Qazi-ul-Quzat
Also called: Chief Qazi · Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Qazi-ul-Quzat, or chief qazi, was the chief judge of the Mughal empire. He headed the network of qazis, the judges who decided cases under Islamic law in towns and provinces. The post was often held together with that of the Sadr-us-Sudur, the officer in charge of religious matters and grants. This shows how closely justice and religion were linked in Mughal government.
Example
Under Aurangzeb, qazis across the empire decided cases with the help of the Fatawa-i-Alamgiri. This was a collection of Islamic legal rulings put together on his orders.
Don't confuse with
- Sadr-us-Sudur: the Sadr-us-Sudur looked after religious grants, education and the appointment of qazis. The Qazi-ul-Quzat was the top judge. One person sometimes held both posts.