Khams
Also called: Khums · Topic: Turkic Invasions and the Delhi Sultanate · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Khams (or khums) means "one-fifth". It was the state's share of war booty under Islamic law. The ruler was meant to take one-fifth of the loot, and the other four-fifths went to the soldiers. It matters because the Sultanate depended heavily on plunder to pay for its army.
Example
Ala-ud-din Khilji is reported to have reversed this rule. He kept four-fifths of the booty for the state and left only one-fifth for the soldiers. Later, Firuz Shah Tughlaq (ruled 1351–1388) brought back the lawful share of one-fifth for the state.
Don't confuse with
- Land revenue: this was the tax on farmers' crops. It was also usually one-fifth of the harvest, and some sultans raised it to one-half. Khams was a share of war loot, not of crops.
- Jizya: this was a tax on non-Muslim subjects.