Which of the following statements are correct about the model Patrimonial-Bureaucratic Empire?
A. Stephen P. Blake has used it to study the nature of Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire.
B. Its political framework is heavily drawn on Max Weber’s work on the Patrimonial State.
C. Patrimonial domination does not originate in patriarch’s authority over his household.
D. It entails obedience to an office, not a person.
E. To govern successfully, a patrimonial ruler must have at his disposal a body of loyal, disciplined soldiers.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is D

The model of the Patrimonial-Bureaucratic Empire has been developed drawing heavily on Max Weber’s concept of the Patrimonial State (B). It emphasizes that patrimonial domination is based on the ruler’s personal authority, often originating in the patriarch’s control over his household, making statement C incorrect. Obedience is to the ruler as a person, not merely to an office, so statement D is incorrect. Stephen P. Blake did use this model to study Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (A), but the key framework is Weber’s concept. For effective governance, a patrimonial ruler must have loyal, disciplined soldiers (E). Therefore, statements B and E are correct.
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Information Booster:

The Patrimonial-Bureaucratic model explains how pre-modern empires like the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire were organized around the personal authority of rulers. Power was exercised through loyalty and personal relationships, rather than formal bureaucratic institutions alone. Max Weber’s work helps understand how such empires functioned with a blend of patrimonialism (personal rule) and bureaucratic governance.