Concept of Authority in Muslim Political Thought of Medieval India A Comparative Study of Zia-ud-Din Barani and Abul Fazal

Muslim political thought in India during the medieval period presents a rich source of ideas and principles that shaped governance in India. The Delhi Sultanate, established in the early 13th century, was the first of the major Muslim states in India that set foundational models in administration, law, and intercultural and inter-religious relations. The Mughal Empire, which succeeded the Delhi Sultanate in the 16th century, was marked by a more advanced and sophisticated administration, depicting strong Persian influences and also having an impact on Islamic political ideals. The main elements of Muslim political thought during this era included the concept of a divine right to rule. Whether the rulers expressed themselves as caliphs or not or whether they allied themselves with the Muslim Caliphate at that time is an interesting matter to be looked at. The principles adopted by both the Sultans and Mughals to justify their rule in India with multiple religions and multiple ethnicities within Muslims all struggling for influence and power in the court and the king’s attempt to establish his authority makes this a valuable study having something to learn for the current political order and governance. The article adopts a comparative approach and takes Zia-ud-Din Barani from the Sultanate period and Abul Fazal from the Mughal Empire and attempts to explore their ideas about political authority. It looks into the questions of how and why political authority has been justified by these two political thinkers and what role they assign to the masses and common people in the establishment of that authority.