To create a reliable, centrally controlled army, Alauddin Khalji shifted military remuneration away from land grants (which created independent nobles) and moved toward cash salaries, which made soldiers directly dependent on state payroll and less likely to form autonomous power bases. ANSWER: (B) Alauddin Khalji
Which Sultan introduced the practice of paying soldiers in cash instead of land grants? (A) Muhammad bin Tughlaq (B) Alauddin Khalji (C) Iltutmish (D) Balban
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Alauddin Khalji implemented fiscal-military reforms designed to professionalise and centralise the armed forces. He reduced reliance on land grants (iqta) as soldier pay and instead instituted cash payments to troops. Cash salaries strengthened the immediate loyalty of soldiers to the Sultan (rather than to local landholders), simplified logistics of troop maintenance and helped sustain a standing army more responsive to central commands. This policy underpinned his ability to field disciplined armies and enforce internal order, aligning military interests closely with state fiscal policy.