Consider the following statements regarding the Delhi Sultanate administration: 1. Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji introduced market regulation measures and price controls monitored by an officer called Shahna-i-Mandi. 2. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq successfully introduced token currency made of copper and brass which functioned smoothly for decades. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Statement 1 is correct because Ala-ud-din Khilji instituted stringent market controls and price stabilization policies enforced through officials like Shahna-i-Mandi to maintain a large standing army economically. Statement 2 is incorrect because Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency experiment failed miserably due to widespread forgery of copper coins and lack of royal monopoly over minting, forcing him to withdraw the currency in exchange for silver. Sultanate economic experiments deeply impacted agrarian and urban life.