Sijda and paibos
Also called: Sijdah, Paibos · Topic: Turkic Invasions and the Delhi Sultanate · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Sijda and paibos were Persian court customs that Sultan Balban of the Mamluk dynasty made compulsory in the 13th century. Sijda meant lying face-down on the floor before the sultan. Paibos meant kissing his feet. Balban wanted to show that the king stood far above the nobles and to break the pride of powerful nobles. This fits his idea that the king was God's shadow on earth.
Example
At Balban's court in Delhi, every noble who came before the sultan had to do sijda and paibos. These customs showed that even the greatest noble was only a servant of the throne.
Don't confuse with
- Iqta: a grant of land revenue (the right to collect taxes from an area) given to nobles. It was a way to run the state, not a court ceremony.
Related concepts
- Delhi Sultanate
- Mamluk dynasty
- Iltutmish
- Turkan-i-Chahalgani
- Sultan Ghari
- Raziya Sultan
- Ghiyasuddin Balban
- Theory of kingship of Balban
- Sayyid dynasty
- Lodi dynasty