Analyze the financial and administrative reforms introduced by Ala-ud-din Khalji: 1. He introduced the practice of branding horses (dagh) and maintaining descriptive rolls of soldiers (chehra) to check corruption in the military. 2. He permitted peasants to sell their surplus grain freely in the open market without any price ceilings or government intervention.

💡 Solution & Explanation

The first statement is correct as Ala-ud-din Khalji instituted dagh and chehra to prevent substitution of horses and fraudulent recruitment in the army. The second statement is incorrect because he strictly regulated agricultural markets, fixed grain prices, and prohibited open-market profiteering to maintain a large standing army on modest salaries. These price controls were enforced by rigorous inspection officials known as naib-i-mandi and barids.