Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c5.s3.35

c5.s3.35

The *Hajib* occupied a ceremonial office and supervised the ceremonies of court presentation. He was the successor of the ‘Khurram-bash’ of ancient Persia,¹ and is variously mentioned as *Malik-ul-Hujjab*, *Sayyid-ul-Hujjab*, *Malik Khas Hajib* or simply *Hajib*.² As a rule the Sultans of the Muslim kingdoms outside India maintained two separate *Hajibs* for the presentation of nobles and common people respectively. There appear to be similarly two separate *Hajibs* at the court of the Sultan of Delhi but their functions are nowhere clearly defined. Probably when the Sultan sat to decide judicial disputes or to review the troops or to receive a visitor, one of them stood near the Sultan and held the curtain, while the other presented the visitor or assisted in the performance of royal duties in some other way.³