On the basis of this system they remained well-informed about the activities of provincial governors and their staff. As most of the rulers came to power after cunningly defeating or overthrowing their predecessors, thus to prevent such plots, rulers relied on the information given by spies to put down any conspiracy against them.

Balban, in particular, employed spies who reported to him and kept him well-informed about the ongoing events in the state. He even did not spare his son Bughra Khan about whose actions he had become suspicious. So if someone violated his command, it was immediately reported to him and the violator was severely punished for it.

Ala-ud-din Khilji, who became ruler after assassination of his uncle, faced many intrigues against his rule. To make his rule secure, he organised an espionage system to thwart any plot against him. Zia-ud-din Barani writes that the system of spies made the king aware of each and everything about his nobles — what happened, where and what was talked about — everything was reported the next day to the king. The result was that nobles and government officials had no courage to speak a word against him.

As far as punishments were concerned, it was believed that to prevent any plot or rebellions against the rulers, horrible punishment needed to be given to culprits and rebels. For instance, rebels and criminals were executed in public and the body was kept scaffold for days and months to warn and terrorise the people.

Some of the other punishments were to crush a person under the foot of an elephant, to flog and to mutilate the body by cutting hands and feet. Both Ala-ud-dn Khilji and Muhammad Tughlaq were very strict when it came to giving punishments to offenders.

During the reign of Balban, one of the nobles, Tughral, rebelled against him in Bengal. Balban, in spite of his old age, personally went there and crushed the rebellion. He hanged all the rebels, including the leader, in a row. According to Ziauddin Barani, a severe punishment like this was never rendered by any sultan before. Balban then appointed his son as the governor of Bengal and also warned him that in case of a rebellion, he too would meet the same fate.

Ibn Battuta, the North African traveller, reports of Mohammad Tughlaq that every day at least one person was killed on the king's order in front of the royal gate. Relatives and friends had no courage to take away the bodies. Punishment for every crime, whether serious or minor in nature, was severe. He did not care of scholars, ulema, and nobles. Everyday hundreds of people were presented before the king as prisoners bound in chains. Some of them were killed and some were tortured.