Delhi Sultanate History

Delhi Sultanate

• The Delhi Sultanate had five dynasties between 1206 and 1526: Slave, Khalji, Tughluq, Sayyid, and Lodi.
• Delhi was possibly built by the Tomaras around 736 and grew into a significant administrative center in North India.

Slave or Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290)

• Qutb-ud-din Aibak, a former slave of Muhammad Ghori, founded the Slave or Mamluk dynasty.
• Qutb-ud-din Aibak was a generous ruler and a great builder who constructed India's oldest mosque, the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Delhi, and began the construction of the Qutb Minar.
• Iltutmish, Qutb-ud-din Aibak's son-in-law, stabilized the Delhi Sultanate, crushed his rivals, and won over others with land grants.
• Iltutmish refused shelter to the ruler of Iran, who had been ousted by the Mongol chief Chenghiz Khan, saving India from a Mongol attack.
• Iltutmish introduced an efficient system for collecting land revenue and reorganized the currency of the Sultanate.

Ala-ud-din's Policies and Contributions

• Ala-ud-din was the first Delhi sultan to maintain a well-equipped standing army, paid his soldiers in cash, and supplied them with imported horses of good breed.
• Ala-ud-din had land reassessed, fixed new rates of revenue, and stored surplus grains in granaries to meet natural crises like famines and floods.
• He fixed the prices of all items of daily use, standardized weights and measures, and punished cheating severely.

Tughluq Dynasty (1320-1412)

• The Tughluq dynasty was started by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq in 1320.
• Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq was a just and efficient ruler who suppressed revolts and repelled a Mongol invasion.
• Muhammad-bin-Tughluq (1325-1351) had received education in literature, religion, and philosophy, and composed verses in Persian and Arabic.
• He laid stress on merit and raised people of humble origins to high positions.
• Muhammad-bin-Tughluq's experiment with token currency failed, causing a heavy loss to the treasury and leading to revolts and the breakaway of provinces.
• Firoz Tughluq (1351-1388) succeeded Muhammad-bin-Tughluq and inherited an empty treasury.
• Firoz made the posts and land rights of civil and army officials hereditary, imposed the jiziya tax on non-Muslims, and promoted agriculture by ordering the digging of wells and the construction of irrigation canals.

Firoz's Reforms

• Firoz wrote off a number of loans, abolished certain taxes, and reduced the rates of land revenue.
• He promoted commerce by removing taxes on the movement of goods and improved the condition of artisans by establishing karkhanas (workshops).
• Free medical care was given to the poor.
• Firoz built many towns, such as Jaunpur and Firozpur, with hospitals, libraries, mosques, and palaces.

Timur's Invasion

• Timur Lang, the ruler of Samarkand, invaded India in 1398 and occupied some territories in the north-west.
• He faced resistance from the people of Delhi, whom he massacred on his orders.
• Timur plundered many cities and carried away enormous wealth, taking skilled artisans to work on monuments in Samarkand.

Decline of the Tughluqs and Rise of the Sayyid Dynasty

• The Tughluq dynasty declined after Timur's invasion and ended in 1412.
• In 1414, Khizr Khan, an Afghan chief, occupied Delhi and established the Sayyid dynasty, which lasted till 1451.

Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)

• The Lodis were Afghan tribesmen who had entered India during Muhammad-bin-Tughluq's reign.
• In 1451, Bahlul Lodi founded the Lodi dynasty, extending Lodi rule from Punjab to the western borders of Bihar.

Learn about the Delhi Sultanate's five dynasties, from Slave to Lodi, and their significance in North India's administrative center. Discover the founders and their contributions.