Question

Difficulty: MediumMedieval Indian Dynasties, Administration, and Regional Kingdoms

Match the medieval Indian administrative officials in List-I with their primary administrative functions and duties in List-II.

  • Sadr-us-SudurIn charge of religious endowments, ecclesiastical grants, and royal charity
  • MuhtasibEnforcer of public morality, ethics, and inspector of market weights and measures
  • Sumant (Dabir)Minister handling foreign affairs and diplomatic relations in the Maratha administration
  • Barid-i-MamalikHead of the state intelligence, espionage network, and postal news reporting system

Answer

Sadr-us-Sudur matches with religious endowments and royal charity; Muhtasib matches with public morality enforcement and market inspection; Sumant (Dabir) matches with foreign affairs in Maratha administration; Barid-i-Mamalik matches with state intelligence and postal reporting system.
Each official is accurately paired with their designated portfolio: Sadr-us-Sudur oversaw religious grants and ecclesiastical charity; Muhtasib enforced moral codes and market standards; Sumant managed diplomatic relations in the Maratha state; and Barid-i-Mamalik directed state intelligence gathering and news dispatches.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary role of Sadr-us-Sudur
Sadr-us-Sudur managed religious, judicial charity, and state grants for learned individuals and institutions.
This officer was the chief judge (Qazi-ul-Quzat) and minister of religious affairs in medieval Indo-Islamic administration.
2
Determine the duties of the Muhtasib
Muhtasib supervised public moral conduct, prevented commercial fraud, and checked weights and measures.
The role originated as a municipal censor and market supervisor during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal period.
3
Analyze the portfolio of Sumant (Dabir) in Maratha Ashtapradhan
Sumant served as the foreign minister handling external affairs and royal diplomacy.
Chhatrapati Shivaji created the Ashtapradhan council with specific assigned portfolios for governance.
4
Verify the jurisdiction of Barid-i-Mamalik
Barid-i-Mamalik supervised the state intelligence service and official news dispatchers.
Rulers like Ghiyasuddin Balban and Alauddin Khalji strengthened Diwan-i-Barid to maintain strict control over provincial officers.

Key Concept

Central and Regional Administrative Portfolios in Medieval India
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