Q. Consider the following statements with regards to the penal laws implemented under the Delhi Sultanate:

1. The perpetrators were generally punished by confiscation of their property and assets, mutilation or death.
2. The judicial system during the sultanate period was typical of the medieval period and no sultan had made any significant changes to it.
3. Islamic laws were not applied in criminal matters and civil matters.

Which of the above statements are correct?
Answer: Both 1 and 2
Notes: Criminal law was rigorous during the Delhi Sultanate period. Perpetrators were often punished by confiscation of their possessions, physical harm or execution. Islamic laws were not only applied in criminal cases, but also in civil cases. Thus, the judicial system in this era was typical of medieval times, with no significant changes made by any sultan. Justice was reliant largely upon the personality and religious beliefs of the ruler. If a sultan was just, then the system functioned well. If not, justice was just a chore, performed indifferently. Not a single sultan in that era tried to enforce secular justice principles, even when most of their subjects belonged to different faiths.