Central Administration
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| Central Administration |
Administration in the Sultanate
period was a mixture of Indian and foreign systems. It was chiefly based on
Arabic and Persian system. It was chiefly based on Arabic and Persian styles.
The rulers adopted the Mughal army system for better results and continued the
Hindu land revenue system. Thus their administrative system was a mixed one. It
is really interesting as well as informative to have a broad knowledge of the
administration of the sultanate period.
Sultan
The Sultan was the head of the Delhi
sultanate. All power and authority vested in him. No doubt, outwardly he was
ruled by the Khalifa and he had to act according to the principles of Islam but
internally, he was a despot and had supreme power in his hands, really he was
the maker and breaker of laws. Dr. A.L. Srivastava has rightly remarked, “He
was a perfect autocrat and his authority was unfettered.”
The Sultan was considered a
representative of God on earth and the people were forced to obey his commands
but in his own turn the Sultan had to follow the principles of Islam as
discussed in the Quran. All judicial powers were also vested in him. AlauddinKhalji once declared, “To prevent rebellion in which thousands perish, I issue
such orders as I conceive to be for the good of the state and the benefit of
the period, I do not know whether this is lawful or unlawful, whether I think
to be for the good or the state or suitable for the emergency that I decree and
as for what may happen to me on the approaching day of judgment that I know
not.” His statement indicates the supreme power of the Sultan.
Besides being the judicial head, the
Sultan had all the executive powers. He was the chief appointing authority and
also had the power to dismiss any official. All the officials were his servants
and he was the head of each department. As he was the supreme commander of the
army, all appointments in the army were made in consultation with him. Military
was the backbone of the Sultanate and without the military force the Sultan
could not have been able to rule successfully.
The sultans of Delhi led a splendid
magnificent life. Their courts were well known for their splendor and
magnificence. The festivities of the court charmed the foreign visitors and
they spoke very high of the grandeur of the court after their return to their
respective countries. Balban maintained a strict discipline in the court and
did not permit anybody to sit when he was in the court. Really, the Sultan of
Delhi was ‘Caesar and pope combined in one’. Visitors were expected to bring
Nazrana or present at the time of their visit to the court, their gesture was
reciprocated by valuable gifts.
Ministers
It is said that “the bravest of men
requires arms and the wisest of kings need ministers.” Hence, for the smooth
running of administration, the king had some ministers who helped him from time
to time in the efficient discharge of his duties. All executive, financial and
judicial matters were discussed among a body of ministers which was known as
Majlis-i-Khas but he Sultan was forced to accept it s advice. However, all the
Sultans except Firoz Tughluq had acted according to the advice of
Majlis-i-Khas. There were four prominent ministers in the Majllis-i-Khas
(Wazir, Ariz-i-Mamalik, Diwan-i-Insha and Diwan-i-Rasalat). They were appointed
by the Sultan himself and the duration
of their term depended on the pleasure of the Sultan.
Wazir
The most important of all the
ministers was the Wazir. He was the Prime Minister and stood midway between the
sovereign and his subjects. He was in-charge of general administration and was
the most significant adviser of the Sultan. The stability of the empire
depended on the efficiency of the Wazir. The Wazir often officiated for the
Sultan in case of his minority of illness. He also acted as the head of the
finance department. He used to keep a close watch on the income and expenditure
of the Sultanate.
Diwan-i-Ariz
He was the minister in-charge of
military affairs. He was the controller general of the military establishment,
and his chief function was to make recruitment for the army and to keep
descriptive rolls of the soldiers and the horses. He was also responsible for
maintaining discipline in the army and to equip his soldiers with the best
arms. He used to keep the accounts of
royal booty. He also looked after the work of transport and supply at the time
of war. He often used to command the army, if so desired by the Sultan.
Diwan-i-Insha
He was the in-charge of royal
correspondence department and the treasury of secrets. He was also known as
Amir Munshi. All the royal farmans were issued from his department and it also
arranged the correspondence between the Sultans and his Governors. He used to
draft the royal proclamations and send them for the approval of the Sultan. There
were several writers in the department who used to draft the royal
proclamations.
Diwan-i-Rasalat
Habibullah writes that he was the
minister for foreign affairs, whereas Dr. Qureshi connects him with religious
functions. Dr. A. L. Srivastava rejects the theory of Dr. Qureshi as there was
one other person, Sadra-us-Sadra for the religious functions. P. N. Chopra
writes that he was a minister for appeals. In fact, he was a foreign minister
and used to maintain diplomatic relations with foreign countries. His main
function was to send and to receive the envoys. He also used to keep a close
eye on the activities of the foreign countries through the help of his spies.
Besides the above four significant
officers, there were some other officials who helped in the smooth running of
the central administration. The post of Naib Wazi-ul-Quzat, Sadra-us-Sadra,
Diwan-i-Kohi, Barid-i-Mumalik, Diwan-i-Qaza, Diwan-i-Istehqak and
Diwan-i-Riyasat were significant.
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