With reference to Alauddin's market reforms, answer the following questions.
- What was Alauddin's market policy based on?
- What did Alauddin do when there was a famine?
- How many markets did he set up? How were they different?
- Who were appointed to keep an eye on the sellers?
Answer
Alauddin's market policy was based on price-control measures. He controlled the prices of necessary goods so that his soldiers could buy goods and food even at a lower salary.
Alauddin set up state warehouses, which were stocked with food grains. Whenever there was a famine or shortage, these stored food grains were released to the people.
He set up three markets in Delhi. They were different because each market dealt with a different category of goods — the first was for food grains, the second for cloth, and the third for horses, slaves and cattle.
Market officers, such as the shahna-i-mandi and the barids (intelligence officers), were appointed to keep a strict watch on the prices and weights, and thus keep an eye on the sellers.
Differentiate between the rule of Alauddin Khalji and Firuz Shah Tughlaq using the following points.
| Points of difference | Alauddin Khalji | Firuz Shah Tughlaq |
|---|---|---|
| Approach towards the Deccan and south | ||
| Military expeditions | ||
| Dealing with the nobles | ||
| Army | ||
| Religious and administrative policies |
Answer
| Points of difference | Alauddin Khalji | Firuz Shah Tughlaq |
|---|---|---|
| Approach towards the Deccan and south | He conquered the Deccan but did not annex it, as he realised it was impractical to rule the south from the north. | He was unable to reassert his might over the south; Bengal and other provinces broke free from the influence of the Sultanate. |
| Military expeditions | He followed an aggressive policy of territorial expansion and successfully defended his Sultanate against the Mongols with his permanent standing army. | He was not an accomplished military leader, and his expeditions were not successful and only further depleted the treasury. |
| Dealing with the nobles | He dealt with the nobles with an iron hand and reduced the surpluses of the prosperous classes through a revised taxation system. | He followed a conciliatory approach towards the nobility, making the offices of the nobles hereditary and reintroducing the iqta system (also made hereditary), which made the sultan dependent on the oligarchy. |
| Army | He brought in many military reforms — nobles were not allowed to maintain an army, and the army was directly recruited by the sultan and paid in cash. | The positions in the army became hereditary, and the personnel were paid through assignments on the land revenue of villages instead of cash, which made the administration of the army very lax. |
| Religious and administrative policies | He did not let Islamic theologians dictate the administrative processes during his reign. | His reign saw an attempt to govern in conformity with Islamic law; Jizyah (a religious tax on non-Muslims) was levied upon the people. |
Differentiate between the Bahmani Kingdom and Vijayanagara Kingdom using the given points.
| Points of difference | Bahmani Kingdom | Vijayanagara Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Established in the year | ||
| Established by | ||
| Administration | ||
| Architecture |
Answer
| Points of difference | Bahmani Kingdom | Vijayanagara Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Established in the year | 1347 CE | 1336 CE |
| Established by | Alauddin Hasan, who assumed the title of Alauddin Bahman Shah after ascending the throne. | Harihara I and Bukka Raya I, on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra. |
| Administration | The king was all-powerful but, in practice, depended on the strength of his army. The nobles were very strong. For effective administration, the empire was divided into provinces, each under a governor who collected revenue and supplied troops to the king. | The king was the head of the administration, an absolute ruler whose will was the law. The empire was divided into six provinces (rajyas or mandalams), each placed under a commander (dandanayaka) and headed by a governor. Provinces were further divided into districts (nadus), and districts into villages (gramas), which were the lowest units. |
| Architecture | The Bahmani sultans promoted art and architecture and employed architects and craftspersons from Persia. Notable structures include the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, the Chand Minar at Daulatabad, the madrasa of Mahmud Gawan at Bidar, the Mihtar Mahal, and the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur, which has one of the largest domes in the world. | The Vijayanagara architecture was a vibrant combination of the Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya and Chola styles. Its hallmarks include the pillared kalyanamandapa (marriage hall), vasanthamandapa (open-pillared entrance hall) and the rayagopura (tower). Fine examples include the Virupaksha Temple, the Hazara Rama Temple, the Vitthala Temple, the Lotus Mahal and the stone chariot at Hampi. |