The Jan 21st Static Quiz on Medieval History (Delhi Sultanate)

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

• All the statements about Delhi Sultanate are correct .

About Delhi Sultanate

• The Delhi Sultanate comprises multiple dynasties that ruled over northern India in the medieval period. 
• The period from 1206 A.D. to 1526 A.D. came to be known as the Delhi Sultanate period. This period witnessed many dynasties and various rulers.
• The establishment and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate led to the evolution of a powerful and efficient administrative system.
• At its zenith the authority of Delhi Sultan had extended as far south as Madurai.
• Although the Delhi Sultanate disintegrated, their administrative system made a powerful impact on the Indian provincial kingdoms and later on the Mughal system of administration.
• The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic state with its religion Islam.
• According to the theological basis, Muslims believe that Islamic society and government should be organised on the basis of divine injunctions of the Quran.
• The saying and doings of Prophet Muhammad, collectively known as hadis, began to be supplemented with the above.
• Some of the major dynasties and rulers this period witnessed are listed below.

Ans;- a) Only 1

Explanation;-

• The 2nd statement is incorrect because Delhi Sultanate was a Military State.

About Delhi Sultanate Administration

• The Delhi Sultanate period extended from 1206 A.D. to 1526 A.D. for almost 320 years.
• The administration was based on Islamic laws (Sharia).
• A Theocratic and a Military State. 

About Delhi Central Administration

• The Sultan was the head of the empire.
• He possessed vast powers.
• Also, other officials were appointed to take care of the administration.

About Delhi Provincial Administration

• The empire was divided into a number of Iqtas.
• Iqtadars administered the Iqtas.
• Iqtas further were divided into smaller units called Parganas, Shiqqs, and the villages.
• Amil or Munsif – an important official of the Pargana.

About Local Administration

• The village was the smallest unit of administration.
• The village administration was carried out by local hereditary officers and the Panchayats
• The Panchayat looked after education, sanitation, justice, revenue etc.
• The Central Government did not interfere in the village administration. 

About Judicial Administration

• The Sultan was the highest judicial authority.
• Qazi-ul-quzar – the Chief Judicial officer.
• A Quazi was appointed in every town.
• Criminals were punished severely. 

About Military Administration

• The Sultan was the Commander of the army
• The four divisions of the army were
a. The Royal army
b. Provincial or Governor’s army
c. Feudal army and
War Time army 

Ans;- d) Only 3

Explanation;-

• The 1st and 2nd are incorrect.

About Delhi Ministers to Sultan

• Wazir – Prime Minister and Finance Minister
• Diwani-I-Risalt – Foreign Affairs Minister
• Sadr-us-Suddar – Minister of Islamic Law
• Diwan-I-lnsha – Correspondence Minister
• Diwan-I-Ariz – Defence or War Minister
• Qazi-ul-quzar – Minister of Justice 

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

• All are part of Delhi Sultanate

About Amir Khusrau
• Amir Khusro saw the rule of 7 Sultans (Balban, Muhammad, Cakubad, Jalaluddin Khilji, Alauddin Khilji, Mubarak Shah Khaliji, Gaisuddin Tughlaq) Amir Khusro was the first Muslim poet who freely used Hindi words.
• They were also Persian poets.
• They had the shelter of the Delhi Sultanate.
• He is said to have written four lakh couplets.
• He was a great singer and was given the title ‘Parrot of India’. 

About Alberuni

• Alberuni was a renowned philosopher, a mathematician and a historian.
• He came in contact with Mahmud when he had invaded Khiva and he was presented before him as prisoner. 
• In his book Tahqiq-i-Hind in which he portrays the social, political, religious and economic condition of the then India.
• An Arabic and Persian Scholar patronized by Mahmud of Ghazni.
• He learnt Sanskrit and translated two Sanskrit works into Arabic.
• He was impressed by the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita.

About Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki

• Qutb ul Aqtab Khwaja Sayyid Muhammad Bakhtiyar AlHussaini Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki was a Muslim Sufi mystic, saint and scholar of the Chishti Order from Delhi, India. 
• He was the disciple and the spiritual successor of Moinuddin Chishti as head of the Chishti order, and the person to whom the Qutb Minar, Delhi is dedicated. Before him the Chishti order in India was confined to Ajmer and Nagaur.
• He played a major role in establishing the order securely in Delhi.
• His dargah located adjacent to Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli, and the oldest dargah in Delhi, is also the venue of his annual Urs festivities.
• The Urs was held in high regard by many rulers of Delhi like Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish who built a nearby stepwell, Gandhak ki Baoli for him, Sher Shah Suri who built a grand gateway, Bahadur Shah I who built the Moti Masjid mosque nearby and Farrukhsiyar who added a marble screen and a mosque.
• His most famous disciple and spiritual successor was Fariduddin Ganjshakar, who in turn became the spiritual master of Delhi’s noted Sufi saint, Nizamuddin Auliya, who himself was the spiritual master of Amir Khusrau and Nasiruddin Chirag-e-Delhi.

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

• As question asked to choose incorrect all are incorrectly matched

About Delhi Economy

• After consolidating their position in India, the Delhi Sultans introduced reforms in the land revenue administration. The lands were classified into three categories:
a) Iqta land – lands assigned to officials as iqtas instead of payment for their services.
b) Khalisa land – land under the direct control of the Sultan and the revenues collected were spent for the maintenance of royal court and royal household.
c) Inam land – land assigned or granted to religious leaders or religious institutions.

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

All about the Iqta statement during Delhi Sultanate are correct.

About Iqta System

• The institution of the Iqta had been in force in early Islamic world as a form of reward for services to the state.
• In the caliphate administration it was used to pay civil and military officers.
• After the establishment of the Sultanate iqta system was introduced by the Sultans.
• The army commanders and nobles were given territories to administer and collect the revenue. The territories thus assigned were called iqta and their holders as iqtadar or muqti.
• In essence this was a system of payment to the officers and maintenance of army by them.
• Gradually rules and regulations were laid down to organize the whole system.
• Through the years it became the main instrument of administrating the Sultanate.
• Further the sultans could get a large share of the surplus production from different parts of the vast territories through this system.
• From the 14th century Walis or muqtis who are commanders of military and administrative tracts called Iqta.
• Their exact powers varied according to circumstances.
• In due course the muqti was given complete charge of the administration of the iqta which included the task of maintaining an army.
• The muqti was to help the sultan with his army in case of need. He was expected to maintain the army and meet his own expenses with the revenue collected.
• From the time of Balban the muqti was expected to send the balance (fawazil) of the income to the centre after meeting his and the army’s expenses. This means that the central revenue department had made an assessment of the expected income of the Iqta, the cost of the maintenance of the army and the muqti’s own expenses. This process became even more strict during the time of AlauddhinKhalji.
• As the central control grew, the control over muqti’s administration also increased.
• The Khwaja (probably same as Sahib-i-Diwan) was appointed to keep a record of the income of the Iqtas. It was on the basis of this record that the Sultan used to make his revenue demands.
• A barid or intelligence officer was also appointed to keep the Sultan informed.
• During the reign of Muhmmad-bin-Thughlaq a number of governors were appointed on revenue sharing terms where they were to give a fixed sum to the state.
• During the time of Feroze Shah Tughlaq the control of state over iqtas was diluted when iqtas became hereditary.
• The peasantry paid one third of their produce as land revenue, and sometimes even one half of the produce. They also paid other taxes and always led a hand-to-mouth living. Frequent famines made their lives more miserable.
• Sultans like Muhammad bi Tughlaq and Firoz Tughlaq took efforts to enhance agricultural production by providing irrigational facilities and by providing takkavi loans. They also encouraged the farmers to cultivate superior crop like wheat instead of barley.
• Firoz encouraged the growth of horticulture. Muhammad bin Tughlaq created a separate agricultural department, Diwani Kohi.

Ans;- d) None of the above

Explanation;-

• All are incorrectly matched.

About Delhi Taxation System

• The fiscal policy of Turkish Sultans of India was modeled on the theory of finances of the “Hanafi School” of Sunni Jurists”.
• Only four different sources of revenue were sanctioned by the Quran – Kharaj, Khams, Jaziya and Zakat, but the Sultanate of Delhi charged about two dozen extra taxes. Following were the few important taxes:
a) Zakat: The religious taxes were collectively known as the Zakat. This was realized from well to do Muslims amounting at the rate of 1/40th of one’s property.
b) Jizya: It was levied on non-Muslims in return for the protection of life and property and exemption from military services. Women, children, indigent and the Brahmanas were exempted from it.
c) Kharaj: It was the land tax realized from non-Muslims.
d) Khums: It was the tax on mines, treasure trove and share in war booty.
e) Sharaf: It was the irrigation tax charged at the rate of 1/10th of the produce. This was imposed by FiruzTughlaq.
f) Abwafs: It was the extra taxes like housing tax, grazing tax, etc.

Ans;- c) Only 1 and 3

Explanation;-

• The 2nd statement is incorrect because for Hindus very rarely given high position.

About Delhi Sultanate Social life

• There was little change in the structure of the Hindu society during this period. Traditional caste system with the Brahmins on the upper strata of the society was prevalent.
• The subservient position of women also continued and the practice of sati was widely prevalent.
• The seclusion of women and the wearing of purdah became common among the upper class women. The Arabs and Turks brought the purdah system into India and it became widespread among the Hindu women in the upper classes of north India.
• The Muslim society remained divided into several ethnic and racial groups. The Turks, Iranians, Afghans and Indian Muslims developed exclusively and there were no intermarriages between these groups. Hindu converts from lower castes were also not given equal respect.
• The Muslim nobles occupied high offices and very rarely the Hindu nobles were given high position in the government.
• The Hindus were considered zimmis or protected people for which they were forced to pay a tax called jiziya. In the beginning jiziya was collected as part of land tax.
• Firoz Tughlaq separated it from the land revenue and collected jiziya as a separate tax. Sometimes Brahmins were exempted from paying jiziya.
• Autonomous Chieftains constituted the most prosperous rural section Though they were now a defeated ruling class, they were still powerful in their respective areas and continued to live a luxurious life as in the pre-Muslim period.
• Maqaddams and Small Landlord had a better standard of life, for they readily misused their power in order to exploit the ordinary peasants.
• The peasantry, known as the balahars, paid one third of their produce as land revenue, sometimes even one half of the produce. Besides land revenue, they paid certain other taxes which prove that taxation during this period was as much, if not higher than, as in the previous period.
• The peasants were always living at the subsistence level which was easily denied by the frequent wars, thus resulting in large scale, and not so infrequent, famines.

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

• All the statements are correct.

About Delhi sultanate art and architecture

• The art and architecture of the Delhi Sultanate period was distinct from the Indian style.
• The Turks introduced arches, domes, lofty towers or minarets and decorations using the Arabic script. They used the skill of the Indian stone cutters.
• They also added colour to their buildings by using marbles, red and yellow sand stones.
• In the beginning, they converted temples and other structures demolished into mosques.
• For example, the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque near QutubMinar in Delhi was built by using the materials obtained from destroying many Hindu and Jain temples, but later, they began to construct new structures.

• The most magnificent building of the 13th century was the QutubMinar which was founded by Aibek and completed by Iltutmish.
• This seventy one metre tower was dedicated to the Sufi saint QutbuddinBakthiyar Kaki.
• The balconies of this tower were projected from the main building and it was the proof of the architectural skills of that period.
• Later, AlauddhinKhalji added an entrance to the QutubMinar called Alai Darwaza.
• The dome of this arch was built on scientific lines.
• The buildings of the Tughlaq period were constructed by combining arch and dome.
• They also used the cheaper and easily available grey colour stones.
• The palace complex called Tughlaqabad with its beautiful lake was built during the period of GhyasuddinTughlaq.
• Muhammad bin Tughlaq built the tomb of Ghyasuddin on a high platform.
• The Kotla fort at Delhi was the creation of FiruzTughlaq.
• The Lodi garden in Delhi was the example for the architecture of the Lodis.

Ans;- d) All of the above

Explanation;-

All the statements are correct.

About Delhi Sultanate Literature

• The Delhi Sultans patronized learning and literature and many of them had great love for Arabic and Persian literature.
• Learned men came from Persia and Persian language got encouragement from the rulers.
• Besides theology and poetry, the writing of history was also encouraged.
• Some of the Sultans had their own court historians. The most famous historians of this period were HasanNizami, Minhaj-us-Siraj, ZiauddinBarani, and Shams-SirajAfif.
• Barani’sTarikhi- FirozShahi contains the history of Tughlaq dynasty.
• Minhaj-us-Siraj wrote Tabaqat-i-Nasari, a general history of Muslim dynasties up to 1260.
• Amir Khusrau (1252-1325) was the famous Persian writer of this period. He wrote a number of poems. He experimented with several poetical forms and created a new style of Persian poetry called Sabaqi- Hind or the Indian style. He also wrote some Hindi verses.
• Amir Khusrau’sKhazain-ul-Futuh speaks about Alauddin’s conquests.
• Sanskrit and Persian functioned as link languages in the Delhi Sultanate.
• Zia Nakshabi was the first to translate Sanskrit stories into Persian. The book Tutu Nama or Book of the Parrot became popular and translated into Turkish and later into many European languages.
• The famous Rajatarangini written by Kalhana belonged to the period of Zain-ul-Abidin, the ruler of Kashmir.
• Many Sanskrit works on medicine and music were translated into Persian.
• In Arabic, Alberuni’sKitab-ul-Hind is the most famous work.
• Regional languages also developed during this period.
• Chand Baradi was the famous Hindi poet of this period.
• Bengali literature had also developed and Nusrat Shah patronized the translation of Mahabharata into Bengali.
• The Bakthi cult led to development of Gujarati and Marathi languages.
• The Vijayanagar Empire patronized Telugu and Kannada literature.