Page:History of India Vol 3.djvu/148

 116 ALA -AD -DIN KHALJI new palace-fortress of Siri, and set to work at prepara- tions for repelling attack. He repaired and added to the forts of Delhi, constructed siege-engines, stone- slings, and mangonels, and collected arms and stores. Strong garrisons were placed at Samana and Dipalpur, which had become the Moslem outposts on the threat- ened northwest frontier (for the Mongols still practi- cally held the Pan jab), and tried generals were set in command of all the posts on the Mongol track. The main difficulty was how to increase the army and maintain it in efficient order, well-mounted, well- armed, well-trained, and well supplied with archers. The pay of the soldier was fixed at 234 tankas (nearly 24), with an addition of 78 tankas (8) for those who contributed two horses. In order to enable the soldier to live on this pay, support his family, and furnish himself with horses and arms, the Sultan ven- tured upon experiments in political economy. He re- solved to keep down the cost of necessaries, and enacted that thenceforth there should be a fixed price for food. The principal items were thus fixed in the new tariff: Wheat, 7% jitals (nearly 3d) per man (about a quarter, 28 Ibs.); barley, l%d; rice, 2d; pulse, 2d; lentils, Id. This scale of prices was maintained as long as Ala- ad-din lived. As a matter of fact it may be taken to represent the average open market price in country towns, and the Sultan's measures were evidently in- tended to counteract the tendency to inflated prices at the metropolis caused by an inadequate supply of provisions.