Final answer:
The Delhi Sultans controlled government officials with authoritarian policies such as surveillance and economic controls, while Safavid shahs managed power struggles by strategically displacing influential groups. Both aimed to prevent internal conflicts and maintain authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
Control of Government Officials by Sultans and Shoguns
When assessing the control of government officials by sultans and shoguns, a comparison between the Delhi Sultanate and the Safavid Dynasty showcases distinct approaches. The Delhi Sultanate, particularly during its later period, used authoritative measures to maintain control. This included the establishment of a secret police to keep watch over civilian administrators and military officials, the prohibition of gatherings amongst elites, and official outlawing of alcohol in administrative areas. The state also exercised control over the economy, by confiscating lands from soldiers and war widows, imposing price controls, and levying high taxes to prevent wealth accumulation among the private citizens.
In contrast, the Safavid shahs dealt with power struggles among groups by displacing the Qizilbash from positions of power within the palace administration, military, and bureaucracy due to their collective influence. The Safavid dynasty was wary of any group exerting excessive influence over the government and took measures to curtail such power.
Both systems aimed to prevent internal conflicts and rebellions by closely regulating and sometimes suppressing the powers of potential rivals. However, while the Delhi Sultans applied strict control and surveillance to maintain power, the Safavid shahs strategically managed elite groups to prevent any one faction from becoming too powerful.