Open In App

The System Of ‘Dagh’ And ‘Huliya’

Improve
Improve
Like Article
Like
Save
Share
Report

Delhi, currently the heart of the Indian subcontinent and its capital, was once ruled by many different dynasties. From the years 1206 to 1209, the Slave dynasty ruled the current capital. Then came the famous Khilji Dynasty which ruled Delhi for a brief amount of 30 years, from the year 1209 to 1320. This was followed by the Tughlaq Dynasty, Sayyid Dynasty, and Lodi Dynasty from 1320 to 1414, 1414 to 1451, and 1451 to 1526, respectively.

In the Khilji Dynasty, even though rulers ruled for only thirty years still, Alauddin Khilji is considered the most dangerous and longest-running emperor.  Alauddin Khilji ruled for 20 years, from 1296 to 1316. Alauddin Khilji’s army was not only well paid but also well equipped. He understood the importance of his army and how his army could be his biggest strength; hence the majority of the reforms he introduced were to aid his army in terms of maintenance and satisfaction of his army men. 

Army of Alauddin Khilji:

Alauddin Khilji is known as one of the most powerful rulers of the Khilji Dynasty. In 1296 AD, he occupied the throne by succeeding Firoz Khilji. He conquered southern India, making him the first Delhi Sultan to achieve that. Southern India was attacked by Alauddin Khilji under the Commander’s duties of Malik Kafur. The gems of his army, Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan, captured Gujarat and Ranthambore. He captured Malwa, Chittor, Jalore, Dhar, Chanderi, Mandu, Ujjain, Marwar, and others.

Alauddin Khilji believed in a satisfied army where the army men were well paid and looked after. Alauddin Khilji had a well-equipped standing army with around 475,000 cavalrymen. This gave him the power to invade different regions and successfully maintain his empire. He also was a frequent attacker of the Mongols and developed a very efficient spy system. He had a master plan for creating a good revenue system where the taxes were collected from the nobles to fill the pockets of his kingdom to maintain their assets. Alauddin Khilji also had a good market and pricing system where prices for all commodities were fixed and strict regulations were maintained. This, in turn, helped the dynasty create a good army from the money made.

Dagh System:

Alauddin Khilji introduced the Dagh system, where the horses were branded for war. There were special training sessions held for these horses to make them elite horses for the war. He was very particular about his army and recognized their importance and the strength they would provide in his reign. Hence, most of his reforms. Corruption was a reason for which the Dagh system was introduced.

Huliya System:

The word huliya means the looks of a person. Alauddin Khilji understood the importance of the unique identification system of his soldiers. Hence, he introduced the huliya System where a descriptive list of soldiers was maintained to keep a track of Alauddin Khilji’s army. The Royal Clerk would record the description of the soldiers to avoid deploying substitute soldiers or soldiers from the enemy clan. 

Conclusion:

Alauddin Khilji, also known as Ali Gurshasp, was a leader who brought numerous reforms during his reign. He realized the importance of his army and how the army of an emperor is the biggest strength and brought in major reforms to support his people. Market reforms and taxation system were some schemes that were employed upon noticing the loopholes in his armies like corruption involving army animals and soldier substitution. Alauddin Khilji introduced the Dagh system to brand his horses and the huliya System to maintain records of his soldier’s physical descriptions. He was truly a leader of innovation.


Last Updated : 13 Sep, 2022
Like Article
Save Article
Previous
Next
Share your thoughts in the comments
Similar Reads