Kingship Theory of Balban

Bulban is the only sultan of Delhi who elaborated his views on kingship. He did not miss any opportunity to say something about kingship or the other about the high office of the Sultan and the duties of the ruler. It started when he became the prime minister was Nasiruddin Mahmud. Habibullah says that Mahmud ruled for about 20 years but did not gavern, Balban had gaverned.  

Cause of vigorous expression of Kingship

It cannot be denied that this was necessary in order to elevate the Crown to a high and respected level and to eliminate all possibilities of conflict and opposition to feudalism, but behind these constant precepts lies the complex of its inferiority complex and guilt. We also get a feel of the process.

1.     Regicide's Stigma

Shouting incessantly into the ears of his amirs, most of whom were his companions, that kingship was a divine institution, he aimed to wash off the stigma of tyranny that had been placed on his forehead, and this in their minds. The thought should be well settled that he has ascended the throne by the will of God and not by the poisoned cup or dagger of a murderer.

2.     Legal disqualification due to slavery

Apart from this, it is also important to have no reference in the history of Minhaj or Barani about his liberation from slavery. Probably he was never freed from slavery. Due to this fundamental legal incompetence, he was not entitled to rule over the people and to hide this, he cleverly tried to legitimize his power under the guise of "divine obligation".

 Persian elements of Balban's kingship

Bulban's kingship theory was taken from Persia, where kingship had been elevated to the highest level and its supernatural and divine attributes were publicly accepted so that Sassani only a person of imperialist dynasty could ascend the throne. For his political ideals, he took inspiration from the mythological heroes of Persia and tried to follow them as far as possible. The basic elements of his kingship theory are as follows:

1.     Dignity of Kingship: King is the representative of God on earth

The king is the representative of God on earth 'Niyabat-i-Khudai' and in terms of honor and dignity, he is only after prophethood. The king is the image of God (Jille Allah) and his heart is a storehouse of divine inspiration and revolution. He is constantly inspired and guided by God to fulfill his royal duties. The real meaning of this ideology was that the source of power of the king is not the umrah class or the people but only God, and consequently his actions are not subject to public scrutiny. It was a complex religious device by which he wanted to sanctify his autocratic authority. Pretentious honor, dignity and prestige were made important for kingship. Throughout his reign, Balban always stayed away from the common man and took this perception so far that he did not even like to talk to ordinary people. proud A wealthy Delhi man named Bawani tried to meet the Sultan by bribing the officials of the palace, but the Sultan refused the request of his officers. The importance of elements related to the dignity of kingship had made him an advocate of etiquette. He would never attend the court without his full royal splendor and equipment. Even his personal servants never saw him without a royal dress, socks and a crown.

2.Emphasis on high-born nobility : distance to honor

Balban always stressed on the importance of distinction between the people of high-born and non high-born family. He considered keeping in touch with the members of the elite family or their appointment to any post in the government as bringing down the honor and dignity of the ruler. He removed all the people born in the insignificant family from important posts. He scolded his courtiers a lot for the selection of a new Muslim named Kamal Mahiyar to the post of 'Mutasrif of Amroha'. He is said to have said, 'When I see a person with a frivolous family, every pulse of my body gets excited with anger. Genealogy became a force to be reckoned with. He himself linked his lineage with the mythological Afrasiab mentioned in the Shah Nama of Firdausi and used to say this with great pride and arrogance in his court. In one of his letters Syed ashraf Jahangir Samnani writes that Balban got all his officers and government servants' families investigated. Genealogical experts from all the regions of the country had gathered in Delhi to help them in determining the family status of these people.

3.     Emphasis on Persian customs and tradition : Sanskritization

Balban had a belief that kingship is not possible without following the customs of the Persian lifestyle. In every matter of his private and public life, he followed the customs of Persia very carefully. His sons who were born ' before ' his ascension, he named Mahmud and Muhammad, but his grandsons who were born after the ascension were named Kaiqubad, Kaikhusro like the emperors of Persia.

4.     Recognition of the Caliphate : Religious Device

Often Bulban used to talk about seeking the permission of the Caliph to exercise political power. He knew about the fall of Baghdad and the end of the Caliphate, yet he insisted on the recognition of political power to the Caliph, who was the leader of the political sect of all Muslims. The name of the late caliph was inscribed on his coins and it was read in ' khutba ' of mosques.

 

5.   Balban's court: “Bhaukaal” (show off)

Bulban organized his court according to Iranian tradition and adopted Sassani's etiquette and formality with great care and detail. On his face shining like the sun, which had a white beard like camphor. He sat on his throne like the great Sassanian rulers. A sixteenth-century writer Fijuni Astarabadi says that he had a long beard on his long face and that he wore a very high crown in such a way that it was about a yard in length from the end of his beard to the top of his crown. With this intimidating personality, small elements of court's brilliance and etiquette and formality were associated with 'Hajib', 'Salahdar', 'Janadar', 'Choush' and 'Naqib' etc. Silently around him in a very serious posture. Used to stand sultan He urged all those who had the privilege to appear before him to carry out the tradition of 'zaminbos' (to bow down on one's knees) and ' Paibos ' (feet touching). No jokes or extravagant conversations were possible in his presence; behind the throne sat only a few trusted maliks and confidants. Others stood before him according to their position. The Sultan used to sit in a very serious posture to maintain the prestige of his office. No one has ever seen him laughing or in a normal state. Great personal storms came in his life intensely and unexpectedly. Till the last moments of his life, this freak of court formalities carefully followed the difficult program set for him. During the celebrations, the court appeared to be a place of marvelous grandeur. The embroidered rugs, decorative curtains, colorful clothes, and gold and silver utensils dazzled the sight of the onlookers. The voices of the concierge were to be heard for two Miles. Barani writes that, 'For many days after these ceremonies, people used to talk about the decoration of the court. When ambassadors from abroad used to come to his court, they were speechless and surprised. When the sultan went out in procession, the Sistani soldiers used to accompany him with drawn swords. The radiance of the sun, the gleaming of the swords and the radiance of his face all collectively produced an impressive sight. When the royal procession used to go out, 'Bismillah! Bismillah! ' slogans ripped through the atmosphere. This display of power, power and prestige, which was invariably stored in his head, along with his principle of kingship, made even the most arrogant of the country obedient and created fear and terror in the minds of the common man.

              Practical elements that support Kingship

1.   Reorganization of the Army : Monopoly on the Means of Violence

Bulban learned from political experience that the army was the basic pillar of governance. Therefore its organization was necessary before any other department. The traditions practiced by Iltutmish had slowed down and therefore a complete reorganization of the army was necessary.

1.    Bulban increased the number of the army and the central force of the army 'Qalb-I-Aala'. Has appointed thousands of loyal and experienced officers. Their salary was increased and villages were fixed for them in lieu of their salary.

2.    Salaries of soldiers and keeping them happy and content was an essential part of Bulban's strategic policy. he was given this advice to his son Bugara Khan : Do not overestimate the amount of money to be spent for the army and let your 'Ari ' (military recruiting officer) be busy in arranging old soldiers and recruiting new ones. He should be aware of every expenditure in his department.

3.    To keep the army always alert and agile, he used to insist on repeated military exercises. Every autumn he used to go to Rewari early in the morning on the pretext of hunting and took with him a thousand cavalrymen and a thousand infantrymen and came back very late at night.

2. Administrative Reform : Welfare Remedy from Enlightened Autocracy

Describing the administrative achievements of the Sultan, Barani writes: ' Nature gave the Sultan balban Royal clothes were sewn on his body. When he ascended the throne of Delhi, every state employee was autocratic and the whole administrative system was in disarray. He tightened all its loose parts and made the bureaucracy loyal and obedient to the royal authority. Like most medieval governments in the East and West, Bulban's rule was semi-civilian and paramilitary. This was due to the medieval warfare system because government officials could not function unless they had the capability of civilian and military rule.

1.    He oversaw training and appointments. Due to the present scientific progress, now military training has become a very specialized subject. In the Middle Ages, swordsmanship and writing skills were often taught together. In every sphere of political life, Bulban firmly stopped the divisive tendencies. He believed in central political power. Most of the government appointments were either made by him or with his permission. The fact that a simple appointment at Amroha could have attracted his attention proves that he kept a close watch on the entire bureaucratic system.

2.    He had to send his periodical reports to the provincial governors. A very efficient audit system controlled the economic activities of the governors. Seeing the dire situation in the frontier provinces like Multan and Lakhnauti, he finally appointed his sons as governors in these areas. Bulban did not want to give an opportunity to any feudatory or official to organize his position in some subtle area of the empire and then present to him the difficulty that Tughril had done. If the post of the watchman of the western frontier was the means of state authority, then no person other than his eldest son could be the officer of that area.

3.    Since in order to reduce the power of the Sultan, it was Bulban himself who first called Like the ' Naib-i-Mumlakat', new posts were created, so he took care that too much power should not accumulate in the hands of any officer. He reduced the importance of his position by snatching his military and economic rights from the Wazir. The appointment of Baja Hasan to the post of Wazir gave an indication of his attitude towards the post of Prime Minister and how he expected it to act. After the separation of economic and military rights, the possibility of grabbing power by a state official was completely eliminated.

4.    Bulban realized that an autocratic rule required a loyal intelligence system. His spies always kept him well aware of the happenings in every region of the state. He kept a watchful eye on the activities of his sons, relatives, provincial governors, military officers, government servants and the public and kept on sending their information. He used to appoint 'Barid' (intelligence officer) with great care and wealth. A person was appointed to the post of 'Barid' only after thorough investigation of character, honesty and even lineage. The 'Barids' were recognized by the general public and spies, and their successful system so that the character weakness and mistrust did not arise in the public depended on the cleverness of the Sultan. In this regard, Bulban advised his son that informers and spies should not be allowed near the court, because the rulers become obedient and reliable friends by their proximity and their trust in the ruler which is the basis of good governance. is destroyed.

 

Bulban's political outlook and administrative principles can be glimpsed in the two lectures he gave to his sons and from which Barani has drawn detailed quotations. From these teachings the following principles are known:

1.    Government should make protective laws and protect the interests of the weak from the tyranny of the able-bodied.

2.    Ideal of balanced governance sentence should be neither harshness nor laxity in dealing with the public, neither so much as to make the people poor nor so little that they become disobedient and insolent .

3.    The government should take care that suitable food grains are produced according to the needs of the people.

4.    The orders of the ruler should be strictly enforced and the decisions of the government should not be changed frequently .

5.    There should be proper planning and arrangement of the economic condition of the state. Only half of the annual income should be spent. The remaining half should be kept safe for emergency times.

6.    To keep the traders prosperous and satisfied.

7.    Soldiers' salaries should be paid on time and the army should be kept happy and satisfied.

 

3.    Justice: Sympathy and appreciation of ordinary human beings

He considered justice as the supreme responsibility of the ruler. This was a satisfactory feature of his autocratic rule and as a result he must have won the sympathy and admiration of ordinary people. Whenever he came to know about injustice or atrocities against an ordinary person, he used to get furious with anger and did not hesitate to punish even his officer or relative. Qarabeg's father Malik Bakbak who was the Iqtadar of Badaun and Malik Kiran's father Haibat Khan, who was the Iqtadar of Awadh, was severely punished. Malik Bakbak was killed and Haibat Khan was given 20,000 tanka pay the fine because he had killed his personal domestic servants.

Although Bulban used to do justice in the personal disputes of the people, he did not care the least for the principles of justice and honesty when the matter of a person's dispute with the state was brought up where his personal or his family interests were concerned. In such a situation neither he cared for justice and honesty nor did he behave very unreasonably towards 'Shariat'.

4.    Detective System: Deterrence Power

His 'Barids' (officers of the intelligence department) kept giving him complete information about the works of the officials of different regions of the empire. If a 'Barid' did not convey the news of the autocracy of any local authorities, he was given severe punishment. The 'Barid' of Badaun was killed and his body was displayed on the cross because he had not performed this duty.

5.    Emphasis on implementation of policy : Commitment

Form or implementation of Balban 's kingship theory is clearly visible to us in the revolt of Lakhnauti and its abolition. His servants and governor in Lakhnauti Tugril Khan revolted in the eighth year of his rule (1275 AD). For the suppression of this rebellion, the governor of Awadh, Malik Aitgin Muidraj or Amin Khan was sent. For his failure, he was given the death penalty. Failure to follow the orders of the Sultan literally was considered disobedience. His body was hung at the main gate of Awadh, so that in future, seriousness and complete loyalty to the execution of the orders of the Sultan should be shown. After that, when Bahadur also failed to be appointed, then Balban also considered him suitable for the death penalty, but after his intervention, he was finally exiled from the court. After that, when Tugril himself was eradicated in Bengal with a huge army and son Bugra, then he was not satisfied with the killing of Tugril. He not only got his severed head turned on the tip of a spear in the whole kingdom, but also hung his torso at the main gate of Lakhnauti. Not only this, hanging boards were put up on both sides in the main market of Lakhnauti and the followers, soldiers and supporters of Tughril were publicly executed. According to the description of historian Ziauddin Barani, Balban followed the Bengal policy of Iltutmish, realizing its political and strategic importance (due to the distance of Bengal from Delhi), his son Bughra Khan was appointed the governor there. Not only that, he Addressing Bugra Khan thrice asked whether he had seen this gruesome scene of Lakhnauti, Then explained to him that if he too was instigated to revolt against Delhi by the sly, conspirators, then the same fate would befall him and his allies. Balban made his principle of kingship very clear in this way that, "Kingdom does not know fraternity."

Under these fundamental principles, Balban built a firm and efficient governance system. Gave the people the 'Peace and Justice' they had been waiting for many decades. The Sultan 's history written by Barani makes it clear that while Bulban was harsh and hardworking towards his amirs from whose position he had risen, he was very kind and caring to the common citizen. He displayed fatherly behavior towards the public although he hated the illiterates.

                            

                            Negative side of Kingship

Became a Umrah force, who was a man of the same stature, well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the Turki ruling class. His power depended on the support of this class, but he had to be careful of three things.

(1) Struggle as before between the Crown and the Umrah

(2) The competition between his sons and the Turkic nobles after his death and

(3) Monopoly of power by Turkic Umrah in frontier territories

The policy he adopted for this purpose proved to be very fatal for the larger interests of the Turki ruling class in India.

(1) He mercilessly killed all the members of Iltutmish's family.

(2) He freely used venom and dagger to drive off the capable Turkic nobles who could challenge his successors.

(3) Chihalgani 's party, which he himself was a member, was fatally attacked and by killing its key members ended his collective life, which could be successfully used in times of conflict with non-Turkic elements, despite mutual opposition and animosity.

(4) He killed even his relatives like Sher - Khan only out of jealousy.

Since Bulban was keen to protect his personal interests and that of his dynasty, he chose the Turkey ruler. Didn't care even for the interests of the class. He so mercilessly destroyed capable people in Turkey that when the Khaljis entered the political arena against him as a contender for the throne, he was defeated in utter astonishment. This cannot be done from the fact that the force was responsible for the decline of the Turkic power in India. His organization program undoubtedly assured the stability of the Delhi Sultan and paved the way for his further expansion under the Khaljis, but his policy towards the Turkic feudatories weakened him and shortened his life.