The Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate
Medieval history gives about 10 of the Part-III Social Science questions and the Sultanate accounts for 3 of them. Five dynasties in roughly three centuries, each with one or two rulers who matter, is the shape to hold in mind.
The Five Dynasties
| Dynasty | Period | Chief rulers |
|---|---|---|
| Slave or Mamluk | 1206 to 1290 | Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia Sultan, Balban |
| Khilji | 1290 to 1320 | Alauddin Khilji |
| Tughlaq | 1320 to 1414 | Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Tughlaq |
| Sayyid | 1414 to 1451 | Khizr Khan |
| Lodi | 1451 to 1526 | Bahlul Lodi, Sikandar Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi |
The Sultanate begins in 1206 with Qutbuddin Aibak and ends in 1526 when Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat. Those two dates bracket the whole period and are asked directly.
Razia Sultan was the only woman to sit on the throne of Delhi, and Iltutmish is regarded as the real consolidator of the Sultanate, introducing the silver tanka and the copper jital.
Alauddin Khilji
- Introduced market control — fixed prices for grain, cloth, horses and slaves, with a separate officer for each market.
- Kept a large standing army paid in cash, which is why prices had to be controlled.
- Introduced the branding of horses and the descriptive roll of soldiers to prevent fraud.
- Raised land revenue and abolished intermediaries.
- Sent Malik Kafur on campaigns into the Deccan and the far south.
The reason for the price control is the question the paper asks: he could only afford a large standing army if soldiers' cash wages went far, so market control existed to serve military policy, not welfare.
✗ Alauddin fixed prices to help the poor | ✓ He fixed prices so that a large standing army could be paid in cash
The Tughlaqs
Muhammad bin Tughlaq is remembered for schemes that were well conceived and badly executed, which is exactly how questions frame him.
- The transfer of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in the Deccan, and back again.
- The issue of token currency in copper and brass, which was widely forged.
- Increased taxation in the Doab during a famine.
- A planned expedition to Khurasan that was abandoned.
Firoz Shah Tughlaq, by contrast, is remembered for canals, towns such as Firozabad and Jaunpur, and a department of public works. He also imposed the jizya on Brahmins, which earlier rulers had not.
Administration and Architecture
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Iqta | A land assignment given in place of salary |
| Diwan-i-Wizarat | Finance department |
| Diwan-i-Arz | Military department |
| Diwan-i-Risalat | Religious affairs and appeals |
| Kharaj | Land tax on cultivators |
| Jizya | Tax on non-Muslims |
The iqta system is the administrative feature asked most often, because it shaped how the Sultanate paid and controlled its nobles. In architecture, the Qutb Minar, begun by Aibak and completed by Iltutmish, and the Alai Darwaza built by Alauddin are the standard examples of the Indo-Islamic style, which combined arch and dome with Indian decoration.
सल्तनत 1206 से 1526 — आरंभ कुतुबुद्दीन ऐबक, अंत पानीपत।
TRE pointer: Medieval history is worth about 10 questions in Part-III against effectively none in Part-II, so it needs its own preparation. The 1206 and 1526 brackets and the five dynasties in order are the framework every other question hangs on. Alauddin's market control existed for military reasons is the standard reasoning question, and the welfare explanation is always offered as the wrong option.
60-Second Recap
- Sultanate runs 1206 to 1526, from Qutbuddin Aibak to Ibrahim Lodi.
- Five dynasties: Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.
- Iltutmish consolidated the Sultanate and introduced the tanka and jital.
- Razia Sultan was the only woman ruler of Delhi.
- Alauddin's market control served his standing army, not welfare.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Daulatabad transfer and token currency; iqta was the land assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Alauddin Khilji control market prices?
So that he could pay a large standing army in cash. Fixed low prices meant a soldier's wage went further, which let him maintain more troops for the same expenditure. The explanation that he did it for public welfare is offered as a distractor.
What was the iqta system?
A grant of revenue from a piece of land, given to a noble or officer in place of a cash salary. The holder collected the revenue, maintained troops from it and remitted the balance. It shaped how the Sultanate paid and controlled its nobility.
Why is Muhammad bin Tughlaq called an ill-fated idealist?
Because his schemes were sound in conception but disastrous in execution: shifting the capital to Daulatabad and back, issuing token currency that was widely forged, and raising taxes in the Doab during a famine. Each failed on implementation rather than on principle.
Which dates bracket the Delhi Sultanate?
It began in 1206 when Qutbuddin Aibak founded the Slave dynasty and ended in 1526 when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat. These two dates are asked directly and frame every other event in the period.