History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c17.39

c17.39

In favourable seasons the people could buy as much grain as they liked. But conditions were not the same in seasons of drought and famine. In seasons of drought, grain could not be sold to the people of Delhi in indefinite quantities, the more so because the people of the vicinity also flocked into the capital city. Consequently it was rationed. In seasons of scarcity each household was given half a *man* of grain per day. Ferishtah's statement is a little different. He says that in times of drought every purchaser was required to buy just the quantity he needed, and if somebody bought even half a *man* more than his needs, he was severely punished.¹⁶ Barani's statement is more acceptable on the ground that half a *man*¹⁷ (approximately 6 or 7 *sers*) per day was a reasonable quantity in those days for a normal family with one or two servants. Rich persons of the town who had no villages or fields to fall back upon in unfavourable seasons were also given a fixed quantity of grain for their requirements.