through him
• Wizarat/diwan-i-wizarat (Finance) or had general supervisory authority over others, organized collection of revenue, control over expenditure and alloted iqtas.
• was helped by mushrif-i-mumalik or accountant general and mustafi-i-mumalik or auditor general
• Diwan-i-Arz or military dept was headed by ariz-i-mumalik - inspected troops.
• @ Alauddin Khalji intro Huliya or descriptive roll and the Dagh or branding of horse paid his soldiers in cash 238 tanka + 78 tanka more for his horse.
• FST not pay soldiers in cash gave them draft called itlaq to claim their salaries from Sultans officers of Khalisa
• diwan-i insha : looked after State correspondence b/w sultan and other rulers headed by dabir-I Mumalik.
• barid-i mumalik was head of State news-agency aka spies Munhiyan were another set of reporters.
• diwan-i risalat was headed by the sadr-us sudur was religious officers
• Sultan headed the judiciary and was the final court of appeal next to him was qazi-ul mumalik.
• muhatsibs (public censors) assisted the judicial department they saw that no public infringement of the tenets of Islam took place.
• separate department of slaves (diwan-i bandagan) was set up.
• need of royal household met through karkhanas headed by noble with rank of malik or khan. Nobles also maintained their own karkhanas.

Internal Structuring of DS and Its Territorial Expansion

• Khalji rule 1290-1320 saw imp soco economic and adm changes
  • Broadening of social bases of ruling class, IN Muslims, Abyssinians,
  • @ K’s approaches to the state - JK put out new concept of state, based on good will, support, policy of not harming even an ant
  • Allowed Hindus to worship idols, preach their beliefs
  • AK did not accept liberal, humanitarian precepts of JK; harsh measures against rebelling nobles, revived spy system
  • Ordered all charitable land donations be reverted back/confiscated; drinking forbidden, imprisoned Women Children of rebels; admitted that Shara not possible in IN
  • Alauddin Khalji’s Agrarian reforms and market refroms should be seen in context of internal restructuring

Caliphate Sanction to Turkish Rule in India/ Relation b/w Them

• #todo
• Some historians have called the Sultanate as extension of Caliphate.
• Islamic jurists state that estd of Caliphate cultivated a pan Islamic view which created a closely knit group.
• Iltutmist was 1st to recieve a robe of honour from Caliph of Baghdad -> gave him formal recognition, legitimised his rule. Adopted the title of Nasir Amirl ul Mumin ie helper of the Caliph.
• Name of caliph was recited in the Khutbah and inscribed on coins.
• The following sultans only wanted to keep the long going tradition alive in doing so.
• Caliphs in not way controlled the actions of Sultans.
• Legally Sultans became subordinates of Caliphs. But this legal status of sultan was not questioned even when later Sultans such as Mubarak Khalji when he repudiated allegiance to Caliph and decl himself Caliph. ^183106
• Later MBT when faced w/ rebellions requested Caliph to issue a certificate of recognition.
• $ Barani mentions about ambassador from Egypt coming w/ the certificate. MBT walked barefooted to receive them.
• The Abbasid Caliphate was destroyed by Halagu Khan/Mongols but some family mem went to Egypt to estd a new one.
• FST twice obtained investiture and robes of honor.