The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c9.54

c9.54

The sultans had a number of picked soldiers called *jāndārs* who acted as his bodyguard; only tall, handsome, brave young men of impressive physique were chosen to serve in this capacity. They were given a full military training and great care was bestowed on their uniforms and equipment. It was their duty to be present on all occasions when the sultan appeared in public. Balban employed Sīstānī soldiers and paid them sixty to seventy thousand *jitals* a year.³ These men surrounded the sovereign with drawn swords, which added to the magnificence of his processions and, at the same time, impressed his people.⁴ The *jāndārs* were generally slaves of proved loyalty and were commanded by a trustworthy noble who was styled *sar-jāndār*; sometimes there were two *sar-jāndārs*, one for the right and the other for the left.⁵ They were no longer employed in Dehlī either as armour-bearers or doorkeepers, whatever may have been their duties when they were first appointed by Muslim rulers outside India.⁶ Another body of fully armed soldiers called *silahdārs* waited on the sultan when he gave public audience or rode out.⁷ Their leader was called *sar-silahdār*; there were generally two *sar-silahdārs*, one for each wing.⁸ The female quarters were guarded by eunuchs.⁹ As the Prophet had prohibited human castration, the Muslims imported eunuchs from the neighbouring countries. Even the custom of employing eunuchs to guard the female quarters was adopted from the Byzantine and other non-Muslim courts.¹ Hindu rulers had large numbers of eunuchs in their palaces; indeed Viṣṇu prescribes it as necessary for a king to have them to guard his wives.² The eunuchs also acted as messengers between the inmates of the harem and the outer world. Minor household posts were given to them, and they served the sultan as attendants in his private chambers. Occasionally a very capable eunuch impressed the monarch with his intelligence or efficiency and even rose to a position of power.³ For the inner pavilions and halls outside the female quarters there was another guard called sarā-pardahdārān-i-khāṣ.⁴ An important noble was their leader.⁵ Special care was taken at night when a trusted official called "the officer of the gates" inspected all the doors to see that they were properly bolted and barred, and that the guards were in their places.⁶ An additional body of picked infantry, mostly consisting of slaves, was kept in readiness and formed part of the royal guard in hunts and processions.⁷ A number of mufrads were also used as guards.⁸