Ala-ud-din Khilji introduced a new market regulation to provide essential commodities at reasonable rates to raise resources for the army. He declared all the land in the area from Lahore to Kara (near Allahabad) as Khalisa land and raised the land revenue to one-half of the gross production in Khalisa. He imposed two customary taxes: Grazing (charai) and House tax (ghari). He adopted the principle of land measurement for determining land revenue. Ala-ud-din sought to fix the cost of all the commodities. For this purpose, he set up four markets at Delhi. One market was for foodgrains, the second was for costly items and third was for horses, slaves and cattles and fourth market for merchandise. Each market was under the control of a high officer called Shahna (or controller of market), who maintained a register of the merchants and strictly controlled the shopkeepers and the prices.
The check on market was kept by two other officers the Diwan-i-Riyasat and Shahna-i-Mandi. Malik Kabool was appointed as the Shahna-i-Mandi, whereas Najir Yakub was appointed the Diwan-i-Riyasat. All goods for sale were brought to an open market called the Sara i-Adl (market for clothes). Very strict punishments were prescribed for cheating and under-weighing. Shahna-i-Mandi was appointed to keep a strict observation. The Sultan received daily reports for the markets from three independent sources Shahna (controller of market), Barids (intelligence officers) and Munshis (secret spies). Ala-ud-din ordered that all land was to be measured and then the share of state was to be fixed. The post of special officer called Mustakharaj was created for the collection of revenue.
The peasants had to pay half the produce as land revenue. The booty captured during war was called ghanima, of which the state was to receive 1/5th share called Khums, the rest 4/5th was to be divided among the soldiers. Ala-ud-din reversed this and the state was now entitled to 4/5th as Khums, 1/5th being distributed among the soldiers.
QUTB-UD-DIN MUBARAK SHAH KHILJI (1316-20 AD)
Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah Khilji was the third and last ruler of the Khilji dynasty. He was the son and successor of Ala-ud-din Khilji at the age of 18. He was originally appointed protector to his 6 year old younger brother, who was the king. Within two months Qutb-ud-din blinded his brother and ascended the throne. He started his rule by releasing all taxes and penalties imposed by his father. He launched an expedition to Devagiri and annexed it to the Delhi Sultanate. He was the only Delhi Sultan to call himself the Caliph. Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah was the weakest ruler of the dynasty. He was murdered by Khusro Khan.
THE FALL OF THE KHILJIS
The Khilji Sultan, Khusro Khan (1320) was killed by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (or Ghazi Malik) Governor of Dipalpur, when he tried to oppose the rebellion by Ghazi Malik. This marked the end of the Khilji dynasty and the rise of Tughlaq dynasty, at the throne of Delhi.