U.P.P.C.S. Mains 2008

Sultanate Bureaucracy

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept The Delhi Sultanate established specialized ministries to manage the growing complexities of imperial administration, from tax arrears to public charity.

Explanation Standard texts confirm that while Balban centralized power, he did not create the Diwan-i-Riyasat. That department was the creation of Alauddin Khalji to oversee his revolutionary market reforms.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Option D is the incorrect match. Diwan-i-Riyasat was the Department of Commerce under Alauddin Khalji, tasked with implementing economic regulations and price controls.
Logic 2: Options A, B, and C are correct: Diwan-i-Mustakharaj (Tax arrears) was a Khalji innovation; Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi (Agriculture) was by MBT; and Diwan-i-Khairat (Charity for widows/orphans) was a welfare move by Firuz Shah Tughluq.

Active Recall

Question

What was the specific function of the Diwan-i-Mustakharaj?

Answer

It was established by Alauddin Khalji to recover unpaid land revenue and arrears from corrupt or negligent officials.

Core Insight

The departmental names reflect a shift from simple military rule to a specialized civil service capable of detailed market and social engineering.