SSC
Under Alauddin Khalji's market regulations, the market for cloth and other costly goods was known as:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ā¾Hide ā“
Answer: Option C ā Sarai-i-Adl
Detailed Solution
Under Alauddin Khalji's market regulations, the market for cloth and other costly goods in Delhi was known as the "Sarai-i-Adl".
About the Sarai-i-Adl:
- The name means "the house (or enclosure) of justice".
- It was located near the Badaun Gate of Delhi.
- It was the market for cloth of all kinds, as well as for sugar, dry fruits, herbs, ghee, oil and other manufactured or imported goods.
- All goods of this kind were to be brought to this market and sold only there, at prices fixed by the state.
- Merchants were registered with the government, and had to sign bonds promising to bring goods regularly to the market.
- Costly cloth could be bought only with a permit, so that it could not be purchased cheaply and resold elsewhere at a higher price.
- The state advanced money to Multani merchants to import goods, so that there would be no shortage.
Why Alauddin controlled the markets:
- He had raised a large standing army to face the Mongol threat, and paid his soldiers in cash.
- To make sure the soldiers could live on their fixed salaries, he fixed the prices of all goods, from grain to horses and slaves.
- Barani gives a detailed description of these market reforms.
The separate markets:
- There were separate markets for food grains, for cloth and costly goods, and for horses, cattle and slaves.
- "Nakhkhas" was the term for a market of horses or slaves.
Measures for enforcement:
- Officials and spies kept a close watch on the markets.
- Shopkeepers who cheated customers or used false weights were severely punished; according to Barani, flesh equal to the short weight was cut from the shopkeeper's body.
- NCERT notes that Alauddin's market measures were effective, and that prices in Delhi remained low during his reign.
After Alauddin:
The market controls ended soon after his death in 1316.
Why not the other options?
- ā"Mandi" was the grain market.
- ā"Ghalla Mandi" is a general term for a grain market.
- ā"Nakhkhas" was the market for horses or slaves.
Quick tip
Remember: Sarai-i-Adl = Alauddin's market for cloth and costly goods (near Badaun Gate; registered merchants; permits); Mandi = grain market; prices fixed to support a cash-paid standing army.
š¬ Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt āŗStill stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students ā answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Delhi Sultanate Questions
View all āŗ- Q1.The Delhi Sultanate was established in the year:
- Q2.The fifth storey of the Qutub Minar was built during the reign of:
- Q3.Which Sultan of Delhi was the first to send military expeditions into South India?
- Q4.Ibn Battuta was appointed as the Qazi (judge) of Delhi by:
- Q5.Muhammad bin Tughlaq transferred his capital from Delhi to:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Delhi Sultanate ā Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Delhi Sultanate, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Delhi Sultanate ruled much of northern India from 1206 to 1526 under five dynasties: the Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi dynasties. This topic covers its rulers, administration, market and revenue reforms, architecture and the foreign invasions of the period. Typical questions cover the founder of each dynasty, Alauddin Khalji's market reforms, Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency and transfer of the capital, and Firoz Shah Tughlaq's public works. The First Battle of Panipat (1526), in which Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, ended the Sultanate. Keep the five dynasties in order with their founders. Practise the Delhi Sultanate questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.