Theory and Practice of Muslim State in India c7.s2.4

c7.s2.4

"Justice is the balance in which the actions of people, good or bad, are weighed," says Ziya Barani.⁵⁹ "According to the ancient political ideal... the sovereign is the fountain of justice and it is his duty to try cases personally in open court."⁶⁰ Like their Hindu counterparts, past and contemporary, Muslim kings in India like Iltutmish, Balban, Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughlaq, followed this ideal and personally administered justice in open court. So did the Mughals. While the emperors attended to ordinary cases every day in open *darbar*, they had fixed one day in the week specially for cases requiring evidence of witnesses and their cross-examination. Akbar's day of administering justice was Thursday, Jahangir's Tuesday, Shahjahan's Wednesday and Aurangzeb's also Wednesday. Besides kings, the princes, commanders of armies, and other high officers of the state also decided cases, expert opinion on law being provided by judicial officials possessing knowledge of the Shariat.