Q. “The king was freed from his people and they from their king”. On whose death did Badauni comment thus?
(a) Balban
(b) Ala-ud-din Khalji
(c) Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq
(d) Feroze Shah Tughlaq
Ans: (c) Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq
Explanation: The correct answer is (c) Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
The statement “The king was freed from his people and they from their king” was made by Abdul Qadir Badauni upon the death of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. Abdul Qadir Badauni was a historian and writer who lived during the Mughal period in India.
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was a ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty in the Delhi Sultanate, and his reign was marked by various controversial policies and administrative decisions. He implemented several ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful reforms, such as the transfer of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and the introduction of a token currency. These policies created dissatisfaction among the people, leading to discontent and a loss of faith in the ruler.
Upon Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s death, Abdul Qadir Badauni made the statement to highlight the relief felt by the people upon being freed from the ruler’s ambitious but often problematic policies, while also implying that the king was now free from the challenges and responsibilities of governing the people.