Delhi Sultanate: Administration and Nobility

Vocabulary flashcards covering key administrative terms, rulers, and practices of the Delhi Sultanate as discussed in the lecture notes.

Bandagan

Special category of slaves carefully trained by Delhi Sultans; often promoted to high administrative and military positions for their loyalty.

Delhi Sultans

Rulers of the Delhi Sultanate (13th–16th c.) who established centralized control over North India, appointing slaves and nobles to key offices.

Non-hereditary Nobility

Under the Delhi Sultans a noble’s status was not inheritable; titles and offices depended on continued royal favour and service.

Alauddin Khalji

Sultan (r. 1296-1316) known for strict control over nobles, harsh service conditions, and detailed revenue regulations.

Muhammad Tughluq

Sultan (r. 1324-1351) who retained and intensified Alauddin Khalji’s strict administrative practices, including tight monitoring of nobles.

Accountants (Mushrif/Mustaufi)

Officials appointed to audit revenue collected by provincial governors and ensure accurate financial records.

Muqti

Military governor of an iqta; required to collect revenue, keep only the prescribed number of soldiers, and remit surplus to the state.

Samanta

Local chieftain or aristocrat compelled by the expanding Delhi Sultanate to accept the authority of the central state.

Revenue Assessment

Process by which the Sultanate brought land-tax calculation and collection under direct state supervision, reducing the power of local chiefs.

Political Instability

Frequent succession struggles and shifting loyalties within the Sultanate’s nobility that necessitated strict royal control.