The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c7.18

c7.18

Mu'izz-u'd-dīn Kaiqubād frittered away his heritage. Jalāl-u'd-dīn Khaljī possessed too mild a temperament, and probably felt too insecure to insist on great reforms. His nephew, 'Alā-u'd-dīn, however, was a man of different calibre who stands in the front rank of bold and successful administrative experimenters. He established a tight control on economic life and worked it successfully. He had to maintain a large army to defend his dominions from recurring Mongol attacks, so he raised the revenue demand and took away the special perquisites of the Hindu chiefs.⁴ Even these measures and the wealth he had brought from the south could not suffice to pay his troops. 'Alā-u'd-dīn, therefore, reduced the prices of commodities so that he could get a soldier at less pay. With the help of an efficient staff, he succeeded in this scheme of price control.⁵ The conception and the success of the plan reveal expert knowledge and a remarkable insight into economic factors. This reign saw a great expansion of the influence of the state at the expense of the power of the Muslim and Hindu nobility.⁶