“Alauddin Khilji’s economic measures aimed at centralising political authority in the Delhi Sultanate.” Elucidate.

Answer:

Alauddin Khilji’s economic measures were not merely welfare or market reforms. They were closely linked with his larger political objective of strengthening the Sultan, maintaining a large army, controlling nobles and centralising authority in the Delhi Sultanate.

Economic Measures and Centralisation

Market control:

• Alauddin fixed prices of essential commodities such as grain, cloth, horses, slaves and cattle.
• Separate markets were established for different goods.
• Officials such as shahna-i-mandi supervised the markets.
• Strict punishments were imposed for hoarding, black marketing and cheating.

Military purpose:

• Low prices helped the Sultan maintain a large standing army at a relatively low salary.
• This was necessary to face Mongol invasions and to pursue expansionist policies.
• Thus, price control directly supported military centralisation.

Revenue reforms:

• In the Doab, land revenue was raised, often to about half of the produce.
• Intermediaries such as khuts and muqaddams were brought under stricter control.
• This reduced the power of local rural elites and increased direct state extraction.

Control over nobility:

• Alauddin also restricted social gatherings, marriage alliances and wealth accumulation among nobles.
• Economic regulation prevented nobles from building independent power bases.

Barani presents Alauddin as a ruler who sought to make the state strong through strict control, although his account carries moral judgement. Therefore, Alauddin’s economic measures were instruments of political centralisation. They strengthened the army, weakened nobles and intermediaries, and increased the direct authority of the Sultan.