Theory and Practice of Muslim State in India c7.s2.25

c7.s2.25

The Qazis could be easily bribed. Qazi Abdul Wahab, the Chief Qazi of Aurangzeb's reign, had amassed a fortune of 33 lakhs of rupees besides much jewellery during the sixteen years he held office.¹⁰⁰ But the Qazi alone did not administer justice. The will of the king and his substitutes (subedars, nobles) "is the law".¹⁰¹ For example, Shahjahan, like Sher Shah Suri, insisted on his police officers to any how produce the thief, else they themselves would be punished. Naturally a 'culprit' was produced if not the real thief. One good thing in the system was that the trial by the king, his officers and Qazis was quick, but executions were also as quick as the trials. All this was due to the fact that the quality of courts left much to be desired, as, "the judicial department stands in marked contrast in organisation, in status, and dignity to other departments of the central government which were highly organised and equipped with efficient men."¹⁰²