RAS question
Alauddin Khalji's market control system included the 'Shahana-i-Mandi'. What was this position?
Correct answer: (C) Market superintendent.
Shahana-i-Mandi was the market superintendent or controller appointed under Alauddin Khalji's market-control system to regulate prices in Delhi's markets.
Explanation
Alauddin Khalji's market reforms depended on direct state supervision of trade and prices. Delhi had separate markets for grain, cloth and other commodities, horses, cattle and slaves, and miscellaneous goods, with each market placed under a high officer called Shahna-i-Mandi. That is why the position is best understood as a market superintendent or controller, not as a revenue, judicial, or intelligence post. The officer's role fits the wider system: prices were fixed, merchants were registered under the market department, and violations of the Sultan's orders attracted punishment. In the MCQ, the key clue is the word mandi, because the office belonged to the market-regulation machinery created by Alauddin Khalji.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A revenue collector belonged to revenue administration, while Shahana-i-Mandi is identified with Alauddin Khalji's market reforms and control of markets.
- (B) Chief justice refers to the judicial side of administration, whereas Shahana-i-Mandi was tied to market supervision, not adjudication.
- (D) A chief spy would belong to the intelligence system; the market-reform section identifies Shahana-i-Mandi as the officer controlling each market.
Concept
This tests the administrative vocabulary of the Delhi Sultanate, especially Alauddin Khalji's market reforms. RAS repeats such terms because they connect medieval institutions with their exact functions, not just ruler chronology.