Delhi Sultanate

1
Slave Dynasty 1206-1290
Qutubuddin Aibak, Sultan Razia, Balban
Khalji Dynasty 1290-1390
Jalaluddin Khalji, Alauddin Khalji
Tighlaq Dynasty 1320-1414
Ghiyas-ud-din-Tughlaq, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq,
Firuz Shah
Sayyids Dynasty 1414-1451
Khizir Khan
Lodhi Dynasty 1451-1526
Bahlul Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi
The Sultanate of Delhi was a theocracy and not
a secular state.
Throughout the period the State had its own
religion, which was Islam.
It did not recognize any other religion.
The conduct of the ruling authority in the
Sultanate of Delhi was governed by the Quranic
injunctions.
The Sultan was not only expected to follow
Quran in his own personal life, but also in the
administration. 7
According to the Islamic theory of
sovereignty,
there is only one Muslim king of all Muslims
wherever they might be living.
He is the Caliph or the Khalifa

8
Empire Suntanate
Provincial Iquta
Iqitadar/ Muquti
District Shiqq
Shiqdar
Tahsil Paragana
Amil
Village Panchayat
Sarpanch
Diwan-i-Wizarat: Finance department
Diwan-i-Risalat: Foreign affairs/Religious affairs
Diwan-i-Ariz: Military department

Diwan-i-Qaza: Department of justice

Diwan-i-Kohi : Agriculture
Diwan-i-Insha: Royal correspondence
Diwan-i-Bandagan: Department of Slaves

10
11
Provincial

12
• In the beginning Delhi Sultanate was not divided
into provinces but divided into military commands
knows as Iqtas.
• Under Ala-ud-Din Khilji 12 Provinces and
Mohammad Tughlag the number rose to 23.
• Every province was under a governor
• Maintenance of law and order
• Enforce royal orders
• Sending reports to central administration
• Supply soldiers to the king
• Governors were generally disloyal and faithless
13
 Provincial Administration
Khalisa Jagir
King Autonomous control
Muqtis Walis or Military Governor
sahib-i-diwan
Wazir Wazir
ariz ariz
qazi qazi
 District
Shiqdar: In-charge of district level
Qazi : Judge
Kotwal : Police head under Shiqdar
Khazamdar : Treasurer
Qanungo: Maintained previous records of
the produce and assessment.

15
 Paragana
Amil
Mushrif
(Accounts)
khazandar
(in-charge treasury )
Village
muqaddam
16
Judicial administration

17
 Kings Court
Diwan-e-Risalat Diwan-e-Mazalim
Civil Criminal
2 Mufti
Chief Justice Court (Qazi-ul-Qazat)
Mufti, Pandit
Mohtasib: in change of prosecutions
Dadbak: administrative of officer of court
Sadre Jahan’s Court
Sadar-us-sudur
Diwan-i-Siyasat 18
 Provincial Courts
Governor’s Court
Adalat-Nizam-Subah
Adalat -Qazi-e-Subah
Mufti, Pandit, Mohtasib and Dadbak
Diwan-e-Subha
Revenue collection disputes court
Sadr-e-Subha
Ecclesiastical officer of the province 19
 District Courts
Qazi’s court
Civil and Criminal
Mufti, Pandit, Mohtasib and Dadbak
Faujdar Court
Petty criminal cases in the towns ( security )
Sadre Court
Religious cases, grant of land and registration of land
Amil’ Court
land revenue cases
Kotwal’s Court 20
Petty criminal cases and police cases
 Paragana courts
Qazi-e-paragana
Civil and criminal jurisdiction
Kotwal Court
Petty criminal cases

Village level Court

Sarpanch
A body of five elders
21
The suitor could lodge a complaint or file a suit
anywhere he liked.

He could, for instance, go to the court of the

qazi of his town or to that of the provincial
qazi or even to the Sultan's court.

The judicial procedure was not uniform all over

the kingdom and was very irregular.
22
The proceedings of the court were not recorded
and the trials were summary trials.

The law administered by the courts was the

Quranic law.

23
Defects:
No calcification regarding jurisdiction of courts
The suitor could lodge a complaint or file suit
anywhere he liked.
Some times, the highest court of appeals also
tried cases in the first instance.
The proceedings of the courts were not
recorded.
24
The law administrated by the court were the
Islamic law.
Cases between Muslims and Hindus were
decided by the Qazi on the basis of Islamic
law.
All judges were Muslims and during the entire
Sultanate age, no Hindu was appointed to any
judicial post.
25
Although the government followed the policy of
minimum interference with the social affairs of
the Hindus and
applied what was designated as the ghair tashril law
(non legal summah) in deciding Hindu cases.
There were no vakils to place the complainant's
point of view before the judge.
The penal law was very severe
Culprits were usually punished with mutilation and
death. 26