Which of the following Sultans had greatest number of slaves in his court?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

45th BPSC Prelims (Held in 2002) Official paper

Answer 1

The correct answer is Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

Key Points

Balban (1266-1287 CE)	He belongs to the Mamluk dynasty. He was the 9th Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. He started 'Sijda' and 'Paibos'. The Persian model of kingship influenced him. He took the title of Zil-i-Illahi.
Alauddin Khilji (1296-1316 CE)	First Sultan to have a permanent army at the Centre. Alauddin constructed a new garrison town named Siri for his soldiers. Alauddin Khilji reversed the policy of tolerance towards the nobles. He started a levy of Gharai and Charai tax on home and animal husbandry.
Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (1324-1351 CE)	Attempt to shift the capital from Delhi to Devagiri. He introduced token currency in 1329 AD. He started the expedition of Khurasan (1332-1333AD). Increased rate of Khara (land tax) up to 50 percent.
Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 CE)	Conciliatory policy towards the nobles and theologians. Reintroduced the system of hereditary appointments to offices, a practice not favored by Ala-ud-din Khalji. Increased salaries of government officials. Established a separate government department to ensure the welfare of slaves (Diwan-i-Bandagan). Hence, Feroz Shah Tughlaq is the correct answer. He favored orthodox Islam. Imposed jizya, a head tax on non-Muslims, even Brahmins were compelled to pay.