Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c6.s2.t1.2

c6.s2.t1.2

Some idea of the royal demand may be gathered from the fact that Muhammad Tughluq used to distribute 200,000 complete robes of honour twice every year, in the spring and the autumn; those of the spring consisted chiefly of goods manufactured at Alexandria, while those of the autumn were made of goods partly manufactured at Delhi and partly imported from China and Iraq. Similarly, Muhammad Tughluq employed no less than 4,000 manufacturers of golden tissues for brocades used by ladies of the royal *haram* or given away in presents to *amirs* and their wives. Practically every article of royal use, for instance caps, shoes, curtains, tapestry, waistbands, sashes, embroideries, saddles, etc. was supplied by these *Karkhanas*.¹ The Karkhanas similarly manufactured vast stores of fine muslins and other goods for gifts and presents to other monarchs in return for similar gifts from them.² We have no record of the wages of the workmen who were employed in these royal establishments until we come to the time of Akbar. On the whole the State left the manufacture and distribution of all manufactured goods free of State control. Ala-ud-din Khalji alone of all the Sultans of Delhi made a bold attempt to control the market of Delhi but his reasons were administrative and political rather than economic and do not help us to elucidate the various aspects of the industrial situation in the country.