Twilight of the Sultanate c17.s3.1

c17.s3.1

The most important individual in the metropolis was the Sultan. As a ruler as well as the leader of the society he set the standards of fashion and patterns of behaviour. He was believed to be the richest person in the country as there was no distinction between his privy purse and the State treasury, but none of the Sultans seem to have built up a fund of personal wealth.¹⁶ In law the Sultan was expected to live a life of frugality;¹⁷ in practice most of the Sultans expended all their revenues on cities, palaces, the royal household, gardens, the army and the nobles.¹⁸