Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c5.s2.t1.33

c5.s2.t1.33

The number of royal slaves was usually very large. ‘Ala-ud-din Khalji had 50,000 slaves; those of Muhammad Tughluq were so many in number that the Sultan set apart a day of the week to manumit some of them and to confer them in marriage.¹ Firuz Tughluq was conspicuous for his solicitude towards his slaves. He encouraged the nobles of the realm to send slaves as annual tribute, for which a corresponding remission was made to them from the treasury. From 50,000 under ‘Ala-ud-din their number had risen to 200,000 under Firuz. The Sultan settled some of them in various towns and fixed their salaries; he employed others in useful arts and religious education; so that about 12,000 of them were craftsmen and masons, and about 40,000 followed the royal equipage.² Incidentally, the slaves added to the growing Muslim population of India.