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Points from NCERT Books: Indian History Part 7

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Well, Indian History continues In this article on Medieval India, we

plan to cover the Delhi Sultanate. The reference material for this post
is NCERT History text for Class 7 (Our past -1). Only main points from
the chapters are compiled below. These points might come quite handy
during preparation of Prelims and Mains, to get a quick grasp of the
subject.

Delhi as the center of attraction

When did Delhi became strategically important as center of political

importance? Who were the major rules of Delhi during medieval
period? Hopefully you will get answers to these questions in this post.

Delhi became an important city only in the 12th century.

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 .
Rajput Dynasty

1. Tomaras [early twelfth century 1165]

2. Ananga Pala [1130 -1145]
3. Chauhans [1165 -1192]
4. Prithviraj Chauhan [1175 -1192]
Delhi Sultans

By the 13th century Sultanates transformed Delhi into a capital

that controlled vast areas of the subcontinent .
 Histories, tarikh (singular) / tawarikh (plural), written in Persian,
the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans by learned
men: secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers who lived in
cities (mainly Delhi) and hardly ever in villages.
Objectives of these writings : (a) They often wrote their histories
for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards (b) they advised rulers on
the need to preserve an ideal social order based on birthright
and gender distinctions (c) their ideas were not shared by
everybody.
In 1236 Sultan Iltutmishs daughter, Raziyya, became Sultan.
Nobles were not happy at her attempts to rule independently. She
was removed from the throne in 1240.
Early Turkish [1206-1290]

1. Qutbuddin Aybak [1206 -1210]

2. Shamsuddin Iltutmish [1210 -1236]
3. Raziyya [1236 -1240]
4. Ghiyasuddin Balban [1266 -1287]
The expansion of the Delhi Sultanate

Delhi Sultanate Boundaries

In the early 13th century the control of the Delhi Sultans rarely
went beyond heavily fortified towns occupied by garrisons.
The Sultans seldom controlled the hinterland, the lands adjacent
to a city or port that supply it with goods and services, 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.
The state was also challenged by Mongol invasions from
Afghanistan and by governors who rebelled.
The expansion occurred during the reigns of Ghiyasuddin Balban,
Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq.
Khalji Dynasty [1290 1320]

1. Jalaluddin Khalji [1290 1296]

2. Alauddin Khalji [1296 -1316]
Tughluq Dynasty [1320 1414]

1. Ghiyasuddin Tughluq [1320-1324]

2. Muhammad Tughluq [1324 -1351]
3. Firuz Shah Tughluq [1351 -1388]
So, what the first thing Sultans did were consolidating these
hinterlands of the garrison towns. During these campaigns forests
were cleared in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and hunter- gatherers and
pastoralists expelled from their habitat.
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.
Secondly , expansion occurred along the external frontier of the
Sultanate. Military expeditions into southern India started during
the reign of Alauddin Khalji and culminated with Muhammad
Tughluq.
Administration & Consolidation

Rather than appointing aristocrats as governors, the early Delhi

Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special slaves
purchased for military service, called bandagan.
 The Khaljis and Tughluqs continued to use bandagan and also
raised people of humble birth, who were often their clients, to high
political positions.
Slaves and clients were loyal to their masters and patrons, but
not to their heirs.
Authors of Persian tawarikh criticised the Delhi Sultans for
appointing the low and base-born to high offices.
Military commanders were appointed as governors of territories .
This land is called iqtaand their holder called iqtadar or muqti . The
duty of muqti was to lead military campaigns and maintain law
and order in their iqtas.
But still large parts of the subcontinent remained outside the
control of the Delhi Sultans.
The Mongols under Genghis Khan invaded Transoxiana in north-
east Iran in 1219 and the Delhi Sultanate during the reign of
Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq .
A.Khaljis defensive policy against Genghis

As a defensive measure, Alauddin Khalji raised a large standing

army.
Constructed a new garrison town named Siri for his soldiers.
In order to feed soldiers, produce collected as tax from lands was
done and paddy has got fixed tax as 50% of the yield.
Alauddin chose to pay his soldiers salaries in cash rather than
iqtas. He made sure merchants sell supplies to these soldiers
according to prescribed prices .
So here A.Khaljis administrative measure were highly praised
due to effective intervention in markets to have prices unders
control .
He successfully withstood the threat of Mongol invasions .
M.Tughluq offensive policy against Genghis
 The Mongol army was defeated earlier. M.Tughluq still raised a
large standing army.
Rather than constructing a new garrison town he emptied the
residents of a Delhi city named Delhi-i Kuhna and the soldiers
garrisoned there.
Produce from the same area was collected as tax and additional
taxes to feed the large army. This coincided with famine in the
area. .
Muhammad Tughluq also paid his soldiers cash salaries. But
instead of controlling prices, he used a token currency. This
cheap currency could be counterfeited easily because it was made
of bronze.
His campaign into Kashmir was a disaster. He then gave up his
plans to invade Transoxiana and disbanded his large army .
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.
15th & 16th Century Sultanates: Sayyid, Lodi and Suri

Sayyid Dynasty [1414 1451]

Khizr Khan 1414 -1421

Lodi Dynasty [1451 1526]

Bahlul Lodi 1451 -1489

Suri Dynasty [1540-1555]

Sher Shah Suri [1540-1545] captured Delhi.

For the first time during the Islamic conquest the relationship
between the people and the ruler was systematized, with little
oppression or corruption.
 He challenged and defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun (1539
: Battle of Chausa, 1540 : Battle of Kannauj)
Sher Shah 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.
His tomb is at Sasaram [Bihar]
Compiled by : Vibin Lakshmanan
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Related

Points from NCERT Books: Indian History Part 8

In "Indian History Notes"
Points from NCERT Books: Indian History Part 6
In "Indian History Notes"

Points from NCERT Books: Indian History - Part 2

In "Indian History Notes"

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You are here: Home Indian History Notes Points from NCERT Books: Indian History Part 7

Last modified on February 9th, 2016 at 2:47 pm,

4 Responses to "Points from NCERT Books:

Indian History Part 7"

1. Azhagu says:
February 22, 2015 at 8:16 pm

Thanks You so much for this. I am waiting for your next article

Reply

2. ani says:
February 27, 2015 at 12:50 pm

Thanks a lot for the great work..really helpful..waiting for the next article..

Reply

3. tushar baviskar says:

March 21, 2015 at 5:42 pm

thanks a lot its very useful for preparation in upsc. im waiting for next artical
 Reply

4. Sukhjinder singh says:

March 24, 2015 at 9:28 pm

Thanks alotvwe r wating for ur next article,..

Reply
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