The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c12.272

c12.272

The *muḥtasib*, as the protector of the interests of the people, supervised the markets and inspected weights and measures; he punished those who possessed inaccurate balances or who adulterated food.⁵ The control of the market, however, was often delegated to a subordinate officer, called a *ra'īs*, who was also responsible for fixing a fair price, so that the interests of the producer as well as those of the consumer were safeguarded.⁶ He, therefore, required a full and expert knowledge of the market as well as a fair understanding of the laws of supply and demand.⁷ This department was called *Dīwān-i-riyāsat*.