A History of Agriculture in India v2.c55.s9.3

v2.c55.s9.3

In the towns adequate number of educated Moslem were available to fill the administrative posts. In the rural area, the Moslem rulers had to rely on Hindu rent-collectors, who were called *khutas* and *muqaddams*. The peasants were called *bilahars*. They were ruled by Rais, Rawats and Chaudharis. Some of them were defiant and paid nothing to the government and even imprisoned its agents. They had their small private armies and indulged in the game of mutual destruction and looting of caravans of traders. The Sultan sent his army from time to time to realize dues from the Hindu rural aristocracy and dealt with the rural population savagely and created a reign of terror.