The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c19.s2.t9.1

c19.s2.t9.1

Such a huge army could not be permanently maintained without unduly straining the resources of the state. But an army of that size was an indispensable necessity, Ala-ud-din had not only to put down sedition and weed out rebellions, but he had also to fight the Mongols who were annually visiting our north-western frontier. He had, besides, the ambition of conquering the whole of India. He was, therefore, compelled to think of a device to cheapen the cost of the maintenance of his powerful military establishment. This he did by regulating the prices of grain, cloth and other necessaries of life and cheapening them so much that a soldier could live comfortably on a mere pittance. He fixed the prices of food-grains, cloth and other commodities far below the usual market rates. The State collected its revenue in kind from the *khalisah* lands and, if possible, also from the territory held by vassals and, thus, raised large stocks of grain. No one else was permitted to purchase grain from the tillers of the soil, except those merchants who were authorised by a permit to do so. All merchants in Delhi were required to register themselves in the office of the *shahana-i-mandi*. Advances were given to those merchants who did not possess enough capital of their own. The merchants had to sell all commodities at the fixed rates and no deviation was permitted. If a merchant failed to carry out the orders and sold a commodity underweight, the same amount of flesh was cut off from his body. All kinds of speculation and black marketing were rigorously put down. The officers of the Doab were required to furnish guarantee in writing that they would not permit anyone to hoard grain. Similarly, merchants were not to hoard grain or other articles, but must sell them at demand. Notable persons, nobles, officers and other well-to-do people had to get permits from the office of the *shahana-i-mandi* before they could purchase costly articles from the market. These regulations were rigorously enforced by two officers who were called *diwan-i-riyasat* and *shahana-i-mandi* who were assisted by a judge called *sarai adl* and a host of subordinate officers. They performed their duties with strict honesty and regularity and punished everyone who was guilty of violating the regulations. The result of these measures was that corn, cloth and other things became very cheap. Price of other things, such as, horses, cattle, maid-servants and slaves fell considerably. Throughout the reign of Ala-ud-din the cost of living remained cheap and almost constant. Modern writers have bestowed lavish praise upon Ala-ud-din for the success of his economic policy. There is a difference of opinion as to whether the measures were enforced in all the territory under Ala-ud-din, or they were restricted to Delhi and its suburbs. The latter view seems to be correct. It was impossible to enforce the regulations in the whole of the country. Even so, Ala-ud-din deserves credit for successfully tackling this difficult problem. The lavish distribution of wealth from southern India had cheapened money and inflated prices. The inflation was largely restricted to Delhi and the surrounding areas. The Sultan's measures well attained the object he had at heart, that is, fighting inflation and reducing the cost of living.