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UPSC CDS I 2020

Sultanate Power Struggles

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Who among the following Sultans succeeded in finally breaking and destroying the power of Turkan-i-Chihalgani?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: B

Concept The *Turkan-i-Chihalgani
(Corps of Forty) was an elite group of Turkish slave-nobles who had become 'king-makers' after the death of Iltutmish. Their power threatened the absolute authority of the crown.

Explanation
Balban (Ghiyasuddin Balban), who was himself once a member of the 'Forty', realized that the Sultan could not rule effectively while this oligarchy existed. He used his 'Blood and Iron' policy to systematically execute, poison, or sideline the families of the Turkan-i-Chihalgani.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option B is correct. Balban permanently ended the collective rule of the Turkish elite to establish a centralized autocracy.
Logic 2: While Iltutmish (A) created the group for stability, it was Balban (B) who recognized it as a liability and destroyed it.

Active Recall

Question

Why did Balban view the Chahalgani as a threat?

Answer

They were too powerful and arrogant, often treating the Sultan as an equal and frequently plotting to replace weak monarchs with puppets.

Core Insight

The destruction of the Chahalgani allowed for the transition from an oligarchic military state to an absolute monarchy.

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