Administration of Delhi Sultanate

During the Sultanate of Delhi, all administrative decisions were made in accordance with Muslim laws, also known as Shariat or Islamic laws. In governmental matters, the Sultans and nobles were primarily responsible for adhering to Sharia or Islamic regulations. This time, it was rightly stated that religion had a significant impact on the Sultanate of Delhi’s government.

Central Administration

The central administration of the Delhi Sultanate followed a very systematic and well-planned administration procedure that was run by different ministers who had specific work assigned to them. There were also several other departments, and the Sultan appointed their officers to carry out specific duties.

• Sultan – was the head of state and had unrestricted power in all areas of state activity.
• Naib – held a position comparable to that of the Sultan.
• Wazir – state’s Prime Minister and oversaw the financial department.
• Diwan-i-arz – military department.
• Diwan-i- Risalat – Department of Religious Affairs.
• Amir-i-Majlis-Shahi – he was the minister in charge of the state’s festivals, as well as all public conveniences and arrangements during festive seasons.
• Diwan-i-insha – was the minister in charge of the local correspondence of various offices.

Military Administration

• Ariz-i-Mumalik oversaw the army. Each soldier’s descriptive role was kept in his office.
• He was in charge of assigning different tasks to soldiers and also of military personnel transfers.
• His office paid salaries to even court officers who held military ranks.
• He was the army’s Collector General rather than its Commander-in-Chief. He wielded considerable power over the state.

Judicial Administration

• The Sultan used to convene at least twice a week to hear complaints about state officials. Qazi-i-Mumalik used to consult with the Sultan on legal matters.
• The Shariah was used to make decisions. Non-Muslims’ cases were decided in accordance with their own religious laws.

Provincial Administration

• During the Sultanate period, the Sultanate was divided into lqtas (regions). The leader of iqtas is known by several names, including Muqti, Wali, and Nazim.
• The main responsibility of the Muqtis was to keep the peace, establish and extend government authority, and recover state dues.
• Governors in charge of larger or more important provinces wielded greater power.