Overview
In this topic, we are going to discuss about Delhi Sultanate Administrative System, Iqtadari system and Vijayanagara state system in brief in which we will explore the different features of the administration system of these two empires of medieval India. Let us explore the variety of administration systems in brief.
DELHI SULTANATE ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM
So basically Delhi Sultanate was the kingdom of Muslims which was established during the 13th century in the subcontinent of India. It lasted around 320 years from 1206 to 1526 in which there were various dynasties enrolled. Now here we are going to understand various factors or systems of administration of the Delhi sultanate, let’s start.
- Central administration:
The Delhi sultanate had the central administrative authority which was often in the hands of the king and the ruler which was assisted by various ministers and advisors.
- Iqtadari system:
The key feature of the Delhi Sultanate was the iqtadari system. In this the military commanders got the right of land revenue and were involved in iqta assignment, they were known as Iqtadars. The work of Iqtadar was to collect revenue from their respective territories in which they retained some proportion of the amount and the rest were sent to the central treasury.
- Provincial administration:
The Sultanate was divided into provinces called iqtas, which were governed by iqtadars. These governments were responsible for collecting taxes and administering justice within the territories.
- District administration:
There was also a local governance which was known as Shiqdar, which was divided into districts. They were also responsible for day to day administration of their respective district. They take care of revenue collection, maintenance of laws and orders, etc.
- Revenue administration:
The Delhi sultanate primarily relied on agricultural revenue Which was collected based on land quality and crop production. It was a crucial aspect of the Delhi Sultanate administration.
VIJAYANAGAR ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM
Vijayanagara Empire was a powerful Hindu kingdom that was in South India from the 14th to 17th century. Now, let us understand the core concept of the administration system of the empire Vijayanagara in detail. Let’s start.
- Central administration:
In the Vijayanagara Empire, they held decentralization of power, in which the ruler had significant power, and other power was divided with the council of ministers.
- Provincial administration:
The empire had divided their power between provinces or regions, which were known as Nadu, each of the provinces was governed by the Nadu chief and Nadu Rayas. The governors of the provinces were appointed by the king of the empire.
- Local administration:
At the local level, the villages were self-governed with decisions made by the village assemblies, or councils in which there were elders and influential members of the communities.
- Revenue administration:
The empire effectively relied on the revenue administration in which they collected tax revenue from land-based on agricultural production. Tax assessors were known as Amarans who were responsible for assessing the productivity of land and determining tax rates.
CONCLUSION
Here we have seen how the Delhi Sultanate and Vijayanagara Empire all developed different and unique administrative systems that suited their political, social, and other factors. Where we have seen that the Delhi sultanate administrative system had centralized power and Vijayanagara had a decentralized power and local government, which reflects the diverse nature of governance in the medieval era.
