A detailed examination of the economic and social life during the Delhi Sultanate, focusing on the relationships between sultans, nobles, and the general populace.
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Government, Economic, and Social Life under the Delhi Sultanate
Sultan and Nobles
Living Standards:
Sultan and nobles had opulent living comparable to the Islamic ruling class in West and Central Asia.
Each Sultan built elaborate palaces; Balban and Alauddin Khalji continued this tradition.
Palace Descriptions:
Muhammad Tughlaq's palace had heavily guarded gates leading to the 'court of thousand pillars'.
Public court sessions and lavish gifts were common during festivals.
Robes and Gifts:
Muhammad Tughlaq annually presented 2,00,000 robes of honor, woven with imported fabrics.
Gifts were distributed during special occasions like birthdays and coronation days.
Town Life: Slaves, Artisans, and Others
Urban Development:
Towns grew around military garrisons, becoming cultural centers.
Varied population included nobles, clerks, artisans, and servants.
Slavery:
Slaves from various origins, including Africa, valued for domestic service and craftsmanship.
Firuz Tughlaq collected approximately 1,80,000 slaves.
Cost of Living:
Food grains relatively cheap for town residents; Alauddin Khalji's era saw wheat priced at 7 jitals per man.
Estimated monthly living costs during Firuz Tughlaq's reign were five tankas for a family.
Social Structure and Religion
Social Structure:
Brahmins maintained high status; Shudras engaged in various occupations but faced social restrictions.
Restrictions on mingling with outcastes like Chandala persisted.
Women's Status:
Little change in women's position; early marriage and widowhood practices continued.
Growing practice of purdah among upper-class women for seclusion.
Religion:
Non-Muslims under 'zimmi' status paid 'jizyah' tax; temples sometimes converted during conquests.
Tolerance extended in peaceful times; public Hindu religious practices noted in Sultanate capitals.
State Character
State Character:
Militaristic and aristocratic; Turkish nobles dominated high offices, later broadened under Tughlaqs.
Muslim state structure with emphasis on Sharia law, adapted to local governance needs.
Religious Freedom:
Islam was the state religion, but other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism were also present.
Sufi saints and Bhakti movement contributed to the spiritual and cultural life.
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