Question

Alauddin Khalji was the most noble of all the Sultanate rulers.

Answer 1

Alauddin Khalji was an able administrator and an efficient expansionist. As a noble ruler, he introduced several reforms. Few of them have been discussed below.

1. Market reforms and Price control - he fixed price for almost everything. He established three types of market. First for food grains. Second for clothes and perfumes. Third for horses and cattle. He took strict measures for those who disregarded price control.

2. Huge army - with the help of price control, he was able to make a huge army consisting of more than 4 lakh horsemen (looks exaggerated). Because of Price control even a low salary of 20 tanka was acceptable to the soldiers. Khusurau and Barani have also mentioned about this.

3. Agrarian reforms - He started taking taxes in cash directly from peasants. He appointed audit officers for this purpose. He strictly handled them if any fault was present. He destroyed local zamindars, especially hindu zamindars. Though he left chaudaris in cost of regular tributes.