Medieval Indian History — Terms Glossary

78 terms in this section — every one exam-ready for UGC NET History (Code 06).

TermDefinitionPeriod / Context
Altamgha Jagir An inalienable, hereditary land assignment granted directly by Mughal emperors to favored nobles or family lines. Mughal Empire (Jahangir onwards)
Amargana Land allocated to support military detachments or local defensive fortifications under Vijayanagara governance. Vijayanagara Empire
Amilguzar The chief revenue collector at the sarkar (district) level in the Mughal Empire, responsible for assessing and collecting land revenue. Mughal Empire
Ariz-i-Mumalik The minister in charge of the military department (Diwan-i-Arz) under the Delhi Sultanate, managing army muster, arms, and troop pay. Delhi Sultanate
Ashtadiggajas The collective title given to the eight distinguished Telugu poets and scholars who adorned the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya. Vijayanagara Empire
Asthadhan System A council of eight ministers (Ashta Pradhan) instituted by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to oversee Maratha state governance. Maratha Administration
Ayagar System A village administrative organization in the Vijayanagara Empire consisting of 12 hereditary village officials managing local public functions. Vijayanagara Empire
Ba-shara Sufi orders or practitioners who adhered strictly to Islamic canonical law (Sharia). Medieval Religious History
Bait-ul-mal The public treasury in Islamicate polities, including the Delhi Sultanate — the institution through which state revenue was collected and disbursed. Delhi Sultanate & Islamicate polities
Barid An official spy or news-writer stationed across regional headquarters to report local developments directly to the central throne. Delhi Sultanate & Mughals
Batai A land revenue assessment system based on actual crop division between state and cultivator after harvest (Ghalla-Bakshi). Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Be-shara Sufi ascetics, wanderers, or orders who did not bind themselves to traditional Islamic canonical legal codes (Sharia). Medieval Religious History
Bitikchi The chief record keeper and accountant working alongside the Amilguzar at the sarkar level under Mughal administration. Mughal Empire
Chaudhary A hereditary rural village officer responsible for revenue collection from a cluster of villages (Pargana). Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Chauth A tax equal to one-fourth (chauth) of the assessed land revenue, levied by the Marathas on territories outside their direct administration as a form of protection tribute. Maratha Confederacy
Dahsala System A standardized land revenue assessment system instituted by Akbar in 1580 CE, calculating tax rates based on 10-year average yields and prices. Mughal Empire (Akbar)
Dasakuta A branch of the Bhakti movement in Karnataka comprised of householder devotees propagating Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy through Kannada songs. Medieval South India / Bhakti
Diwan-i-Arz The central department of military affairs in the Delhi Sultanate, created by Ghiyas ud din Balban. Delhi Sultanate
Diwan-i-Bandagan The dedicated administrative department for royal slaves created under Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq. Delhi Sultanate (Tughlaq)
Diwan-i-Insha The ministry of royal correspondence, state secretarial archives, and diplomatic communications in the Delhi Sultanate. Delhi Sultanate
Diwan-i-Khairat The charitable endowment department established by Firoz Shah Tughlaq to support orphaned children, widows, and fund weddings. Delhi Sultanate (Tughlaq)
Diwan-i-Kohi The specialized agricultural welfare and development department instituted by Muhammad bin Tughlaq to improve land cultivation. Delhi Sultanate (Tughlaq)
Diwan-i-Mustakhraj The administrative department for liquidating and recovering outstanding revenue arrears, established by Alauddin Khalji. Delhi Sultanate (Khalji)
Diwan-i-Rasalat The imperial ministry handling foreign affairs, diplomatic emissaries, and religious endowments in the Delhi Sultanate. Delhi Sultanate
Du-aspa Sih-aspa A special sub-rank modification within the Sawar rank introduced by Jahangir, requiring a mansabdar to maintain twice as many horses as their sawar rank. Mughal Empire (Jahangir)
Fana The Sufi concept of spiritual annihilation, representing the dissolution of human ego into Divine Reality through intense devotion. Sufism
Faujdar The executive officer and garrison commander at the district (sarkar) level, responsible for policing, law enforcement, and supporting revenue collection. Mughal Empire
Futuh Unsolicited charitable gifts, donations, or offerings given voluntarily to Sufi hospices (khanqahs) by devotees. Sufism
Ghalla-Bakshi A traditional crop-sharing revenue assessment method where harvested grain is directly partitioned between cultivator and state agent. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Iqta A territorial assignment given to a noble or officer (muqti/iqtadar) in the Delhi Sultanate, entitling them to collect its revenue in lieu of a cash salary, in exchange for military/administrative service — a core institution of Sultanate administration. Delhi Sultanate
Iqtadar The holder of an Iqta assignment, responsible for collecting regional revenue, maintaining order, and providing troops to the Sultan. Delhi Sultanate
Jagirdari The Mughal system of assigning revenue rights over specified land tracts (jagirs) to state officers (mansabdars) in lieu of cash salaries. Mughal Empire
Jizya A poll tax levied on non-Muslim protected subjects (dhimmi) in an Islamic state in lieu of military service and protection. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Kankut A land revenue assessment system based on visual inspection and estimated standing crop yield per unit area (Kut). Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Khanqah A Sufi hospice or monastery serving as a residential, spiritual, and communal teaching center for a Sufi master (Pir) and disciples. Medieval Religious History
Kharaj Land revenue tax levied on non-Muslim agricultural lands, typically ranging from one-third to one-half of agricultural produce. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Khud-kasht Resident owner-cultivators who owned land and agricultural implements in their native village, paying taxes directly to the state. Mughal Empire
Khums The state's share (traditionally one-fifth, or 20%) of war booty (Ghanima) seized during military campaigns. Delhi Sultanate
Khut A village headman or agrarian landed authority in the Delhi Sultanate who collected land revenue on behalf of the central state. Delhi Sultanate
Kotwal The chief police officer and municipal magistrate responsible for urban public order, night watches, and market supervision in medieval towns. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Kurnish A Mughal-era court gesture of salutation — placing the back of the right hand on the forehead and bowing — used as a mark of respect at court, one grade below the more elaborate taslim. Mughal Empire
Madad-i-Ma'ash Revenue-free land grants given by Mughal emperors to religious scholars, saints, widows, and pious institutions (Suyurghal). Mughal Empire
Mahanayakangacharya An imperial administrative officer appointed by Vijayanagara rulers to coordinate, inspect, and monitor the affairs of regional Nayakas. Vijayanagara Empire
Mansabdari The Mughal administrative and military ranking system, where every noble (mansabdar) held a numerical rank (mansab) fixing status, salary and military obligation — the backbone of Mughal bureaucratic and military organisation. Mughal Empire
Mansabdari System A military-cum-bureaucratic hierarchy introduced by Akbar, ranking officers via dual numerical grades (Zat and Sawar). Mughal Empire (Akbar)
Munhiyans Secret spies and intelligence agents employed by Alauddin Khalji to monitor prices and prevent hoarding in grain markets (Mandi). Delhi Sultanate (Khalji)
Muqaddam The chief village executive or headman responsible for local land administration and tax collection at the primary rural level. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Muqti An imperial officer assigned governance and revenue collection rights over an Iqta territory in the Delhi Sultanate. Delhi Sultanate
Nasaq A quick land revenue assessment procedure based on rough estimation or historical revenue records rather than fresh annual field measurements. Mughal Empire
Nayankara System The military-feudal organization of the Vijayanagara Empire where territorial units were granted to commanders (Nayakas) for military services. Vijayanagara Empire
Nirguna A strand of Bhakti devotionalism centered on worshipping the Supreme Reality as formless, attribute-less, and unembodied (e.g., Kabir, Nanak). Medieval Religious History
Pahi-kasht Non-resident itinerant peasants who cultivated land in villages other than their home village on a contractual tenancy basis. Mughal Empire
Paibaqi Reserved lands or unassigned revenue territories set aside for distribution as jagirs to Mughal officers. Mughal Empire
Poligar Regional military chieftains or territorial palaiyakkarars in South India holding fortified estates (Palayams) under Vijayanagara and successor states. Vijayanagara & Post-Vijayanagara
Potdar The treasurer or cash keeper at the local pargana level responsible for testing coin purity and managing agrarian funds. Mughal Empire
Pushtimarga The "Path of Grace," a Vaishnava devotional school founded by Vallabhacharya focusing on selfless devotion to Krishna. Bhakti Movement
Qazi An Islamic judge responsible for administering civil and criminal justice in accordance with Islamic legal jurisprudence (Sharia). Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Sadr-us-Sudur The chief ecclesiastical authority and minister of religious endowments, alms, and judicial patronage in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Saguna A strand of Bhakti devotionalism that worships God with anthropomorphic forms, personified attributes, and divine incarnations (e.g., Tulsidas, Surdas). Medieval Religious History
Sama A Sufi musical gathering or spiritual concert designed to induce ecstatic devotion and spiritual trance among listeners. Sufism
Sardeshmukhi An additional levy of about one-tenth of the revenue, claimed by the Marathas (originally by right of the Sardeshmukh, a hereditary revenue-collection office) on top of chauth. Maratha Confederacy
Shahna-i-Mandi An official inspector and superintendent appointed by Alauddin Khalji to regulate pricing, enforcement, and conduct in grain markets (Mandi). Delhi Sultanate (Khalji)
Silsila A Sufi order or spiritual lineage tracing its continuous chain of master-disciple transmissions back to the Prophet Muhammad. Sufism
Sondhar Agricultural loans advanced by the state to rural cultivators during droughts, crop failures, or land reclamation projects. Delhi Sultanate (Tughlaq)
Suyurghal Hereditary, tax-exempt land grants bestowed upon scholars, religious leaders, and charitable institutions by Mughal rulers (Madad-i-Ma'ash). Mughal Empire
Tankha Jagir Land revenue assignments granted to Mughal mansabdars in lieu of cash salaries, subject to periodic transfer every few years. Mughal Empire
Taqavi Emergency agrarian development loans distributed by Mughal and Sultanate administrations to assist peasants with seeds, oxen, and wells. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Tarafdar The provincial governor or military warden overseeing a territorial province (Taraff) in the Bahmani Sultanate. Bahmani Sultanate
Turkan-i-Chahalgani The "Forty" — a group of powerful Turkic slave-nobles under Iltutmish and his early successors in the Delhi Sultanate, central to the court politics of the early 13th century. Delhi Sultanate (Early 13th century)
Vachanas Rhythmic, devotional Kannada prose poems composed by Virashaiva saints (e.g., Basavanna, Allama Prabhu) criticizing caste and ritualism. Medieval South India / Lingayat
Warkari A non-ritualistic, egalitarian devotional movement in Maharashtra centered on the pilgrimage to Pandharpur in honor of Lord Vithoba. Medieval Maharashtra / Bhakti
Watan Jagir Non-transferable, hereditary land revenue assignments retained by regional chiefs (such as Rajput rulers) within their ancestral estates. Mughal Empire
Wilayat The spiritual jurisdiction, territory, or domain over which a Sufi master (Sheikh) exercised spiritual authority. Sufism
Zabt System The land assessment method where land was physically measured (Jarib) and fixed cash revenue rates applied based on crop yields. Mughal Empire (Akbar)
Zakat A mandatory religious tax (2.5%) levied annually on the accumulated wealth and assets of Muslim citizens for charitable causes. Sultanate & Mughal Periods
Zamindar A broad term for landed rural elites possessing hereditary rights to collect revenue from agrarian lands under Mughal sovereign oversight. Mughal Empire
Zawabit Secular state regulations, imperial decrees, or administrative laws issued by Sultans or Mughal emperors to supplement Islamic law (Sharia). Delhi Sultanate & Mughals
Ziyarat The practice of pilgrimage to the tombs (Dargahs) of Sufi saints to seek spiritual blessings (Barakat) and intercession. Sufism

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