ASKiIMAN™ MEDIEVAL / HISTORY
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Sultanate Administration

Realm 38: The Wizarat, Iqta System, and the Machinery of Empire

WORLD E — DELHI SULTANATE

MICRO-REALM 01

The Sultan & Caliphate

  • The Sultan was an absolute monarch and supreme commander.
  • Claimed title of *Zill-i-Ilahi* (Shadow of God on Earth).
  • Maintained a legal fiction of subservience to the Abbasid Caliph.
  • The Caliph's name was read in the *Khutba* to legitimize rule.
MICRO-REALM 02

Diwan-i-Wizarat

  • The central finance department, headed by the *Wazir* (Prime Minister).
  • Responsible for revenue collection, expenditure, and auditing.
  • Assisted by Mushrif-i-Mumalik (Accountant Gen.) & Mustaufi (Auditor Gen.).
  • The most powerful civilian department in the Sultanate.
MICRO-REALM 03

Diwan-i-Arz

  • The Ministry of Military Affairs, headed by the *Ariz-i-Mumalik*.
  • Created by Balban to counter the Wazir's power.
  • Responsible for recruiting, equipping, and paying the army.
  • Alauddin Khalji introduced *Dagh* (branding) and *Chehra* (muster rolls) here.
MICRO-REALM 04

The Royal Household

  • Managed by the *Wakil-i-Dar*, a highly trusted noble.
  • Supervised royal bodyguards (*Jandars*) and court protocol.
  • Controlled the *Karkhanas* (royal workshops) producing luxury goods and weapons.
  • Crucial for the personal safety and grandeur of the Sultan.
MICRO-REALM 05

Diwan-i-Qaza & Sadr

  • Headed by the *Qazi-ul-Quzat* (Chief Justice) who was often the *Sadr-us-Sudur*.
  • Administered Islamic Law (Sharia) and managed religious endowments (Waqf).
  • *Muhtasibs* regulated public morals and market weights.
  • Non-Muslims were largely governed by their own customary village laws.
MICRO-REALM 06

The Iqta System

  • Empire divided into territorial tracts called *Iqtas*.
  • Granted to nobles (*Muqtis* or *Walis*) in lieu of cash salaries.
  • Muqtis collected revenue, kept a share for themselves, and maintained troops.
  • Surplus revenue (*Fawazil*) was sent to the central treasury.
MICRO-REALM 07

Local Government

  • Provinces divided into *Shiqs* (under Shiqdars) and *Parganas* (districts).
  • *Amil* collected revenue at the Pargana level.
  • Villages were the basic unit, largely autonomous.
  • Headed by hereditary Hindu chiefs: *Muqaddams*, *Khuts*, and *Patwaris*.
MICRO-REALM 08

Intelligence (Barids)

  • *Barid-i-Mumalik* was the head of state news and intelligence.
  • *Munhiyans* were secret spies reporting directly to the Sultan.
  • Maintained an incredibly fast postal relay system (*Dak Chowki*).
  • Used horses and foot-runners to quickly transmit news and suppress revolts.
MICRO-REALM 09

Agrarian Taxation

  • *Kharaj*: Land tax on non-Muslims (often 1/3 to 1/2 of produce).
  • *Ushr*: Land tax on Muslims (usually 1/10th).
  • *Jizya*: Poll tax on non-Muslims (Dhimmis) for state protection.
  • *Zakat* (Muslim religious tax) and *Khums* (1/5th share of war booty).
MICRO-REALM 10

Nobility (Umara)

  • Highly fluid and meritocratic in the early Sultanate (slaves could become Kings).
  • Strictly hierarchical: *Amir* (Commander of 100), *Malik* (1000), *Khan* (10,000).
  • Initially dominated by Ilbari Turks, later opened to Afghans and Indian Muslims.
  • Their loyalty (or treachery) dictated the survival of the ruling dynasty.