The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c16.28

c16.28

There never was a permanent commander-in-chief in peace time; the Sultan was the supreme commander of the defence forces. The *ariz*, both of the centre and of the province, performed, it must be supposed, the duties of a modern war office; promotions, training and discipline were also his routine function⁴. In the provinces, the *muqti* would be the chief of staff, though Barani suggests that the *ariz* even selected the troops for campaigns¹. Only once, in the reign of Raziah, we hear of the appointment of a *naib-i-lashkar*, placed presumably over the central standing army, to whom the queen delegated her command of the fighting forces². The office obviously was a temporary one, and is not heard of again after her deposition. The Sultans usually led the expeditions in person though the conduct of operations was left to specially commissioned officers.