DELHI SULTANAT

THE SULTAN THE HEAD OF THE STATE WAS THE SULTAN WHO ENJOYED POSITION AND POWER SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE CALIPH.THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING THE SUBORDINATE OF INFERIOR POSITION IN WHICH HE WAS PLACED IN RELATION TO THE CALIPH. THE SULTAN CONCENTRATED IN HIS HANDS ALL EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL POWERS. HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE ARMED FORCES AND OFTEN LED HIS ARMIES IN PERSON TO THE BATTLEFIELD. HE MADE ALL APPOINTMENTS TO THE HIGHER CIVIL AND MILITARY POSTS.

THE LAW OF SUCCESSION THE ISLAMIC IDEALS REQUIRED A SOVEREIGN TO BE MALE ADULT,SUFFERING FROM N0O PHYSICAL DISABILITY,A FREE-BORN MUSLIM HAVING FAITH IN ISLAM AND AQUAINTED WITH ITS DOCTRINES,CAPABLEOF LEADERSHIP,FIT TO GOVERN ON THE PRINCIPLES OF EQUITY AND JUSTICE AND THAT HE SHOULD BE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. NOTE-----BUT THESE WERE FOLLWED ONLY IN BREACHES. RAZIA SULTAN WAS RAISED TO THE THRONE THOUGH AWOMENAND KAIQUBADREMAINED THE SULTAN AS A PARALYTIC. THUS THERE WAS NO LAW OF SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE.THE PRINCIPLE OF HEREDITORYSUCCESSION AND NOMINATIONOF SUCCESSOR BY THE LAST RULING SULTAN CAME INTO VOGUE,BUT IF SOMEBODY USURPED AUTHORITY BY FORCE THEY DID NOT HESITSTE TO OFFER HOMAGE TO HIM.THE SWORD ALSO SOMETIMES DECIDED THE ISSUE OF SUCCESSION AS THE INSTANCES OF ALLAUDDIN KHILJI AND BAHLOL LODHI SHOW.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS THE SULTAN WAS ASSISTED BY THE NUMBER OF OFFICIALS……………….. THE NAIB OR DEPUTY SULTAN------APPOINTMENT TO THIS POST WAS MADE WHEN A RULER WAS A WEAK OR MINORAND HE RANKED ABOVE THE WAZIR. WAZIR------HE WAS THE PRIME MINISTER AND WAS PLACED AT THE HEAD OF THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENTCALLED THE DIWAN-I-WAZARAT. MUSHRIF MAMLIK------AUDITOR GENERAL. MUSTAUFI-I-MAMLIK----------ACCOUNTANT GENERAL. ARIZ-I-MAMLIKHEAD OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT. DABIR-I-KHAS--------HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF RECORDS CALLED DIWAN-I-INSHA SADR-US-SADUR-----HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL DEPRATMENT QAZI-UL-QUZUT-------HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. BARID-I-MUMALIK-------HE WAS THE HEAD OF THE INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCEDEPARTMENT.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS THE EMPIRE WAS DIVIDED INTO THE PROVINCES CALLED IQTAS.THE HEAD OF THE IQTAS WAS VARIOUSLY CALLED AS NAIB,SULTAN,NAZIM,MUQTI OR WALI. THE ADMINISTRATIVE MACHINERY OF THE PROVINCES RESEMBLED THOSE OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.THE HEAD OF THE PROVINCES WERE REQUIRED TO SEND ANNUAL REPORT OF THEIR INCOME AND EXPENDITURE TO THE SULTAN AND DEPOSIT THE BALANCE IN THE CENTRAL EXCHEQUER. THE IQTAS WERE DIVIDED INTO THE SMALLER UNITS CALLED SHIQQS AND THEY WERE PLACED IN CHARGE OF SHIQQDARS. THE SHIQQS WERE FURTHER DIVIDED INTO THE SARKARS AND THE SARKARS INTO PARGANAS. THEY WERE PUT IN CHARGE OF SHIQQDAR-I-SHIQDARAN AND AWIL. GREATER EMPHASIS WAS LAID ON THE PARGANA ADMINISTRATION AS IT WAS THERE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS PUT IN THE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE PEASANTS. THE VILLGE WAS THE LOWEST UNIT OF ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTERED BY THE LOCAL HEREDITORY OFFICERS AND THE VILLAGE PANCHAYAT. THE HEREDITORY OFFICIALS LIKE THE CHAUDHARI,PATWARI,KHUT,MUQQADAM AND THE CHAUKIDAR HELPED THE GOVERNMENTIN THE COLLECTION OF THE REVENUE