The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c16.s5: Appendix E: Fīrūz Shāh’s Revenue Demand

The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehlī c16.s5

Language: English

Appendix E: Fīrūz Shāh’s Revenue Demand

"مالی که از بیت المال جمع آید همان وجوهات که در شرع مصطفی صلی الله تعالی علیه و آله وسلم آمده است و کتب دینیه بدان ناطق است یکی خراج اراضی عشور و زکوة دیگر جزیه هذود و دیگر ترکات دیگر خمس غنایم و معادن و هر وجهی که جمع کردن آن بحکم کتاب درست نباشد به هیچ وجه در بیت المال جمع نکنند"

c16.s5.4

(Futūḥāt-i-Fīrūzshāhī, B.M, or. 2039, f. 300b. Printed text, p. 6).

c16.s5.5

The question is : what is the meaning of خراج اراضی عشور ? If the phrase were خراج اراضی و عشور, the meaning would have been ‘the kharāj from the lands and the tithes.’ The phrase as it stands can mean (i) the kharāj from tithe-paying lands or (ii) the land kharāj of tithes. The former is more idiomatic and should signify that the kharāj from the lands of the Sultanate was charged on the basis of tithes; the second, though unidiomatic, conveys the same idea. The phrase is translated in Elliot and Dowson, (iii, p. 377) as ‘kharāj or tenth’ which is very near the literal meaning but does not convey the true sense.

c16.s5.6

The kharāj based on a system of tithes would amount to a double ‘ushr or a fifth. Thus it is clear that Fīrūz Shāh did not change the demand. This view finds confirmation in the following parallel passage in Sīrat-i-Fīrūzshāhī, p. 124 :

c16.s5.7

تا همان وجوهات بر حکم شرع چنانکه خراج اراضی وجزیه هذود و عشور و زکوة و ترکات و خمس غنایم و معادن که باخذ آن از راه شرع بادشاه اسلام مامور است و بصرف در مصارف معینه ماجور

c16.s5.8

درجع آرند و بعوارض و قسمات محدثات هیچ کسے را از رعایا و برایا از دخام نہ نمایند۔

c16.s5.9

This makes it probable that the original reading in the Futūḥāt is خراج اراضی و عشور. Besides the Inshā-i-Māhrū, Letter XXX, says that the emperor's orders were to charge "the traditional kharāj." Unless we believe that the traditional proportion was a tenth of the produce, it is difficult to accept the translation in Elliot and Dowson. D. A., (p. 65) in explaining the meaning of kharāj-i-muqāsimah says that "it should be less than half, that is, a third, a fourth, a fifth, etc." I do not take this, in view of other evidence, to mean that these figures refer to Firūz Shāh's demand in general. 'A fifth' was the prevailing proportion and the other two figures are reminiscent of the level reached in the previous reign when the demand was increased in the Doāb. An addition of 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. to the normal 20 per cent. would give a fourth and very nearly a third.' It is significant that D. A. does not mention a tenth in connection with kharāj.