10.4 The Tughlaq Dynasty

. The Tughlaq Dynasty Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq ( – ) Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq followed a policy of reconciliation with the nobles. But in the fi ft h year of his reign ( ) Ghiyas-ud-din died. Th ree days later Jauna Khan ascended the throne and took the title Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq ( - ) Muhammad Tughlaq was a learned, cultured and talented prince but gained a reputation of being merciless, cruel and unjust. Muhammad Tughlaq eff ectively repulsed the Mongol army that had marched up to Meerut near Delhi. Muhammad was an innovator. But gift , or as a religious endowment be brought back under the royal authority and control. He curbed the powers of the traditional village offi cers by depriving them of their traditional privileges. Corrupt royal offi cials were dealt with sternly. Th e Sultan prohibited liquor and banned the use of intoxicating drugs. Gambling was forbidden and gamblers were driven out of the city. However, the widespread violations of prohibition rules eventually forced the Sultan to relax the restrictions. Copper coin of Ala-ud-din Khalji Ala-ud-din collected land taxes directly from the cultivators. Th e village headman who traditionally enjoyed the right to collect them was now deprived of it. Th e tax pressure of Ala- ud-din was on the rich and not on the poor. Ala-ud-din set up the postal system to keep in touch with all parts of his sprawling empire. Sultan’s Market Reforms Ala-ud-din was the fi rst Sultan to pay his soldiers in cash rather than give them a share of booty. As the soldiers were paid less, the prices had to be monitored and controlled. Moreover, Ala-ud-din had to maintain a huge standing army. In order to restrict prices of essential commodities, Ala-ud-din set up an elaborate intelligence network to collect information on black-marketing and hoarding. Th e transactions in the bazaars, the buying and selling and the bargains made were all reported to the Sultan by his spies. Market superintendents, reporters and spies had to send daily reports on the prices of essential commodities. Violators of the price regulations were severely punished. If any defi