The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c14.11

c14.11

The chronicles employ various terms for a governor. A broad survey leaves the impression that a wālī is higher than a muqṭiʿ in status: for whereas the latter appellation is used for any governor, the former is seldom applied to a minor provincial chief.² In all probability the term wālī was reserved for governors with extraordinary powers. The number of such governors was small; the major part of the sultanate was administered by governors with limited authority. Their legal powers have already been defined; in the sultanate practice agreed with theory. The jurists had allowed them to help the revenue authorities in collecting the taxes though they were not to interfere with the working of the revenue machinery.³ In view of the special circumstances in India, greater authority was exercised by the governors in levying revenue. The Ghaznavids soon realized that their Indian dominions required a military governor to make an impression on the recalcitrant Hindu chiefs; the ordinary administration of revenue was left in the hands of the old civil head, and Aḥmad Niyāltigīn was given the military governor.