THE 13tH AND l4tH CENTURIES 37 was, it must be remembered, strong just where modern systems are weak, for he could rely on an elaborate organi- sation of spies, and there was no sentimental objection in the way of effective punishment. The question of practicability is, however, mainly a matter of extent. No attempt was made to keep down prices throughout the kingdom; effort was limited to Delhi, where the standing army was concentrated; and the regula- tions extended only to a region sufficiently large to ensure the isolation of the Delhi market. Isolation was favoured by the circumstances of the time. To the North lay the submontane forests, to the South the disturbed and un- productive country of Mewat. The city depended for its ordinary supplies on the River-Country to the East, and on the productive parts of the Punjab to the West; the cost of transport was necessarily high in the case of bulky produce; the industry was specialised in the hands of the professional merchants?; and, given effective control of these, the isolation of the market could be completely effected. The point which specially concerns us in these regulations is the supply of agricultural produce. The whole revenue due from the River Country, and half the revenue due from Delhi, was ordered to be paid in kind, and the grain so collected was brought to the city, and stored for issue as required; while peasants and country traders were com- pelled to sell their surplus at fixed prices to the controlled merchants, with heavy penalties for holding up stocks. I think 1t is quite clear that this rule involved a change in practice, or, in other words, that, in this part of the country, collections had been ordinarily made in cash, and not in produce. during the thirteenth century. Taking all the L There are definite indications that the system was perfected by degrees. At the outset (p. 304), the King wished to avoid severe punish- ments, but the shopkeepers would not abandon their practice of giving short weight (p. 318), until at last a rule was made that, on detection, the deficiency should be cut from the seller's person; and (p. 319) the fear of this punishment proved sufficient to put a stop to fraud. ® Barni calls the professional merchants karavaniyan: they may safely be identified with the banjaras of later times. The merchants were com- pelled to deposit their wives and children as security for their conduct, and these pledges were settled near Delhi under the control of an overseer p. 306)