What was ‘Dar-ul-Shafa’ established Feruz Tguhlaq?

The correct answer is B) A free hospital. Firuz Shah Tughlaq (r. 1351-1388) set up the Dar-ul-Shafa in Delhi as a public hospital where the sick were treated and medicines were provided without charge. Medieval chroniclers such as Ziauddin Barani, whose Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi is a key source for this reign, record it as part of his welfare measures.

• A) An alms house: Wrong. Charity for the poor is a different institution. Dar-ul-Shafa's function was medical care, not relief of destitution.
• C) A library: Wrong. Firuz's building activity included madrasas and public works, but Dar-ul-Shafa was not a library.
• D) A guest house for pilgrims: Wrong. Rest houses for travellers were a separate category and do not match the medical purpose recorded for this institution.

Core concept: state-sponsored public welfare under the Delhi Sultanate. Firuz's canals, hospitals and employment-linked projects are often cited to show a welfare-minded medieval state, a useful point for Mains answers on the nature of medieval governance.

Trap: Candidates confuse Dar-ul-Shafa with an alms house because both were charitable. Remember that Dar-ul-Shafa means house of healing.