3

THE DELHI SULTANS

d
e
h

n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta

became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi as
its capital? That was because Delhi became an
important city only in the twelfth century.

Map 1
Selected Sultanate
cities of Delhi,
thirteenth-fourteenth
centuries.

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Take a look at Table 1. Delhi first became the capital

of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer. It
was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi
became an important commercial centre. Many rich Jaina
merchants lived in the city and constructed several
temples. Coins minted here, called
dehliwal, had a wide circulation.
The transformation of Delhi into
a capital that controlled vast areas
of the subcontinent started with
the foundation of the Delhi
Sultanate in the beginning of the
thirteenth century. Take a look at
Table 1 again and identify the five
dynasties that together made the
Delhi Sultanate.

o
n
OUR PASTS

II

The Delhi Sultans built many

cities in the area that we now
know as Delhi. Look at Map 1
and locate Dehli-i Kuhna, Siri
and Jahanpanah.
30

The rulers of Delhi

Table 1

RAJPUT DYNASTIES
Tomaras

early twelfth century - 1165

Ananga Pala

1130 -1145

Chauhans

1165 -1192

Prithviraj Chauhan

1175 -1192

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

EARLY TURKISH RULERS 1206-1290

Qutbuddin Aybak

1206 -1210

Shamsuddin Iltutmish

1210 -1236

Raziyya

1236 -1240

Ghiyasuddin Balban

1266 -1287

Iltutmishs tomb

KHALJI DYNASTY

1290 - 1320

Jalaluddin Khalji

1290 - 1296

Alauddin Khalji

1296 -1316

TUGHLUQ DYNASTY 1320 - 1414

o
n

Alai Darwaza

Ghiyasuddin Tughluq

1320 -1324

Muhammad Tughluq

1324 -1351

Firuz Shah Tughluq

1351 -1388

SAYYID DYNASTY

1414 - 1451

Khizr Khan

1414 -1421

LODI DYNASTY

1451 - 1526

Bahlul Lodi

1451 -1489
Firuz Shah Tughluqs tomb

31

THE DELHI SULTANS

Finding out about the Delhi Sultans

Although inscriptions, coins and architecture provide
a lot of information, especially valuable are histories,
tarikh (singular) / tawarikh (plural), written in Persian,
the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans.
2

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Fig.1
Four stages in the
preparation of a
manuscript.
1. Preparing the paper.
2. Writing the text.
3. Melting gold to
highlight important
words and passages.
4. Preparing the
binding.

The authors of tawarikh were learned men:

secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers, who
both recounted events and advised rulers on
governance, emphasising the importance of just rule.

o
n

Do you think the

circle of justice is
an appropriate
term to describe
the relationship
between the king
and his subjects?
OUR PASTS

II

The Circle of Justice

Fakhr-i Mudabbir wrote in the thirteenth century:

A king cannot survive without soldiers. And soldiers cannot

live without salaries. Salaries come from the revenue collected
from peasants. But peasants can pay revenue only when they
are prosperous and happy. This happens when the king
promotes justice and honest governance.
32

Keep the following additional details in mind: (1) the

authors of tawarikh lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and
hardly ever in villages. (2) They often wrote their histories
for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards. (3) These authors
advised rulers on the need to preserve an ideal social
order based on birthright and gender distinctions
distinctions.
Their ideas were not shared by everybody.
In 1236 Sultan Iltutmishs daughter, Raziyya,
became Sultan. The chronicler of the age, Minhaj-i Siraj,
recognised that she was more able and qualified than
all her brothers. But he was not comfortable at having
a queen as ruler. Nor were the nobles happy at her
attempts to rule independently. She was removed from
the throne in 1240.

Birthright
Privileges claimed
on account of
birth. For example,
people believed
that nobles
inherited their
rights to govern,
because they
were born in
certain families.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
?
o
t
t

What Minhaj-i Siraj thought about Raziyya

Gender
distinctions
Social and biological
differences between
women and men.
Usually, these
differences are used
to argue that men
are superior to
women.

Minhaj-i Siraj thought that the queens rule went against

the ideal social order created by God, in which women
were supposed to be subordinate to men. He therefore
asked: In the register of Gods creation, since her account
did not fall under the column of men, how did she gain
from all of her excellent qualities?

On her inscriptions and coins Raziyya mentioned that

she was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish. This was in
contrast to the queen Rudramadevi (1262-1289), of the
Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, part of modern Andhra
Pradesh. Rudramadevi changed her name on her
inscriptions and pretended she was a man. Another
queen, Didda, ruled in Kashmir (980-1003). Her title is
interesting: it comes from didi or elder sister, an
obviously affectionate term given to a loved ruler by
her subjects.

o
n

33

Express Minhajs
ideas in your own
words. Do you
think Raziyya
shared these
ideas? Why do
you think it was so
difficult for a
woman to be a
ruler?

THE DELHI SULTANS

From garrison town to empire

The expansion of the Delhi Sultanate
Map 2
Major cities captured
by Shamsuddin
Iltutmish.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Hinterland
The lands
adjacent to a city
or port that supply
it with goods and
services.
Garrison town
A fortified
settlement, with
soldiers.

o
n

OUR PASTS

II

In the early thirteenth century the control of the Delhi

Sultans rarely went beyond heavily fortified towns
occupied by garrisons. The Sultans seldom controlled
the hinterland of the cities and were therefore
dependent upon trade, tribute or plunder for supplies.
Controlling garrison towns in distant Bengal and
Sind from Delhi was extremely difficult. Rebellion, war,
even bad weather could snap fragile communication
routes. The state was also challenged by Mongol
invasions from Afghanistan and by governors who
rebelled at any sign of the Sultans weakness. The
Sultanate barely survived these challenges. Its
expansion occurred during the reigns of Ghiyasuddin
Balban, Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq.
The first set of campaigns along the internal frontier
of the Sultanate aimed at consolidating the hinterlands
of the garrison towns. During these campaigns forests
were cleared in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and huntergatherers and pastoralists expelled from their habitat.
34

These lands were given to peasants and agriculture was

encouraged. New fortresses and towns were established
to protect trade routes and to promote regional trade.
The second expansion occurred along the external
frontier of the Sultanate. Military expeditions into
southern India started during the reign of Alauddin
Khalji (see Map 3) and culminated with Muhammad
Tughluq. In their campaigns, Sultanate armies
captured elephants, horses and slaves and carried away
precious metals.
By the end of Muhammad Tughluqs reign, 150 years
after somewhat humble beginnings, the armies of the
Delhi Sultanate had marched across a large part of the
subcontinent. They had defeated rival armies and seized
cities. The Sultanate collected taxes from the peasantry
and dispensed justice in its realm. But how complete
and effective was its control over such a vast territory?

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Map 3
Alauddin Khaljis
campaign into
South India.

o
n

35

THE DELHI SULTANS

Fig. 2
Quwwat al-Islam
mosque and minaret
built during the last
decade of the twelfth
century. This was the
congregational mosque
of the first city built by
the Delhi Sultans,
described in the
chronicles as Dehli-i
kuhna (the old city).
The mosque was
enlarged by Iltutmish
and Alauddin Khalji.
The minar was built by
three Sultans
Qutbuddin Aybak,
Iltutmish and Firuz
Shah Tughluq.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t
The Masjid

Fig. 3
Begumpuri mosque,
built in the reign of
Muhammad Tughluq,
was the main mosque
of Jahanpanah, the
Sanctuary of the
World, his new capital
in Delhi. See Map 1.

A mosque is called a masjid in Arabic, literally a

place where a Muslim prostrates in reverence to
Allah. In a congregational mosque (masjid-i jami or
jama masjid) Muslims read their prayers (namaz)
together. Members of the congregation choose the
most respected, learned male as their leader (imam)
for the rituals of prayer. He also delivers the sermon
(khutba) during the Friday prayer.
During prayer, Muslims stand facing Mecca. In
India this is to the west. This is called the qibla.

o
n

OUR PASTS

II

36

The Delhi Sultans built several

mosques in cities all over
the subcontinent. These
demonstrated their
claims to be protectors
of Islam and Muslims.
Mosques also helped
to create the sense of a
community of believers

Fig. 4
Moth ki Masjid, built
in the reign of
Sikandar Lodi by his
minister.

who shared a belief

system and a code of
conduct. It was
necessary to reinforce
this idea of a
community because
Muslims came from a
variety of
backgrounds.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Fig. 5
Mosque of Jamali
Kamali, built in the
late 1520s.

? Compare Figures 2,3,4 and 5. What similarities and differences do

you note amongst the mosques? The mosques in Figures 3, 4 and 5
show an evolution in architectural tradition that culminates in Shah
Jahans mosque in Delhi (see fig 7 in Chapter 5).

A closer look: Administration and

Consolidation under the Khaljis and
Tughluqs

o
n

The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as the Delhi

Sultanate needed reliable governors and
administrators. Rather than appointing aristocrats and
landed chieftains as governors, the early Delhi Sultans,
especially Iltutmish, favoured their special slaves
purchased for military service, called bandagan in
Persian. They were carefully trained to man some of
the most important political offices in the kingdom.
Since they were totally dependent upon their master,
the Sultan could trust and rely upon them.
37

THE DELHI SULTANS

Slaves rather than sons

The Sultans were advised: A slave, whom one has
brought up and promoted, must be looked after for it
needs a whole lifetime and good luck to find a worthy
and experienced slave. Wise men have said that a worthy
and experienced slave is better than a son

Can you think of any reason why a slave would be

better than a son?

d
e
h

The Khaljis and Tughluqs continued to use

bandagan and also raised people of humble birth, who
were often their clients, to high political positions. They
were appointed as generals and governors. However,
this also introduced an element of political instability.

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

A client is
someone who is
under the
protection of
another, a
dependent or
hanger-on.

Slaves and clients were loyal to their masters and

patrons, but not to their heirs. New Sultans had their
own servants. As a result the accession of a new
monarch often saw conflict between the old and the
new nobility. The patronage of these humble people by
the Delhi Sultans also shocked many elites and the
authors of Persian tawarikh criticised the Delhi Sultans
for appointing the low and base-born to high offices.

Officials of Sultan Muhammad Tughluq

o
n

Sultan Muhammad Tughluq appointed Aziz Khummar,

a wine distiller, Firuz Hajjam, a barber, Mank a Tabbakh,
a cook, and two gardeners, Ladha and Pira, to
high administrative posts. Ziyauddin Barani, a midfourteenth-century-chronicler, reported their
appointments as a sign of the Sultans loss of political
judgement and his incapacity to rule.

?
OUR PASTS

II

38

Why do you think Barani criticised the Sultan?

Like the earlier Sultans, the Khalji and Tughluq

monarchs appointed military commanders as
governors of territories of varying sizes. These lands
were called iqta and their holder was called iqtadar or
muqti. The duty of the muqtis was to lead military
campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas.
In exchange for their military services, the muqtis
collected the revenues of their assignments as salary.
They also paid their soldiers from these revenues.
Control over muqtis was most effective if their office
was not inheritable and if they were assigned iqtas for
a short period of time before being shifted. These harsh
conditions of service were rigorously imposed during
the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad
Tughluq. Accountants were appointed by the state to
check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis.
Care was taken that the muqti collected only the taxes
prescribed by the state and that he kept the required
number of soldiers.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

As the Delhi Sultans brought the hinterland of the

cities under their control, they forced the landed
chieftains the samanta aristocrats and rich
landlords to accept their authority. Under Alauddin
Khalji the state brought the assessment and collection
of land revenue under its own control. The rights of
the local chieftains to levy taxes were cancelled and
they were also forced to pay taxes. The Sultans
administrators measured the land and kept careful
accounts. Some of the old chieftains and landlords
served the Sultanate as revenue collectors and
assessors. There were three types of taxes (1) on
cultivation called kharaj and amounting to about 50
per cent of the peasants produce, (2) on cattle and
(3) on houses.

o
n

It is important to remember that large parts of the

subcontinent remained outside the control of the Delhi
Sultans. It was difficult to control distant provinces
like Bengal from Delhi and soon after annexing
southern India, the entire region became independent.
Even in the Gangetic plain there were forested areas
39

THE DELHI SULTANS

that Sultanate forces could not penetrate. Local

chieftains established their rule in these regions.
Sometimes rulers like Alauddin Khalji and
Muhammad Tughluq could force their control in these
areas but only for a short duration.

Chieftains and their fortifications

Ibn Battuta, a fourteenth-century traveller from Morocco,
Africa, explained that chieftains sometimes fortified
themselves in mountains, in rocky, uneven and rugged
places as well as in bamboo groves. In India the bamboo
is not hollow; it is big. Its several parts are so intertwined
that even fire cannot affect them, and they are on the
whole very strong. The chieftains live in these forests
which serve them as ramparts, inside which are their
cattle and their crops. There is also water for them within,
that is, rain water which collects there. Hence they cannot
be subdued except by powerful armies, who entering
these forests, cut down the bamboos with specially
prepared instruments.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
? N
e
er
b
o
t
t

Describe the ways in which the chieftains arranged

for their defence.

o
n
OUR PASTS

II

The Mongols under Genghis Khan invaded

Transoxiana in north-east Iran in 1219 and the Delhi
Sultanate faced their onslaught soon after. Mongol
attacks on the Delhi Sultanate increased during the
reign of Alauddin Khalji and in the early years of
Muhammad Tughluqs rule. This forced the two rulers
to mobilise a large standing army in Delhi which posed
a huge administrative challenge. Let us see how the
two Sultans dealt with this.

40

Alauddin Khalji

Muhammad Tughluq

Delhi was attacked twice, in

1299/1300 and 1302-03.
As a defensive measure,
Alauddin Khalji raised a large
standing army.

The Sultanate was attacked in the early years of

Muhammad Tughluqs reign. The Mongol army was
defeated. Muhammad Tughluq was confident about
the strength of his army and his resources to plan an
attack on Transoxiana. He therefore raised a large
standing army.

Alauddin constructed a new

garrison town named Siri for
his soldiers. See Map 1.

Rather than constructing a new garrison town, the

oldest of the four cities of Delhi (Dehli-i Kuhna) was
emptied of its residents and the soldiers garrisoned
there. The residents of the old city were sent to the
new capital of Daulatabad in the south.

d
e
h

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

The soldiers had to be fed

fed. This
was done through the produce
collected as tax from lands
between the Ganga and Yamuna.
Tax was fixed at 50 per cent of
the peasants yield.

Produce from the same area was collected as tax to

feed the army. But to meet the need of the large
number of soldiers the Sultan levied additional taxes.
This coincided with famine in the area.

The soldiers had to be paid

paid.
Alauddin chose to pay his
soldiers salaries in cash rather
than iqtas. The soldiers would
buy their supplies from
merchants in Delhi and it was
thus feared that merchants
would raise their prices. To stop
this, Alauddin controlled the
prices of goods in Delhi. Prices
were carefully surveyed by
officers, and merchants who did
not sell at the prescribed rates
were punished.

Muhammad Tughluq also paid his soldiers cash

salaries. But instead of controlling prices, he used a
token currency, somewhat like present-day paper
currency, but made out of cheap metals, not gold and
silver. People in the fourteenth century did not trust
these coins. They were very smart: they saved their
gold and silver coins and paid all their taxes to the
state with this token currency. This cheap currency
could also be counterfeited easily.

administrative
Alauddins
measures were quite successful
and chroniclers praised his reign
for its cheap prices and efficient
supplies of goods in the market.
He successfully withstood the
threat of Mongol invasions.

Muhammad Tughluqs administrative measures

were a failure. His campaign into Kashmir was a
disaster. He then gave up his plans to invade
Transoxiana and disbanded his large army.
Meanwhile, his administrative measures created
complications. The shifting of people to Daulatabad
was resented. The raising of taxes and famine in the
Ganga-Yamuna belt led to widespread rebellion. And
finally, the token currency had to be recalled.

o
n

41

THE DELHI SULTANS

In this list of Muhammad Tughluqs failures we

sometimes forget that for the first time in the history of the
Sultanate, a Delhi Sultan planned a campaign to capture
Mongol territory. Unlike Alauddins defensive measures,
Muhammad Tughluqs measures were conceived as a
part of a military offensive against the Mongols.

The Sultanate in the fifteenth and

sixteenth centuries

d
e
h

Take a look at Table 1 again. You will notice that after

the Tughluqs, the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties ruled from
Delhi and Agra until 1526. By then, Jaunpur, Bengal,
Malwa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the entire south India
had independent rulers who established flourishing
states and prosperous capitals. This was also the period
which saw the emergence of new ruling groups like the
Afghans and the Rajputs.

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

o
n
OUR PASTS

II

Some of the states established in this period were

small but powerful and extremely well administered.
Sher Shah Sur (1540-1545) started his career as the
manager of a small territory for his uncle in Bihar and
eventually challenged and defeated the Mughal emperor
Humayun (1530-1540, 1555-1556). Sher Shah
captured Delhi and established his own dynasty.
Although the Suri dynasty ruled for only fifteen years
(1540-1555), it introduced an administration that
borrowed elements from Alauddin Khalji and made
them more efficient. Sher Shahs administration became
the model followed by the great emperor Akbar
(1556-1605) when he consolidated the Mughal Empire.

42

The Three Orders, the Peace of God,

Knights and the Crusades
The idea of the Three Orders was first formulated in France in the
early eleventh century. It divided society into three classes: those
who prayed, those who fought, and those who tilled the land. This
division of society into Three Orders was supported by the Church
to consolidate its dominant role in society. This helped the
emergence of a new warrior group called knights.

d
e
h

The Church patronised this group and used them to propagate

their idea of Peace of God. The attempt was to direct warriors
away from conflict amongst themselves and send them instead on
a campaign against the Muslims who had captured the city of
Jerusalem. This led to a series of campaigns called the Crusades.
These campaigns in the service of God and the Church completely
altered the status of knights. Originally, these knights did not belong
to the class of nobles. But by the end of the eleventh century in
France, and a century later in Germany, the humble origins of these
warriors were forgotten. By the twelfth century, nobles also wanted
to be known as knights.

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

Imagine

You are a peasant in Alauddin Khalji s

or Muhammad Tughluqs reign and you
cannot pay the taxes demanded by the
Sultan. What will you do?

Lets recall

o
n

1. Which ruler first established his or her capital at Delhi?

2. What was the language of administration under the
Delhi Sultans?
3. In whose reign did the Sultanate reach its farthest
extent?
4. From which country did Ibn Battuta travel to India?
43

THE DELHI SULTANS

Lets understand
5. According to the Circle of Justice, why was it
important for military commanders to keep the
interests of the peasantry in mind?
6. What is meant by the internal and external frontiers
of the Sultanate?

KEYWORDS

d
e
h

7. What were the steps taken to ensure that muqtis

performed their duties? Why do you think they may
have wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans?

s
T
i
l
R
b
E
u
C
p
e
N
er
b
o
t
t

iqta

8. What was the impact of the Mongol invasions on the

Delhi Sultanate?

tarikh
garrison

Lets discuss

Mongols
gender

9. Do you think the authors of tawarikh would provide

information about the lives of ordinary men and
women?

kharaj

10. Raziyya Sultan was unique in the history of the Delhi

Sultanate. Do you think women leaders are accepted
more readily today?

o
n

11. Why were the Delhi Sultans interested in cutting down

forests? Does deforestation occur for the same reasons
today?

Lets do
12. Find out whether there are any buildings built by the
Delhi Sultans in your area. Are there any other
buildings in your area that were built between the
twelfth and fifteenth centuries? Describe some of these
buildings, and draw sketches of them.

OUR PASTS

II

44