Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c5.s1.27

c5.s1.27

The position of the Sultans was made easier in the Indian environment by the submissiveness of the masses of the people, and by Hindu institutions and political traditions. In ancient times tyrants as well as benevolent monarchs had ruled India, but all this depended on the personal attributes of a monarch; the system did not recognize the right of the people to active participation in the State.¹ It is somewhat difficult to see how the Hindus of Hindustan could resist the development of despotic rule in view of the existence of village communities and the system of caste. I will add a word to explain the political significance of these two factors in Hindu social life.