Muhammad-Bin-Tughlaq (MBT) ascended the throne of Delhi Sultanate in c. 1325 AD. His 26 years long reign enjoyed a great significance in the history of Turko-Afghan rule in India. After ascending the throne of Delhi Sultanate, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq undertook number of reforms, innovations and military expeditions. MBT also undertook taxation reforms in Doab region and also started the projects like Modern Agriculture farms.
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Taxation on Doab Region (c. 1322 – 33 AD)
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq undertook revenue reforms in Doab region; the land lies between the River Ganga and River Yamuna. He tried to increase the income of the state by enhancing the rate of land revenue in Doab region and by imposing new taxes in this region. But there is no definite information about the increase in the extent of taxes in Doab region. According to Ziauddin Barani, the taxes were increased by 10 to 20 times.
According to Yahya-Bin-Ahmad Sarhindi, the author of Tarid-Mubarak-Shahi, the taxes were increased by 20 times. Along with that Ghari and Charai taxes were imposed by him. According to Abdul Qadir Badabini, the author of Mutakhab-ut-Tawarikh, the rates was doubled by Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. According to modern Historians, the rate of land revenue was increased by 50% of their produce. The taxes like Ghari and Charai were imposed on peasants.
The burden of these taxes was no high as they portrayed because such taxes also imposed by Sultan Alauddin Khilji. But the burden of taxes was increased enormously during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq because of use of Wafa-i-Farmani (state decreed yield) and Nirkh-i-Farmani (state decreed prices). The peasants would have to pay taxes but at the same time a severe drought was struck Doan region as a result of that crops got destroy.
Thus, peasants were not in the position of paying taxes at new rates but they very agreed to paid to old rates which was denied by officials. Hence, the peasants were fled to forests leaving their villages abandoned. The agriculture in the Doab region got ruin and peoples suffered immensely. But sultan became aware about these challenges, he ordered remission of these land revenue and other taxes.
Sondhar Loan was given to peasants so that they could purchase seeds, implements and animals and could dig their wells. Thus, it took many years to back to normalcy in the Doab region.
Modern Agriculture Farm
Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq undertook the project of modern agriculture farm after the failure of taxation in Doab region. Now he tried to increase the income of state through these modern agriculture farms, in c. 1337-38 AD. To achieve this objective a new department, named as Diwan-i-Amirkohi was established. An area of 100*100 kms was selected to increase cultivation by bringing more land under the plough.
This project was failed because the land was chosen for the implementation of this project was completely barren. The basic idea was to bring uncultivated fertile land under the plough but the official appointed to implement the project, selected the wrong peace of land. Another reason for the failure of this project was that people used the provided amount for their personal usage. And the time period of three year was very short time-period for the success of such a project.
Hence, Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq took progressive steps but the problem was in their implementation machinery. That’s why these projects become failures.
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