Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c12.27

c12.27

Thus some sort of capital investment was there and the guilds were formed by slaves trained as artisans (*kasibs*) by expert mechanics and handicraftsmen. 12,000 slaves worked in the Karkhanas of Firoz Tughlaq and were given a salary from 100 to 10 *tankahs* according to each ones competence. These slaves formed some sort of guilds and produced excellent articles. There was no occupation in which the slaves of Firoz Shah (or for that matter any other sultan) were not employed. We cannot and need not study about all the departments in detail. Here we will confine ourselves to a brief account of two departments, those of wardrobe and weapons. These will suffice to give an idea of the institution of Karkhanas which employed a very large number, if not the bulk, of the royal slaves.