RAS question
Which Sultan established the 'Diwan-i-Kohi' (Department of Agriculture)?
Correct answer: (A) Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
Muhammad bin Tughlaq established Diwan-i-Kohi as a separate agricultural department to promote cultivation.
Explanation
Diwan-i-Kohi is linked specifically to Muhammad bin Tughlaq: ForumIAS question page citing Tamil Nadu NCERT states that he created this separate agricultural department. It aimed to promote agriculture through taccavi loans to farmers, bringing new land under cultivation, and experiments with crop rotation. That made the policy more than a routine revenue measure; it was an administrative attempt to push agricultural production through state support. Sultans also used irrigation facilities, takkavi loans, and encouragement of superior crops to raise output, but Muhammad bin Tughlaq was the ruler who created Diwan-i-Kohi.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Sikandar Lodi did not create Diwan-i-Kohi; Muhammad bin Tughlaq created it as a separate agricultural department.
- (C) Alauddin Khilji may appear in Sultanate history, but Muhammad bin Tughlaq, not Alauddin Khilji, founded this agriculture department.
- (D) Firoz Shah Tughlaq is linked with agricultural efforts such as horticulture, but Muhammad bin Tughlaq created Diwan-i-Kohi.
Concept
Delhi Sultanate administration included agrarian measures such as departments and loans that shaped cultivation. RAS medieval administration questions often hinge on matching a policy or institution to the correct sultan.