The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c24.s2: Provincial Administration
The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c24.s2
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Provincial Administration
c24.s2.1
At no stage in its history was the Sultanate of Delhi divided into homogeneous provinces with uniform administrative system in them. No Sultan of Delhi ever thought of rearranging the distribution of provinces on a uniform basis. During the thirteenth century the Sultanate consisted of military commands which were known as *iqtas*. Each *iqta* was under a *muqti* or a powerful military officer. The number of *iqtas* during the time of so-called Slave kings has been given in the chapter on their administration (12). Ala-ud-din Khalji who conquered practically the whole of the country, including the Dakhin, and who was, otherwise, an original and constructive statesman, allowed big and small provinces to remain as he had found them. Under him, therefore, two kinds of provinces came into existence, namely, the *iqtas* which he had inherited from his predecessors and the new principalities that he conquered. While he retained the old *iqtas*, he appointed military governors to the newly conquered provinces which were, naturally, larger in area and income, as they had been big and flourishing Hindu states before their conquest. Add to them the principalities of the Hindu vassals who, too, were reduced to the position of governors and we have, thus, three kinds of provinces in the Sultanate from the time of Ala-ud-din Khalji. The officer-in-charge of an *iqta* continued to be known as *muqti* as before. Those appointed in charge of the new military provinces were called *walis* and sometimes *amirs*. Obviously, a *walis* enjoyed a higher status and greater authority than a *muqti*. The number of the major provinces varied from time to time. The most important military governorship during the time of the Khaljis and the Tughluqs were Bangal, Gujarat, Jaunpur, Malwa, Khandesh and the Dakhin. Both the *muqtis* and the *walis* were required to keep powerful military establishments in their jurisdictions and to maintain law and order and punish refractory zamindars. They were empowered to appoint subordinate officers and were generally responsible for the entire administration of the areas in their charge. Their power was practically unlimited as long as they obeyed the Sultan and furnished him with military aid in times of need.
c24.s2.2
They were also required to furnish an account of their income and expenditure and to pay the residue to the central government. The *walis* and the *muqtis* were advised to protect and enforce the Muslim law, to protect the *ulema*, to arrange for the administration of justice, to enforce the decisions of the court, to keep the highways free from robbers and to encourage trade and commerce and material prosperity. Firoz Tughluq advised his son, Fateh Khan, while sending him as governor of Sindh, to protect the peasants from undue exactions and tyranny, to help the learned and the holy, and to protect the people. Inspite of these pious injunctions, the governors, in normal times, enjoyed wide powers and were like petty despots in their respective areas. During the time of weak kings they behaved like *de facto* rulers and exercised unlimited authority. They engaged even in civil wars without the permission of the monarch. It was easy for some of these governors to set themselves up as independent kings during the weak days of Firoz Tughluq's successors.
c24.s2.3
In each province there was a staff for the collection of revenue. It consisted of *nazirs* and *waqufs*. There was, besides, a higher officer, called *sahib-i-diwan* or *khwaja*. He was probably appointed by the Sultan on the recommendation of the *wazir* and was in charge of keeping accounts and furnishing detailed statements of the same to the central government. According to Dr. Qureshi he was responsible to the Sultan. There were a *qazi* and some other subordinate officers in every province.