Consider the following statements regarding the administration and revenue reforms of the Delhi Sultanate under Alauddin Khalji: 1. He maximized state revenue by fixing land tax at fifty percent of the produce, demanding payment strictly in cash rather than grain. 2. He introduced price controls across multiple commodities through dedicated markets monitored by inspectors called Barids and Munhiyas. 3. He completely abolished all traditional intermediaries such as Khuts, Muqaddams, and Chaudhuris, compelling them to pay taxes on an equal footing with ordinary cultivators. Which of the statements given above are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Alauddin Khalji enacted aggressive agrarian reforms that brought land revenue up to half of the total yield, demanding payment in grain for state granaries and cash for specific urban markets. Intelligence agents designated as Barids and secret reporters known as Munhiyas kept him informed regarding market infractions and merchants attempting price evasion. The hereditary village headmen, Khuts, Muqaddams, and Chaudhuris, who previously enjoyed tax exemptions, were forced to pay land revenue and grazing taxes like everyone else. These measures aimed to maintain a massive standing army without overburdening imperial finances.