Q. Who was the first sultan to set up a permanent standing army of Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: Alauddin Khilji
Notes: Alauddin Khilji established a permanent standing army in the Delhi Sultanate, introduced horse branding (Dagh) and biometric records (Chehra), implemented regular army musters, and organized a spy network. He reformed the revenue system for army funding and controlled market prices for provisions. His military innovations included war elephants and fort construction.