Refer to the passage. "Beder [Delhi] is the chief town of Mahomedan Hindostan [Muslim-controlled India]; the city is large, and contains a great many people.

The sultan (of Beder) is a little man, twenty years old, in the power of the nobles. Khorassanians [Central Asians] rule the country and serve in war. There is a Khorassanian Boyar [Central Asian prince], Melik-Tuchar, who keeps an army of 200,000 men; Melik Khan keeps 100,000; Kharat Khan, 20,000, and many are the khans that keep 10,000 armed men.

The sultan goes out with 300,000 men of his own troops.

The land is overstocked with people; but those in the country are very miserable, whilst the nobles are extremely opulent and delight in luxury.”

Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin, describing the Delhi sultanate in the 1400s

The Delhi sultanate imposed which of the following forms of government?

Elite oligarchy
Centralized rule
Feudal vassalage
Absolute monarchy