The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c11.217

c11.217

The equivalent of a budget in those days is found in the fact that the money received from different sources was ear-marked for certain purposes; and the ministries roughly knew the expected income and expenditure. Except in the case of kharāj which fluctuated with the vagaries of the weather, the sources of income were fairly steady; for those were not the days of sudden upheavals in the world of industry and commerce and even factors of world-wide importance made themselves felt only slowly and gradually. The main heads of expenditure were the royal household, the administration, the army, the pious and charitable organizations, social services, public works, works for the improvement of agriculture, and the rewards, gifts and presents bestowed by the sultan. The money derived from zakāt and ‘ushr was expended for charitable purposes, and the other taxes were ear-marked mostly to satisfy secular demands. The system of valuation and assignments ran the credit side of the administration, Successful campaigns paid for themselves. It is not possible to give a detailed budget; the amounts under the various heads would depend on the necessity of the times and the temperament of the monarch.