Which Sultan of Delhi introduced the practice of Sijda?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Balban

Explanation:

• Ghiyas ud din Balban, a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate (Mamluk dynasty), introduced the Persian customs of Sijda (prostration) and Paibos (kissing the monarch's feet).
• He instituted these practices as normal forms of salutation for the king to assert his divine right to rule and elevate the prestige of the crown.

Information Booster:

• Balban believed in the "Divine Right of Kings" and called himself Zill-i-Ilahi (shadow of God on Earth).
• These customs were highly unpopular among the orthodox Muslims, who believed that prostration should be reserved only for God.

Additional Knowledge:

Kutub-ud-din Aibak (Option a)

• He was the founder of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mamluk dynasty but did not introduce these Persian court customs.

Ala-ud-din Khalji (Option c)

• He was a powerful ruler of the Khalji dynasty known for market reforms and military conquests, not for instituting Sijda.

Muhammad bin Tuglaq (Option d)

• Known for his controversial administrative experiments (like shifting the capital to Daulatabad), he did not originate the practice of Sijda.

None of the above/More than one of the above (Option e)

• Incorrect, as Balban is the specific ruler who introduced it.

So the correct answer is (b)