Ala ud din Khilji's military ambitions required a standing and strong army, especially after the Mongol siege of Delhi. Maintaining a large army at regular salaries, however, would be severe drain on the treasury. A system of price controls reduced the salary amount that needed to be paid. Three separate markets were set up in Delhi. The first one for food grains, the second for cloth and items such as ghee, oil and sugar. The third market was horses, cattle, and slaves. Regulations were laid out for the operations of these markets.
[21] He took various steps to control the prices. He exercised supervisions over the market. He fixed the prices of all the commodities from top to bottom. Market officers called shahna were appointed to keep a check on the prices. The defaulters were heavily punished. Land revenue was fixed and the grain was stored in government granaries. These market regulations and stability of prices were the wonders of his age. The soldiers and the civil population were greatly benefitted from these measures due to the low prices of the essential goods
Sultan Alauddin Khilji had introduced a healthy and systematic administrative policy in the Delhi Sultanate rule. His accession to the throne was not a peaceful one. He had to walk through bloodshed series of revolts.
Naturally the main object of administrative policy of Alauddin Khilji was to crush the revolts and consolidate the central authority throughout the kingdom. Alauddin Khilji earnestly wanted to consolidate the authority of the monarch and to create a powerful army to protect it.
During the early years of his rule Alauddin Khilji had to crush down as many as four revolts. Since the invasion of Changiz Khan, the dreaded Mongol chieftain, to India, the Mongols made several invasions to the land and some of them began to settle permanently near Delhi. In due course of time, they acted as the paid soldiers of the Delhi Sultans. While Alauddin attacked Gujarat these new people were in his army. But on their way back to Delhi they revolted against the Sultan on the plea that they were not properly paid. However, on the order of the Sultan they were suppressed.
Next came the revolt of Akat Khan, the nephew of Sultan Alauddin. When the Sultan was proceeding to Ranthambhor he halted for someday at Tilapat to indulge in his favourite pastime of hunting. In one of these hunting expeditions, Akat Khan ordered his troops to attack Alauddin when the Sultan was left all alone and to kill him. Alauddin defended himself bravely till he was saved by his escorts. But Akat Khan believed that the King was killed, returned to the army and announcing his death, attempted to returning safely enter the Sultan’s harem to take its possession. The enraged Sultan ordered Akat Khan to be killed with all his followers. But the rebellion of Akat Khan was soon followed by another one. But this revolt was of a more serious nature. The two sons of the Sultan’s sister, Altair Umar and Mangu Khan revolted at Badaun and Awadh respectively while the Sultan was busy in the siege of Ranthambhor. But they were defeated and imprisoned by the loyal governors of the provinces. A fourth revolt occurred at tire capital city of Delhi where Haji Maula, a disaffected officer, collected a group of ruffians killed Faurardi, the Katwal of Delhi. He then tried to kill Ayar, the Katwal of Sin, but failed in his attempt. He then placed a nominee of his own on the throne of Delhi and tried to capture the ruling power. However, Malik Hadid-ud-din, a loyal officer of the Sultan defeated and killed Haji Maula.
These rebellions occurred one after another within a few years made the Sultan anxious. He was convinced that there was something radically wrong in his system of administration. He found out four causes of these rebellions;
- The inefficiency of his spy system for which the king remained ignorant of the doings of his officers and the people;
- The general practice of consuming wine which indulged the people to prompt fellowship and hatch rebellions and conspiracies;
- The social intercourse and inter marriage among his nobles also gave them the required opportunities to combine against the king; and
- The excess of wealth in the hands of certain nobles and notable chiefs gave them the required time and leisure for idle thoughts and making plans for rebellions.
Alauddin Khilji is known for his administration. To prevent the recurrence of rebellions Sultan Alauddin then decided to uproot the causes and hence introduced four important ordinances, as part of his administration policies:
