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UPSC CSE Prelims 2002

Sultanate Administrative Departments

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

With reference to medieval Indian rulers, which one of the following statements is correct?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept Sultanate rulers created specialized departments (Diwans) to manage different aspects of the state, such as the military, charity, and agriculture.

Explanation Satish Chandra’s *Medieval India
notes that Firuz Shah Tughlaq had a great fondness for slaves and created the 'Diwan-i-Bandagan' specifically for their welfare and management.

Logical Breakup
Logic 1: Statement A is false. The military department (Diwan-i-Ariz) was established by Balban.
Logic 2: Statement B is false. The branding of horses (Dagh) and descriptive rolls (Chehra) were introduced by Alauddin Khalji.
Logic 3: Statement C is false. MBT was succeeded by his cousin, Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
Logic 4: Statement D is correct. Firuz Shah’s slave department managed over 180,000 slaves.

Active Recall

Question

What was the purpose of the Diwan-i-Bandagan?

Answer

It was established to maintain a loyal cadre of slaves who could be trained in various crafts and used as a personal guard to the Sultan.

Core Insight

While intended for stability, the excessive number of slaves under Firuz Shah eventually became a burden on the state and contributed to the Tughlaq decline.

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