Chapter 3 - Delhi: 12th to 15th Century -

Chapter 3 – Delhi: 12th to 15th Century

Delhi emerged as an important city in the 12th century.
During the reign of the Tomar Rajputs, Delhi became a capital for the first time.
Anangpal Tomar founded Delhi in the mid-12th century.
Tomar was defeated by the Chauhans of Ajmer (also known as Chahmans).
Under the Chauhans, Delhi became an important commercial centre. A lot of wealthy Jain merchants lived here and built many temples. Coins called Dehliwal were minted here.
Early 13th century (1206 AD): The Delhi Sultanate was established, making Delhi the capital of a powerful empire.

Delhi was ruled by several dynasties, called the Sultans of Delhi:

- Qutbuddin Aibak
- Shamsuddin Iltutmish
- Raziyya Sultan
- Ghiyasuddin Balban
- Razia Sultan: Iltutmish’s daughter and the first and only woman ruler. The courtiers refused to accept a woman ruler.

- Jalaluddin Khalji
- Alauddin Khalji
- Alauddin Khilji: The most powerful Khilji ruler. He extended his empire to South India.

iii. Tughluq Dynasty – 1320-1414 AD):

Inscriptions: Articles inscribed on mosques, tombs, and buildings.
Coins : Information about the Sultans and their economic status.
Architecture: Buildings, mosques, mausoleums reflect the art and technology of the time.
Tarikh/Tawarikh:
- These were histories written in the Persian language, which was the administrative language of the Delhi Sultanate.
- These were manuscripts written during the reign of the Sultans.
- These were often written by learned men (such as secretaries, administrators, poets, and courtiers) who emphasized the importance of just governance.
- These historians often expected prizes from the Sultans.

Garrison Town: Fortified settlements where soldiers lived.
The Sultans of Delhi expanded their empire from these garrison towns.
Expansion :
- Internal Expansion: To establish control over the hinterland of garrison towns. This included clearing the forests of the Ganga-Yamuna Doab and expanding the agricultural land to the peasants.
- External Expansion: Conquering far-flung areas by military campaigns.
  - Large-scale military campaigns were carried out during the reign of Alauddin Khilji and to South India during the reign of Muhammad Tughlaq.
  - In these campaigns, the armies of the Sultanate captured elephants, horses, slaves and precious metals.

The Sultans built many mosques throughout the subcontinent.
These mosques provided space for Muslims to pray together and identify themselves as a community.
Examples: Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Begumpuri Masjid (built by Muhammad Tughlaq), Moth ki Masjid (built during the reign of Sikandar Lodi).

Mongol Invasions: The Mongols attacked India several times under the leadership of Genghis Khan, forcing the Sultanate to strengthen its army.
Weak Provinces: Several independent regional states emerged after the fall of the Sultanate.
Administrative Problems :
- Alauddin Khilji: He paid in cash instead of land grants (iqta) to pay salaries to soldiers. He fixed the prices of goods so that the soldiers could buy goods cheaply.
- Muhammad Tughlaq: He introduced the “token currency”, which was not successful. He shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, which was a major failure.

Iqta and Muqti:
- The Sultanate divided the land into large administrative regions called Iqta.
- The holders of Iqta were called Iqtadar or Muqti.
- The duty of the Mukti was to lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in his Iqta.
- They had the right to collect revenue in return for their military services.
- Accounts were regularly checked by the accountants of the state for revenue.
Land Tax :
- During the time of Alauddin Khilji, the determination and collection of land revenue was brought under the control of the state.
- About 50% of the produce of the farmers was taken as tax.

Chapter 3 – Delhi: 12th to 15th Century