History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c15.s1.28

c15.s1.28

The Sultans of Delhi charged ten, twenty and forty *tankahs* as *Jaziyah* from the poor, the middle class and the rich respectively.²⁰ ‘Alāūddīn realized *Jaziyah* from his Hindu subjects, but he does not seem to have imposed it in the spirit of orthodox jurists cited above. Complaining about the contumacy of *Khūts* and *Muqaddms* the Sultan said, “they themselves did not pay any of the taxes—*Kharāj*, *Jaziya*, *Kari* and *Charai*.”²¹ This clearly shows that *Jaziyah* was one of the major taxes prevalent. The vanquished Deccan princes sent annual tribute to the imperial capital. What they sent may be termed as *Jaziyah*, but it was more of a political tribute rather than a tax levied from non-Muslims. Of the same nature were the tributes from the Rajput states.