History of Delhi Sultanate

History of Delhi Sultanate

The Background of the Delhi Sultanate

Mohammad Bin Qasim's Invasion (712 AD)

• Mohammad Bin Qasim invaded India in 712 AD and conquered Sindh, which became the province of the Omayyad Khilafat.

First Turk Invasion – Mahmud Ghaznavi's Invasion (1000–1027 AD)

• Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni led about 17 expeditions to India to enrich himself by taking away the wealth from India.

• In 1025, he attacked and raided the most celebrated Hindu temple of Somnath that lies on the coast in the extreme south of Kathiwar. The temple was destroyed in 1026 AD.

• As a reward for his services to Islam, he received the title 'Yamin-al-Dawla' (Right hand of the state) from the Abbasid Caliph. His dynasty thus also comes to be known as the Yamini Dynasty.

Second Turk Invasion – Mohammad Ghori's Invasion (1175–1205 AD)

• Mohammad Ghori invaded India and laid the foundation of the Muslim dominion in India. He may be considered the 'founder of Muslim rule' in India.

Reasons for the Success of Turks in India

1. Rajputas lacked unity and organisation and were divided by rivalries

2. There was no central government

3. The Rajput Kingdoms were small and scattered

4. The Turks were better organised and took advantage of the lack of mutual co-operation among the Rajputas.

The Delhi Sultanate: 1206–1526 AD

Mohammed Ghori's conquests became the nucleus of a new political entity in India—the Delhi Sultanate. This period can be divided into 5 distinct periods, viz..:

• The Slave Dynasty (1206–1290)

• The Khilji Dynasty (1290–1320)

• The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414)

• The Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451)

• The Lodhi Dynasty (1451–1526)

The Slave Dynasty: 1206–1290 AD

Qutubuddin Aibak: 1206–1210

• A Turkish slave by origin, he was purchased by Mohammad Ghor, who later made him his Governor.

• After the death of Ghori, Aibak became the master of Hindustan and founded the Slave Dynasty in 1206. For his generosity, he was given the title of Lakh Bakhsh (giver of Lakhs).

• He died in 1210 while playing Chaugan or Polo.

• He constructed two mosques—Quwat-ul-Islam, Delhi, and AdhaiDin Ka Jhonpra at Ajmer. He also began the construction of Qutub Minar in honour of the famous Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.

• Aibak was a great patron of learning and patronised writers like Hasan-un-Nizami (author of Taj-ul-Massir) and Fakhruddin (author of Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi).

Shamsuddin Iltutmish: 1211–1236

• He was a slave of Qutubuddin Aibak and occupied the throne of Delhi in 1211 after deposing Aram Shah.

• He was a very capable ruler and is regarded as the 'real founder of the Delhi Sultanate'. He made Delhi the capital in place of Lahore.

• He saved the Delhi Sultanate from the wrath of Chengiz Khan, the Mongol leader, by refusing shelter to Jalaluddin Manglbaram (Prince of Khwarizm), whom Chengiz was chasing.

• He introduced the silver coin (tanka) and the copper coin (jital). He organised the iqta System and introduced reforms in civil administration and the army, which was now centrally paid and recruited.

• He set up an official nobility of slaves known as Chahalgani/Chalisa (a group of 40).

• He completed the construction of Qutub Minar, which was started by Aibak.

• He patronised Minhaj-us-Siraj, author of Tabaqat-i-Nasiri.

Ruknuddin: 1236

• He was the son of Iltutmish and was crowned by his mother, Shah Turkan, after the death of Iltutmish.

• He was deposed by Razia, daughter of Iltutmish, when he was out of the capital to curb a rebellion in Avadh against him.

Razia Sultana: 1236–1240

• Though Iltutmish had nominated his daughter Razia as the successor, the nobles placed Ruknuddin Firoz on the throne. However, Razia got rid of Ruknuddin and ascended the throne.

• She was the first and only Muslim lady who ever ruled India.

• She was popular among the people but was not acceptable to the nobles and theologians. She further offended the nobles by her preference for an Abyssinian slave, Yakut.

• Soon after her accession, the governors of Multan, Badaun, Hansi, and Lahore openly revolted against her. There was a serious rebellion in Bhatinda.

• Malik Ikhtiyar-ud-din Altunia, the governor of Bhatinda, refused to accept the suzerainty of Razia Sultan.

However, Altunia got Yakut murdered and imprisoned Razia. Subsequently, Razia married Altunia, and both of them marched towards Delhi.
In 1240 AD, Razia became the victim of a conspiracy and was assassinated near Kaithal (Haryana).

Bahram Shah: 1240–1242

• After Razia, Iltutmish's third son, Bahram Shah, was put on the throne by the powerful Turkish council Chalisa.

• He was considered only as de jure ruler, while Naib-e-Mamlakat (the regent) was the de facto ruler.

• Bahram Shah lost his life after his failed attempt to assert his authority once on the throne.

Masud Shah: 1242–1246

• He was the son of Ruknuddin but was deposed after Balban and Nasiruddin Mahmud's mother, Malika-e-Jahan, conspired against him and established Nasiruddin Mahmud as the new Sultan.

Nasiruddin Mahmud: 1246–1266

• He was the son of Iltutmish and was known as the Darvesi King, as he was very pious and noble. He died in 1266.

Ghiyasuddin Balban: 1266–1287

• Balban ascended the throne in 1266.

• He broke the power of Chalisa and restored the prestige of the crown. That was his greatest contribution towards the stability of the Sultanate.

• To keep himself well-informed, Balban appointed spies.

• He created a strong centralised army to deal with internal disturbances and to check the Mongols, who were posing a danger to the Delhi Sultanate.

• He established the military department, Diwan-i-Arz.

• The Persian court model influenced Balban's conception of Kingship. He took up the title of Zil-i-Ilahi (Shadow of God).

• He introduced Sijda (prostration before the monarch) and Paibos (kissing the feet of the monarch) as the normal forms of salutation.

• He destroyed the Mewati Rajput brigandage in the doab, where forests were cut and forts built.

• In his last days, he overlooked the Sultanate affairs due to the death of his eldest and most loving son, Muhammad, and rebellion by his closest and most loved slave, Tughril.

• Muhammad died fighting the Mongols in 1285, while Tughril was captured and beheaded.

Kaiqubad: 1287–1290

• A grandson of Balban was seated on the throne by Fakruddin, the Kotwal of Delhi, who assumed high political authority during the last days of Balban.

• But Kaiqubad was killed by the Khilji family, which saw the end of the Slave dynasty and the beginning of the Khilji dynasty on the Delhi throne.

Final Thoughts

The Delhi Sultanate marked a transformative era in Indian history, beginning with early invasions and leading to the establishment of a powerful Muslim rule.

The Slave Dynasty laid its foundation, while the Khilji Dynasty expanded its territory and consolidated authority. The Tughlaq Dynasty introduced bold reforms, though not all were successful.

Overall, the administration of the Delhi Sultanate evolved into a centralized structure with an organized military, revenue systems, and a bureaucratic framework. Despite challenges, the Sultanate influenced India’s culture, architecture, and governance, setting the stage for later empires. These dynasties were instrumental in shaping medieval India’s political and administrative legacy.