Question

Fawazil in the Sultanate period meant ______.
A. Extra payment made to the nobles
B. Revenue assigned in lieu of salary
C. Excess amount paid to the exchequer by the iqtadars
D. Illegal exactions extracted from the peasants

Answer 1

Hint: The Sultanate period in India reigned from the 1206 A.D to 1526 A.D. During this, five dynasties ruled in Delhi over a period of three hundred years. Fawazil is a term used to refer to the excess amount that iqtadars sent to the centre after meeting the expenses of self and the army. This was done to maintain the balance between the income and the expenditures.

Complete answer:
Let us discuss each option individually in detail to figure out the correct answer.
Extra payment made to the nobles: Fawazil was not the extra amount that was paid to the nobles. Therefore, this is not the correct option.
Revenue assigned in lieu of salary: Fawazil was not referred to the revenue in lieu of salary. Therefore, this is not the correct option.
Excess amount paid to the exchequer by the iqtadars: Fawazil was referred to the Excess amount paid to the exchequer by the iqtadars. Therefore, this is the correct option.
Illegal exactions extracted from the peasants: This is not what the term “fawazil” referred to. Therefore, this is not the correct option.

Hence the correct answer is option (C).

Note: Iqta means a sort of administrative regional unit, it is an arabic word. It is usually considered equivalent to a province. Initially the Delhi Sultans had divided their empire into several provinces that were called ‘Iqtas’ and put them under the charge of officers, who were called ‘Iqtadars’ meaning governors.