It was customary that every new ruler promoted his loyal nobles by assigning them key posts. Nearly all rulers favoured their favourite slaves and, after promoting them to higher ranks of nobility, appointed them as governors of provinces and commanders in the army, especially, during the Slave dynasty (1206-1290). Iltutmish and his forty slaves were a reflection of this policy.

Besides this, there was a class of nobility comprising prominent families whose members had served past rulers and had a respectable status in society. It was the policy of the Slave dynasty to award high posts to those with Turk ethnicity. Other ethnic groups were excluded from the power hierarchy and termed as 'low caste' and were not trusted by the rulers. When Razia Sultan (1236-1240) appointed Malik Yaqut, a non-Turk, to a high post, the Turkish-dominated nobility expressed its displeasure over this act and, subsequently, rebelled against her.

Ziauddin Barani, the author of Tarikh-i-Firuzshahi has written about Balban's racist attitude that he could not bear a 'low caste', 'impure' or a commoner at a high post. Balban declared that he could never favour people of low status, let alone assign them high posts, and could not even tolerate their physical presence in the royal court. He had also declared that he was not ready to change his mind even if they were talented and competent.

In 1290, when Jalauddin Khilji ended the rule of the Slave dynasty, the domination of the Turkish nobility came to an end and other ethnic groups got the opportunity to compete for higher posts. On this basis, Muhammad Habib, a historian, calls it the 'Khilji revolution' because it had overturned the whole structure of the state. There were different categories of nobility during the Sultanate period.

One among them was known as the 'ancient nobility'. They traced their ancestry from the time of Qutbuddin Aibak. The second category was of the 'slave nobility', who achieved this status as a result of their talent. The third group was of foreigners and the fourth being of those with Indian origins.

Nobility was a privileged class, they had wealth and landed property. They displayed their status by holding feasts and organising processions. For example, it was said that Malik al Umara, Fakhruddin Kotwal gave away his dress after only wearing it once. The nobles were famous for their patronage of poets, musicians, dancers, ulema and Sufi saints. It was also a tradition that rulers used to bestow titles in appreciation of services to people. Some of the highest titles were Khan-i-Khanan, Khan-i-Jahan, Khan-i-Alam, Khan-i-Dauran, Khan-i-Azam and Khan-i-Muazzam. The Hindu nobility was awarded the titles of Rai and Rao.