Twilight of the Sultanate c17.s3.16

c17.s3.16

As high dignitaries of the State, army officers, companions of the king, etc. the nobles occupied a position only next to the Sultan in the social life of the capital city and other cities of the Sultanate. The nobility of the Sultanate was composed of all sorts of foreigners and Indians. In the beginning the Turks formed the bulk of the cadre, but later on Mughals, better known as neo-Muslims, Arabs, Egyptians, Afghans, as well as Indian Muslims began to obtain high positions. The Afghans predominated in the fifteenth century both in numbers and in influence. They were entitled Amīrs, Maliks and Khans. Their salaries were high and they held high administrative and military assignments.²⁷ Though the figures of the salaries of nobles for the fourteenth century cannot be accepted for the fifteenth, the emoluments still seem to have been considerable. Important nobles held high positions as governors of provinces and commanders in the army, and tried to emulate the Sultan in every way. In the latter half of the fifteenth century some of the nobles built mansions as would almost rival the King's palace.²⁸ Their wealth introduced into their lives all the uses and abuses of luxury. Woman and wine and song and chess²⁹ and *chougan* were their common pastimes.³⁰ But their way of life did not always sap their vitality. Almost all the noblemen of the medieval period were fond of field sports and swordsmanship, and were keenly interested in military exercises. Many amongst them were "learned, humble, polite and courteous".³¹ Almost all were patrons of art and letters.