In the Delhi Sultanate, special slaves purchased and trained for military service were known as:

In the Delhi Sultanate, special slaves who were purchased and carefully trained for military service and for important offices were known as "bandagan" (singular "banda").

About the bandagan:

• NCERT explains that the early Delhi Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special slaves purchased for military service, called bandagan in Persian.
• They were carefully trained to man some of the most important political offices in the kingdom.
• Since they were totally dependent upon their master, the Sultan could trust and rely upon them.
• They were recruited mainly from Central Asia, and many were Turks.
• Many of them rose to very high positions, as generals, governors and even Sultans.

Slave-rulers:

• The first Sultans of Delhi were themselves slaves (or former slaves) of their predecessors; this is why their dynasty is popularly called the "Slave dynasty".
• Historians prefer the term "Mamluk" (meaning "owned"), which refers to slaves trained for military service, or the term "Ilbari", after the Turkish tribe of some of the rulers.
• Muhammad Ghori, Qutbuddin Aibak and Iltutmish all relied heavily on their slaves.

Loyalty and its limits:

• NCERT notes that the slaves were loyal to their masters but not to their heirs.
• New Sultans therefore often brought in their own servants, which caused conflict between the old and the new nobility.
• The Khaljis and the Tughlaqs continued to use bandagan, but also raised people of humble birth, who were their clients, to high positions.

Under Firoz Shah Tughlaq:

• Firoz Shah Tughlaq collected a very large number of slaves (about 1,80,000, according to Afif), and set up a separate department for them.
• Many were trained as craftsmen or employed in the royal workshops.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Iqtadars were holders of revenue assignments.
• ✗Khalisa was the land directly under the Sultan's control.
• ✗Chaudhris were local chiefs or headmen.