The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c12.206

c12.206

An important officer associated with justice was the amīr-i-dād. The amīr-i-dād at the capital was an important officer and was strong enough to take part in high politics; for instance, 'Alī Ismā'īl was the leader of the party which invited Īltutmish to claim the throne of Dehlī.⁴ In the absence of the sultan, the amīr-i-dād presided over the court of maẓālim; in the monarch's presence he was responsible for its executive and administrative business.⁵ Generally a man of high rank and of known piety and learning was appointed to this post and a large salary was paid to him, for he had to try complaints against governors and high commanders.⁶ Muḥammad bin Tughluq paid his amīr-i-dād fifty thousand tankahs. The amīr-i-dād had his assistants in the provinces as well as with the army.⁷ His department played an important part in the administration of the courts presided over by the qāḍīs. The amīr-i-dād looked after the executive side of justice; it was his duty to see that the qāḍī's decisions were carried out. In these courts he was the judge neither of law nor of fact; his duty was to enforce the sentence.¹ If he felt that there had been a miscarriage of justice, he could either draw the attention of the qāḍī to the fact or delay the execution of the decision until the matter was reconsidered by a fuller or a higher court.² The amīr-i-dād was also responsible for the proper maintenance of mosques, bridges and public buildings, also of the city walls and gates. He controlled the kotwāl, the police and the muḥtasib.³ His office kept copies of the documents registered with the qāḍī; it was his duty to forbid a covenant which transgressed the law.⁴