Padmavati, with Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles, showcases the love story of Rajput king Ratan Singh and his wife. Fringe group Karni Sena though alleges that the film distorts Rajput history.
While widespread protests across the country, including by Karni Sena, has seen the producers of the film deferring the release date indefinitely, it might be pertinent to revisit the books of history to explore the reasons beyond cinematic portrayal for Khilji to remembered today.
The nephew and son-in-law of Jalaluddin Khilji, the founder of the Khilji dynasty, Alauddin Khilji (1296-1316) is credited with bringing several reforms and regulating markets to control the prices of essential food items. He is said to be the first ruler to address the problem of price control in a systematic manner to maintain stable prices for a decade.
Here are a few of Khilji’s economic and market reforms that not many of us know about:
1. Agri market regulation: Khilji regulated agricultural market in the area extending from Dipalpur and Lahore to Kara near modern-day Allahabad. All the land in between was brought under Khalisa and the land revenue was fixed at half the production value and measurement of the land. No extra duties were levied. Khilji’s agrarian reforms are said to have brought villages close to the government (Delhi sultanate), and created a more integrated relationship between the town and the country. In today’s modern system, the government procures food items from farmers, mainly from villages, and distributes among citizens for food security.
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