Delhi Sultanate Notes for UPSC

The Delhi Sultanate (1206 to 1526 CE) was a group of five Muslim dynasties that ruled North India from Delhi for more than 300 years. It linked India with the wider Persian and Islamic world, changed administration, architecture, language and society, and prepared the ground for the Mughal Empire. For UPSC, the Delhi Sultanate is a big scoring chapter: questions come on the dynasties and rulers, their reforms, the iqta system, architecture and the accounts of foreign travellers.

Sources of the Delhi Sultanate

• Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi by Ziauddin Barani and Tabaqat-i-Nasiri by Minhaj-us-Siraj.
• Kitab-ul-Rihla by the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta, who served as a judge in Delhi under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
• Works of Amir Khusrau, such as Khazain-ul-Futuh, a poet at the courts of the Khalji rulers.
• Futuhat-i-Firoz Shahi, the short autobiography of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, plus coins and inscriptions.

Background: Early Turkish Invasions

In 712 CE the Arab commander Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sind. Later Mahmud of Ghazni raided India 17 times between 1000 and 1027 CE, including the famous attack on Somnath in 1025, but he did not stay to rule. Muhammad of Ghor lost the First Battle of Tarain (1191) to Prithviraj Chauhan but won the Second Battle of Tarain (1192), which opened North India to Turkish rule. His general Qutbuddin Aibak became the first Sultan of Delhi in 1206.

The Five Dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate

Slave Dynasty (1206 to 1290)

Qutbuddin Aibak started the Qutub Minar and built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi and the Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra at Ajmer. He was generous and was known as Lakh Baksh. Iltutmish (1210 to 1236) is considered the real founder of the Sultanate. He made Delhi the capital, introduced the silver tanka and copper jital, organised the iqta system, completed the Qutub Minar and got recognition from the Abbasid Caliph in 1229. He formed a group of loyal nobles called Turkan-i-Chahalgani (the Forty). Razia Sultan (1236 to 1240) was the first woman ruler of Delhi, but nobles opposed her. Balban (1266 to 1287) strengthened the monarchy through his theory of kingship, the customs of sijda and paibos, a strong spy system and the reorganised army department.

Khalji Dynasty (1290 to 1320)

Jalaluddin Khalji founded the dynasty, which ended the monopoly of Turkish nobles. Alauddin Khalji (1296 to 1316) was its greatest ruler. He conquered Gujarat, Ranthambore, Chittor and Malwa, and through his general Malik Kafur he reached the south (Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra and Madurai). He repulsed several Mongol attacks and built a strong army.

Alauddin's Reforms

• Market control: prices of grains, cloth, horses and slaves were fixed; officers like the Shahna-i-Mandi and the Diwan-i-Riyasat watched the markets.
• Revenue: land was measured and about half of the produce was demanded; taxes like kharaj, ghari (house tax) and charai (grazing tax) were collected.
• Army: a large standing army with the dagh (horse branding) and chehra (descriptive roll of soldiers) system.
• Architecture: the Alai Darwaza (1311) and the fort city of Siri.

Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 to 1414)

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq built Tughlaqabad. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325 to 1351) was a learned and ambitious ruler, but his bold experiments failed: he shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (1327), issued token currency in bronze and copper (about 1329 to 1330), raised taxes in the Doab during a famine and planned an expedition to Khurasan. Revolts broke out and the Bahmani and Vijayanagara kingdoms were founded during his reign. Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351 to 1388) was a welfare-minded ruler: he built canals (such as the one from the Yamuna to Hisar), new towns (Firozabad, Hisar, Jaunpur), set up the Diwan-i-Khairat for charity and a bureau of employment, but he also imposed jizya on Brahmanas and relied on the iqta and slaves. In 1398, Timur invaded and sacked Delhi, which fatally weakened the Tughlaqs.

Sayyid and Lodi Dynasties

The Sayyids (Khizr Khan was the founder) ruled only around Delhi. Bahlol Lodi started the Lodi dynasty, the first Afghan rule in Delhi. Sikandar Lodi founded the city of Agra (1504) and promoted learning. Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat (1526), which ended the Sultanate.

Administration of the Sultanate

The Sultan was the head of state and the army, but he accepted the Caliph's nominal authority. Key departments were: Diwan-i-Wizarat (finance, under the Wazir), Diwan-i-Arz (military), Diwan-i-Insha (correspondence) and Diwan-i-Risalat (religious affairs and appeals). The empire was divided into iqtas governed by muqtis, then smaller units called shiqs and parganas. The main revenue sources were kharaj (land tax), jizya (tax on non-Muslims), khams (a share of war booty) and zakat. Justice was based on Islamic law, with the Sultan, Qazi-ul-Quzat and local qazis hearing cases.

Economy, Society and Culture

New technologies like the Persian wheel and the spinning wheel (charkha) spread, and cities like Delhi, Multan and Lakhnauti grew. Trade and crafts flourished with state-run karkhanas. Persian became the court language, and Urdu began to develop from a mix of Persian, Arabic and local languages. The Sufi saints of the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders and the Bhakti saints promoted harmony.

In art, the Sultanate gave birth to Indo-Islamic architecture: arches, domes, minarets and decoration with calligraphy. The Qutub Minar, Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Alai Darwaza (the first true arch and dome in India), the Tughlaqabad fort and the Lodi tombs are famous.

Alauddin Khalji vs Muhammad bin Tughlaq

Impact of the Delhi Sultanate on Indian Society (Mains Angle)

A good Mains answer looks at lasting changes. Politically, it created a centralised government with an organised army and revenue system. Economically, it encouraged urban growth, a money-based economy with standard coins and new crafts like paper making and silk weaving. Socially and culturally, it mixed Indian and Persian traditions: music (Amir Khusrau is credited with enriching qawwali and Hindustani music), architecture, food, dress and the Urdu language. Religiously, it saw the rise of the Sufi and Bhakti movements that preached love and equality. You can also mention challenges: heavy taxation on peasants, conflict between Sultans and the religious class (ulema), and the inequality between nobles and common people. End with the point that these changes shaped the later Mughal state.

Important Battles and Events

• 1191: First Battle of Tarain, won by Prithviraj Chauhan.
• 1192: Second Battle of Tarain, won by Muhammad of Ghor.
• 1221: Genghis Khan reached the Indus; Iltutmish avoided a direct clash.
• 1303: Alauddin captured Chittor.
• 1327: Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted the capital to Daulatabad.
• 1398: Timur sacked Delhi.
• 1526: First Battle of Panipat.

Why Did the Delhi Sultanate Decline?

• Weak rulers and constant struggles between nobles.
• Failure of Muhammad bin Tughlaq's experiments and revolts in the provinces.
• Timur's invasion (1398) which destroyed the power and wealth of Delhi.
• Rise of independent kingdoms like Bengal, Jaunpur, Gujarat, Bahmani and Vijayanagara.
• Defeat of Ibrahim Lodi by Babur in 1526.

Memory Tricks, Mistakes and Practice Statements

• Dynasty order "S-K-T-S-L": Slave, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.
• "Iltutmish started the Qutub Minar." Wrong. Aibak started it and Iltutmish completed it.
• "Alauddin Khalji introduced token currency." Wrong. That was Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
• "Razia Sultan was the first woman ruler of Delhi." Correct.
• Do not confuse the Diwan-i-Arz (military) with the Diwan-i-Wizarat (finance).

How to Study the Delhi Sultanate

1. Make a dynasty chart with founder, best ruler, capital and one major reform.
2. Revise the administration as a diagram of the four Diwans and the iqta structure.
3. Learn architecture with pictures of the Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza and Tughlaqabad.
4. Practise previous year questions on reforms and compare Alauddin and Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

Quick Revision

• 1206: Aibak starts the Sultanate; 1526: Babur ends it at Panipat.
• Iltutmish: real founder, tanka and jital; Balban: kingship, sijda and paibos.
• Alauddin: market control and Malik Kafur's southern campaigns.
• Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Daulatabad and token currency; Firoz Shah: canals and Diwan-i-Khairat.

The Delhi Sultanate was a time of both conflict and cultural mixing. If you remember the dynasties in order, each ruler's main reform and the key architectural examples, this chapter becomes one of the easiest to score.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Mughal Empire Notes for UPSC
• Bhakti and Sufi Movements Notes for UPSC
• Vijayanagara and Bahmani Kingdoms Notes for UPSC
• All Medieval Indian History notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What was the Delhi Sultanate?

The Delhi Sultanate was a series of five Muslim dynasties (Slave, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi) that ruled North India from Delhi between 1206 and 1526 CE.

Who founded the Delhi Sultanate?

Qutbuddin Aibak, the general of Muhammad of Ghor, founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 and started the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty.

Who is considered the real founder of the Delhi Sultanate?

Iltutmish is regarded as the real founder because he consolidated the Sultanate, made Delhi the capital, introduced the tanka and jital coins and got recognition from the Abbasid Caliph.

Who was the first woman ruler of Delhi?

Razia Sultan (1236 to 1240), the daughter of Iltutmish, was the first and only woman Sultan of Delhi in this period.

What were the market reforms of Alauddin Khalji?

Alauddin fixed the prices of grains, cloth, horses and slaves, appointed market officers and spies, and created a granary system so that he could support a large army at low cost.

Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s experiments fail?

The capital shift to Daulatabad caused hardship, token currency was forged easily, and the Doab tax increase came during a famine. Poor planning and execution led to revolts.

What is the iqta system?

The iqta system gave land revenue of an area to an officer called a muqti in return for military service and law and order. It was an important administrative tool of the Sultanate.

What was the Diwan-i-Arz?

Diwan-i-Arz was the military department of the Sultanate. It recruited, inspected and paid the army, and was headed by the Ariz-i-Mumalik.

Who was Ibn Battuta?

Ibn Battuta was a Moroccan traveller who visited India in the 14th century and served as a judge in Delhi under Muhammad bin Tughlaq. His book Kitab-ul-Rihla is a key source.

What is special about the Alai Darwaza?

The Alai Darwaza, built by Alauddin Khalji in 1311, is considered the first true arch and dome of Indo-Islamic architecture in India, with fine decoration.

What was the effect of Timur’s invasion?

Timur invaded in 1398, sacked Delhi and killed many people. It weakened the Tughlaq dynasty and led to the rise of independent regional kingdoms.

How did the Delhi Sultanate end?

The Sultanate ended in 1526 when Babur defeated the last Lodi ruler, Ibrahim Lodi, in the First Battle of Panipat and started the Mughal Empire.