Delhi Sultanate Administration

Timeline

1. 1371–1374Delhi court · DelhiIn the early 1370s the Delhi Sultanate divided provinces among iqta commanders; fief holders (iqtadars) were responsible for tax collection, maintaining order, and supporting cavalry, paying tribute to the sultan and accepting transfers. Firuz Shah Tughlaq limited hereditary tendencies in iqta holdings, seeking to strengthen central control over local fiscal and military resources.
2. 1375–1378Delhi Diwan-i Amil (fiscal and administrative office) · DelhiFiruz Shah abolished certain exorbitant taxes in the 1370s, keeping the land tax (kharaj) at a low level to restore agricultural productivity. The diwan office handled account auditing and tribute collection, and a new slave bureau (shabakna) managed palace servants and labor; administrative divisions of labor were finer than in earlier sultanates.
3. 1378–1380Provinces of the Ganges plain · Northern IndiaBy around 1380, Firuz Shah built canals and reservoirs around Delhi and in Hisar and elsewhere, using state projects to strengthen control over rural grassroots. Religious endowments (waqf) and charitable hospitals (dar al-shifa) were brought under administrative supervision, forming a local governance network jointly involving sultan, ulama, and local gentry—a notable feature of the 1370s North Indian administrative system.