History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c12.265

c12.265

The Sultan's solicitude for efficient government led him sometimes to remove from their charges even veteran governors in a peremptory manner, and Qutlugh Khan's recall owing to the misfeasance of his Karkuns or servants is an instance in point. But the efficiency of the provincial administration suffered from the jealousies and suspicions which are inseparable from autocracy. The insecurity of tenure, the lack of co-operation among officers, the intrigues of designing persons who poisoned the ears of the emperor against a spirited governor, who did not pander to the wishes of the clique at Dihli, tended to make good government difficult, if not impossible.¹¹² The evils of the farming system sometimes caused much inconvenience to the population. Corruption and extortion were common. The almost regal state in which the provincial governor lived entailed a huge expenditure so that his constant need for money obliged him to have recourse to shifty devices. Both Barani and Ibn Batūṭah relate instances in which the Sultan intervened to set aside dishonest and incapable governors.¹¹³ Peace and order was imperfectly maintained in the provinces, as is shown by the Jalali outbreak of which a detailed account is given by Ibn Batūṭah.¹¹⁴