Delhi Sultanate

Mamluk or Slave Dynasty (1206 to 1290)

1. Qutub-ud-din Aibak
• Md. Ghori died in 1206 after which Qutub-
d-din Aibak became the Sultan of Delhi
• He was known as Lakh Baksh
• He patronised great scholars like Hasan
Nizami who wrote books like Tajul Maasir
(Crown of Exploits). It deals with Qutub-
ud-din-Aibak's history
• He started construction of Qutub Minar in
memory of Sufi saint Khwaja Qutubuddin
Bhaktiyar Kaki. The construction was
completed by Iltutmish.
• He built Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi
(Triumph of Islam). This mosque was built
from stones of 36 Jain and Hindu temples
• He also built a mosque named Adhai din ka
jhopda in Ajmer
• He died while playing Chaugan (horse polo)
in 1210

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 Delhi Sultanate
Mamluk or Slave Dynasty
2. Iltutmish
• He received mansur (letter of recognition)
from Abassid Caliphate.
• He introduce silver coins (known as Tanka
and copper coins (known as Jital)
• He gave patronage to scholars like Minhaj-
ul-siraj (Author of famous book Tabaqquat-
i-Nasiri)
• He is also known as father of Tomb Building
in India. He built Sultan Garhi in Delhi.
• He had an army of 40 powerful military
leaders (known as Chalisa or Chihalgani)
• When Khwarism was attacked by Mongols,
its ruler Jalauddin Mangbarni seeked help
from Iltutmish but he refused to help him.
This is the reason why Chengez Khan did
not invade India.
• 2 Important Officers:
a. Wazir (Deputy or Prime Minister)
b. Ariz-i-Mamalik (Defence Minister)

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 Delhi Sultanate
Mamluk or Slave Dynasty
2. Iltutmish
• 2 Important Systems:
a. Naquib (Audit System)
b. Iqta (Revenue Assignment)
• Shaikh-ul-Islam was the highest religious
position in his court. This position was
conferred to Suhrawardi Sufi Saint
Bahauddin Zakaria
• Iltutmish divided his empire into Iqtas:
a. Iqtas were assignment in lieu of
salary
b. Every Iqtadar has to maintain law and
order and collect revenue.
c. After deducting salary and expenses
of Iqtadar, the surplus revenue was
sent to the Central Government.
d. Iqtas were transferable property.
• He followed Policy of Aloofness with
Mongols.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Mamluk or Slave Dynasty
3. Raziya Sultana
• She introduced African Slaves from
Abyssinia (Ethiopia). One such slave was
Yakut.
• She followed the Policy of Appeasement
with Mongols.

4. Ghiyasuddin Balban or Ulugh Khan

• He abolished the post of Naib (Chief
Secretary)
• He followed the Policy of Blood and Iron.
• He introduced Nauraz (Iranian Festival) in
India.
• He called himself Zil-i-Ilahi means 'Shadow
of God on Earth'
• He introduced court etiquettes:
a. Paibos: Kissing the feet of the king
b. Sijda: Prostration in a court of law
• The longest serving historian of Delhi
Sultanate, Barani was present in his court.
He wrote books like Fatwa-i-Jahandari and
Tarikh-i-Ferozshahi

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 Delhi Sultanate
Mamluk or Slave Dynasty
4. Ghiyasuddin Balban or Ulugh Khan
• Administration:
a. Diwan-i-Wizarat: PM
b. Diwan-i-insha: Correspondence
c. Diwan-i-ariz: Defence
d. Diwan-i-risalat: External Affairs
e. Sadar-us-Sudur: Education and
Religion
f. Qazi-ul-Quzat: Chief Justice
• Palam Baoli Well Inscription
a. This inscription is commissioned at
Baoli well at Pala, Delhi
b. It was written in Sanskrit by Pandit
Yogeshwara
c. In this inscription, Balban is referred
to as the 11th re-incarnation of
Vishnu.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Khalji Dynasty (1290 to 1320)
1. Jalauddin Khalji
• He appointed Alauddin Khalji as the
Governor of Kara
• According to Barani, he believed in the
policy of 'not harming even an ant'

2. Alauddin Khalji
• He patronised poets like Amir Khusrau and
Amir Hassan.
• He built a famous gateway known as Alai
Darwaza
• Capital at Siri.
• He introduced 4 important Ordinances:
a. He confiscated the property of nobles
b. Intelligence system was re-organised
and all the secret activities of nobles
were immediately reported to Sultan
c. Public sale of liquor and drugs were
totally stopped.
d. Social Gathering and festivities
without the permission of Sultan were
forbidden.
• Mongols sent their army 6 times during
Alauddin Khalji's rule.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Khalji Dynasty (1290 to 1320)
2. Alauddin Khalji
• Reforms:
a. Revocation of all grants to Inam,
Waquif, etc.
b. Creation of network of spies
c. Wine Drinking was forbidden
d. Nobles were forbidden to associate
with each other. Even for marriage
alliances, they had to seek the
permission of Sultan.
• Military Reforms:
a. He introduced the system of dagh
(branding of horses) and huliya
(description of face of soldiers)
b. He paid salaries in cash as Iqta
system was abolished.
c. Ariz-i-Mumalik: Officer in charge of
appointment of soldiers.
• Agrarian Reforms:
a. Taxes: Kharaj, Jazia, Karai-Gharia-
Charain
b. 50% Land Revenue Tax : Highest in
the entire history of India.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Khalji Dynasty (1290 to 1320)
2. Alauddin Khalji
• Conquests and Territorial Expansion
a. Areas not far from Delhi. Ex-
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Malwa
b. Modern Maharashtra and Deccan.
These areas were not under the
direct control of Sultan
c. During Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq's reign,
the control over Deccan was made
centralised.
• Market Reforms:
a. Alauddin set up 3 markets at Delhi:
i. Food Market
ii. Cloth Market or Sarai-i-Adl
iii. Market for horses, cattle and
slaves
iv. Intermediary Commodities
b. Food Market:
i. Focussed on supply, transportation
and distribution of foodgrains.
ii. Officer in charge: Shuhna-i-Mandi
iii. Transportation of foodgrains was
done by Karwanas or Banjaras.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Khalji Dynasty (1290 to 1320)
2. Alauddin Khalji
• Some Important Terminologies:
a. Mutsarrif: Accountants
b. Amils: Collectors
c. Gumasthas: Agents
d. Barids: Intelligence Officer
e. Munhiyan: Secret Spies or Espionage
f. Zawabit: Detailed regulations to
control and administer 3 markets.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 to 1413)
1. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
• Founder of Tughlaq Dnasty
• He built Tughlaqabad city

2. Mohammad Bin Tughlaq

• He adopted the policy of annexation and
took Deccan area under his direct control.
• 4 Blunders:
a. He transferred capital to Devagiri
(Daulatabad)
b. His Expeditions in North-West like
Qarachi Campaign and Ambitious
project of Khurasan. This led to huge
financial losses
c. He introduced Token currency. Copper
coins were issued at par with the
value of Silver coins.
d. Taxation in Doab region leading to
famine situation for 7 years (1332 to
1342)

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 Delhi Sultanate
Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 to 1413)
2. Mohammad Bin Tughlaq
• He gave Takkavi loans or Sandhar Loans to
farmers
• Separate Department for Agriculture:
Diwan-i-Kohi
• During his time, Ibn Batuta (from Morocco)
visited India. He wrote a book by the name
Rihla (Social and Cultural life). Md Bin
Tughlaq appointed him as the qazi of Delhi.

3. Feroz Shah Tughlaq

• He revived Iqta system and made it
hereditary.
• He followed the advice of Ulemmas. He did
not believe in Secularism
• Sharb: Irrigation Tax
• Diwan-i-Khairat or Yatimkhana: To take
care of orphans and widows
• Dar-ul-shifa: Hospitals
• Book: Tarikh-i-Ferozshahi (Written by
Barani and Shams-i-Siraj Afif)

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 Delhi Sultanate
Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 to 1413)
3. Feroz Shah Tughlaq
• He introduced a new valuation Jama for
land revenue.
• He abolished all taxes not sanctioned by
shara (Abwabs)
• He built a canal by the name: Hissar Firuza

1398 ----> Timur invaded India and ransacked

entire Delhi

Sayyid Dynasty (1414 to 1451)

• Founder: Khizr Khan
• Last Ruler: Alauddin Shah (He left his throne
voluntarily for Bahlul Lodhi)

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 Delhi Sultanate
Lodhi Dynasty (1451 to 1526)
1. Bahlul Lodhi
• He started Jirza tradition
• He annexed Jaunpur (Sharqui Dynasty). Its
founder was Malik Sarwar.

2. Sikandar Lodhi
• He shifted capital to Agra
• He introduced new measurement of land:
Gazz-i-sikandari
• He destroyed many Hindu temples. He was
anti-Hindu just like Feroz Shah Tughlaq.

3. Ibrahim Lodhi
• He was the only sultan to die in a battle
field
• He died in 1st Battle of Panipat with Babur
in 1526. In this battle, Gun powder was
used in India for the very first time.

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 Delhi Sultanate
Local Administration
• Iqta Land: Land assigned to officials as Iqtas
• Khalisa Land: Land under the direct control of
Sultans
• Inam Land: Land assigned or granted to
religious leader or religious institutions.
• Muqtis or Walis: Governor of Provinces
• Patwari: Village Accountant
• Provinces were divided into
a. Shiqs (District) (Headed by Shiqdar)
b. Pargana (Group of Village) (Headed by
Amils)
c. Village (Headed by Muqaddam or Chaudhari)

Taxes
• Kharaj: Tax on Land (Usually 10% of produce)
• Zakat: Wealth Tax (On the basis of flocks,
herds, gold, silver, etc. a person has)
• Khams: It represents one-fifth of the booty
acquired in war or mine or treasure trove to
be handed over to the state

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 Delhi Sultanate
Some Important Miscellaneous Terms:
1. Diwani-i-Risalat: Religious Affairs
2. Diwan-i-Insha: Correspondence
3. Diwan-i-Wizarat: PM Office
4. Diwan-i-Ariz: Military Department
5. Qazi: Head of Judicial Department
6. Amir-i-Akhur: Superintendent of Horses
7. Amir-i-Tuzuk: Master of ceremonies
8. Amir-i-Mumalik: Minister of War
9. Diwan-i-amir-kohi: Department of Agriculture
10. Diwan-i-Khairat: Charity
11. Diwan-i-Bandagan: Slaves Department
12. Kismat-i-Khuti: Headman's Cess
13. Chari: Pasture Tax
14. Rahat: Water lifting device for irrigation

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