Administration of delhi sultanate

sultanate administration

1. Administration of Delhi Sultanate 

2. The administration of Delhi Sultanate was primarily derived from the Abbasid Caliphate, the Ghaznavid state and the Seljuk. It was also influenced by the Persian system, the contemporary problems in India and the local traditions

3. The Sultan The Sultan was the apex of the administration of Delhi Sultanate. He was the supreme commander of the army and the supreme executive and judicial authority. Besides being the leader of co-religionists (Amir- ul - Mumnin ), the Sultan was the monarch of the masses. The duty of his subjects was to obey him. Under such circumstances, the Sultan of Delhi was in theory an unlimited despot, bound by no law, subject to no material check and guided by no will, except his own. Duties of the Sultan To uphold the fundamental principles of Islamic faith and to fight those who refuse to accept Islam. To guard the frontiers of his territories. To organize the efficient administration of Delhi Sultanate and of his dominions. To impart justice

4. Diwan-i-Wazarat Diwan-i-Wazarat was headed by Wazir . He was the chief/Prime minister of the state.   He was the most important authority in the administration of Delhi Sultanate. . The Prime Minister or the Wazir was the backbone of the system in the administration of Delhi Sultanate. Responsibilities of Wazir The chief responsibility of the wazir was to collect land revenue from Khalisa (crown lands) and the tribute from the vassals. He audited the accounts of the provincial governors and realized  Fawazil  (surplus revenue) from the provinces. He supervised the administration of Delhi Sultanate in the Sultan’s absence. The Audit and Accounts Department The accounts section of Diwan-i-Wazarat was managed by  Mushrif-i-Mamalik  (Accountant General) and Mustaufi-i-Mamalik (Auditor-General). Under Mustaufi worked another official called  Vaquf  created by Jalaluddin Khilji whose duty was to examine the items of expenditure. Jalaluddin Khilji created the post of Nazir to examine the returns of Amils submitted to the Mushrif .

5. Diwan-i-Arz Diwan-i-Arz was the minister of war. His duty was to recruit soldiers, to disburse salaries and to look after the equipment and the efficiency of the army. He or his deputy ( Naib Arz-i-Mamalik ) accompanied the army on campaigns.

6. ziauddin barani (fatwa- i - jahandari ) The Arz should be kinder to the soldier than a mother and a father…He should punish the soldier in the same way as kind father punishes an undutiful son …

7. Diwan-i-Insha The function of this ministry was to draft royal proclamations and despatches to communicate with the governors and local officers and to maintain government records. It had a large staff of  Dabirs . The chief Dabir was called Dabir-i-Mamalik as well as Sahib- i - Diwan Insha . He was the second important officer in the administration of Delhi Sultanate .

8. Diwan-i-Rasalat The term  Rasalat  denotes foreign and diplomatic correspondence. This department was a counterpart of the present-day foreign office. It drafted communications meant to be sent to the neighboring states and stay in close touch with envoys and ambassadors sent to received from foreign countries. He was the in-charge of correspondence in the administration of Delhi Sultanate.

9. Dignitaries of the Royal Household The royal household had elaborate administrative machinery of its own which was quite distinct from the administration of Delhi Sultanate. Wakil - i -Dar was the keeper of the keys of the palace gates and looked after the management of the entire household.

10. Wakil - i -Dar He disbursed salaries to the staff and arranged for the education of royal children. The royal stables, kitchen, and the wardrobe were all in his charge. In his duty, he was ably assisted by  Naib Wakil - i -Dar .

11. Amir- i - Hajib Amir- i - Hajib or Lord Chamberlaine enforced the court etiquette, made arrangements for ceremonies and functions and acted as an intermediary between the Sultan, his ministers, and the people.

12. Administration of Justice Sadr-i-Jahan Qazi-ul-Qazat After Sultan, the head of the judicial department was Sadr-i-Jahan Qazi-ul-Qazat . Under Sadr-i-Jahan served Adil or Naib Qazis who were further assisted by Muftis. The Muftis expounded the law and gave their opinion on complicated cases. In smaller towns and villages, Panchayats used to settle the disputes. Besides the above-mentioned officials, military commanders and princes decided the cases which did not involve expert knowledge of the law. There were no lawyers and pleaders and judges worked mostly upon the doctrine of Sharia and Qayas .

13. Police and Intelligence The Kotwal was the chief officers if the police. His powers were extensive and his job very responsible. He was the custodian of law and order. Under Balban and Alauddin Khilji , the Kotwal wielded great influence on the Sultans. The Kotwals also advised the Sultan in the matter of administration of Delhi Sultanate.

14. Officials of Intelligence Department The head of the intelligence department was Barid-i-Mamalik . He had under him a number of barids who were posted in every village, city, market, and locality. Their duty was to report to the Sultan on everything that happened around them and ensure the smooth working of the administration of Delhi Sultanate.

15. The spy department was the eyes and ears of the Sultan. Alauddin Khilji organized the spy department to perfection. Besides Barids , he appointed a number of informers known as  Munhins . They could enter the house of the people and arrest them for even minor offenses. Their round the clock vigilance was responsible for the smooth administration of Delhi Sultanate.

16. Postal System A detailed account of the efficient postal system during the reign of Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq has been given by Ibn Batuta and  Yahya , the author of  Masalikul Absar . Tarikh-i-Mubarakshahi also refers to the postal system and administration of Delhi Sultanate. Ziauddin Barani has written that whenever the Sultan sent an expedition to a distant place, he established the posts of  Uluq  (horsemen) and  Dhava  (footmen) between the capital and the destination of the army. Ibn Batuta has written that during the reign of Qutubuddin Mubarak Khilji :

17. provincial administration The provincial administration of Delhi Sultanate was an exact replica of the Central Government. The empire was divided into a number of provinces each of which was put under the charge of a governor. Ziauddin Barani has given the list of 11 provinces under Alauddin besides the centrally controlled territories. The provincial governor was the chief executive and the judicial head of the state. Each governor was given a provincial force from the central army and was required to send a fixed number of troops to the Sultan. He enjoyed the same authority in the provinces as the Sultan in the centre of the administration of Delhi Sultanate. The governor collected land revenue, administered justice and looked after the general administration. After deducting the amount assigned to him in the form of salary, he sent the surplus to the imperial exchequer.

18. Important Central Departments Department Function Diwan-i-Risalat : (Foreign Minister) Diwan-i-Ariz : Military department Diwan-i-Bandagan : Department of slaves Diwan-i-Qaza-i-Mamalik :Department of justice Diwan-i-Isthiaq :Department of pensions Diwan-i-Mustakhraj :Department of arrears Diwan-i-Khairat : Department of charity Diwan-i-Kohi : Department of agriculture Diwan-i-Insha : Department of correspondence

19. Provincial Administration : Sultanate was divided into provinces ( Malwa , Khandesh , Deccan, Gujarat, Jaunpur & Bengal) called as iqtas . These were headed by Governors who maintained huge armies so that they can provide help to Sultan whenever needed. Provinces ( Iqtas ) were further divided into Shiqs (headed by Shiqdars ) and Shiqs were further divided into Parganas . Each village had a revenue officer called as Patwari .