NCERT Extracts - Life under the Delhi Sultanat
Category : UPSC
Life under the Delhi Sultanat
- Although many of the Turkish sultans in India declared themselves "lieutenant of the faithful, i.e., the Abbasid Caliph at Baghdad, and included his name in the Khutba, it did not mean that the Caliph became the legal ruler
- The Islamic theory adhered to the idea of the election of the ruler, but accepted, in practice the succession of any son of a successful ruler.
- Wazir - The key figure in administration was the wazir
- Muhammad Tughlaq paid close attention to the organisation of the revenue departments.
- His Wazir khwaja jahan,was widely respected, and was left in charge of the capital when Muhammad Tughlaq went out to deal with rebellions
- Diwan-i-arz - The most important department of state, next to the wazir's was the diwan-i-arz or the military department.
- It was Balban who first set up a separate ariz's department in India.
- He also introduced the branding system (dagh) of the horses so that the soldiers may not bring horses of poor quality to the muster.
- Diwan-i-insha - It dealt with state correspondence.
- All the correspondence, formal or confidential, between the ruler and the sovereighs of other state, and with his subordinate officials was dealt with by this department.
- Firuz Tughlaq had set up a separate department of slaves, many of whom were employed in these royal “orkshop". The officer in charge of all these activities was called wakil- i-dar.
- Ibn Battutah calls Delhi the largest city in the eastern part of the Islamic world.
- The Muslim Bohra merchants also participated in this trade.
- The Turkish state in India was militaristic and aristocratic.
- The Turkish nobles tried, at flrst, to monopolize the high office of state, denying a share to the Tajiks, Afghans and other non Turkish immigrants.
- The most notable example of this is the Quwwat-ut-Islam mosque near the Qutab minar in Delhi; formerly, it had been a Vishnu temple.
- Begumpuri mosque built in the reign of Muhammad Tughlaq, was the main mosque of Jahanpanah, the Sanctuary of the World", his new capital in Delhi.
- During prayer, Muslims stand facing Mecca. In India this is to the west. This is called this
- Moth ki Masjid was built in the reign of Sikandar Lodi by his minister.
