The Delhi Sultans - CBSE Class 7 History Chapter 3

Understanding the Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate refers to the period when several Turkish, Afghan and other Muslim dynasties ruled large parts of the Indian subcontinent from Delhi, roughly from 1206 to 1526 CE. Our main source of information is 'tawarikh', histories written in Persian by scholars called 'ulama' who lived in cities and wrote for the sultans, hoping to be rewarded with position, and advised rulers to preserve an ideal social order based on birthright and gender distinctions. Five dynasties ruled in succession: the Mamluks or 'Slave dynasty' (Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Balban), the Khaljis (Alauddin Khalji), the Tughlaqs (Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firuz Shah Tughlaq), the Sayyids and the Lodis. Sultans used titles such as 'Sultan-i-Azam' (the most exalted ruler) and issued coins, called sikka, and read the khutba in their name to assert legitimacy.

Expansion and Consolidation of the Sultanate

Between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the Sultanate expanded dramatically. Early Delhi Sultans, especially the Mamluks, controlled the area around Delhi and had garrisons in strategic towns; forested and hilly areas often lay outside their direct control. Rulers like Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughlaq campaigned far south, and the Sultanate expanded to include large areas beyond the Indo-Gangetic plain, reaching Bengal, Gujarat, Malwa and the Deccan. However, by the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, powerful regional kingdoms such as the Bahmani and Vijayanagara empires emerged in areas that were once under the Sultans' rule, showing the Sultanate's decline in the south. Mongol invasions from Central Asia were also a constant threat, forcing sultans like Alauddin Khalji to strengthen defences and maintain a large standing army.

Administration: Iqta, Muqti and the Ruling Class

Worked Example: Tracing the Five Dynasties Chronologically

• Step 1: Identify the Mamluk (Slave) dynasty (1206-1290 CE). Founded by Qutbuddin Aibak, a former slave-general of Muhammad Ghori. Key rulers: Iltutmish (consolidated the Sultanate, introduced the silver tanka and copper jital coins), and Balban (curbed the power of the chihalgani nobles). Final answer: This is the founding dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Step 2: Identify the Khalji dynasty (1290-1320 CE). Alauddin Khalji was the most powerful ruler; he expanded the Sultanate into the Deccan and South India, controlled market prices to maintain a large army, and successfully repelled repeated Mongol invasions. Final answer: The Khaljis expanded Sultanate power to its farthest south reach at that time.
• Step 3: Identify the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1414 CE). Muhammad bin Tughlaq attempted to shift the capital from Delhi to Devagiri (renamed Daulatabad) and introduced token currency; Firuz Shah Tughlaq focused on canal building and welfare works. Final answer: The Tughlaqs saw the largest territorial extent but also administrative difficulties.
• Step 4: Identify the Sayyid dynasty (1414-1451 CE) and Lodi dynasty (1451-1526 CE). These were weaker dynasties ruling a much-reduced Sultanate; the Lodis, an Afghan dynasty, were the last, ending with Ibrahim Lodi's defeat at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 CE by Babur. Final answer: The Sultanate ended, giving way to the Mughal Empire.

Common Mistakes and Board Exam Tips

• Do not confuse 'iqta' (an administrative land assignment for service) with 'jagir' used later in Mughal times; keep the terms and periods separate in answers.
• Remember the correct chronological order of the five dynasties: Mamluks, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis — a common mistake is mixing up Khalji and Tughlaq order.
• Always mention that 'tawarikh' were written by the ulama for the sultans, which means these sources reflect the concerns and biases of the court, not the common people's viewpoint.
• When asked about administration, always mention both the muqti's duties (collecting revenue, maintaining army, law and order) and the sultan's control (transfers, dismissal), since only naming the term without functions loses marks.
• Do not forget the specific contributions of individual rulers, e.g., Iltutmish introduced coinage reforms, Alauddin Khalji controlled markets, Muhammad Tughlaq shifted the capital — examiners often ask for ruler-specific facts.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Who were the ulama and why are their writings important for historians studying the Delhi Sultans? A: Step 1: The ulama were learned Muslim scholars, experts in Islamic law (sharia), who lived mainly in cities. Step 2: They wrote histories called tawarikh in Persian, often to advise rulers and sometimes hoping for rewards or positions at court. Step 3: These tawarikh are our main historical source about the Delhi Sultans' military campaigns, administration and courtly life. Final answer: The ulama's tawarikh are crucial primary sources, though they mainly reflect elite and court perspectives rather than the lives of ordinary people.
• Q: Explain the iqta system of administration under the Delhi Sultans. A: Step 1: The Sultanate was divided into large and small tracts of land called iqtas. Step 2: These iqtas were assigned to officers, soldiers and nobles, called iqtadars or muqtis, instead of paying them cash salaries. Step 3: The muqti's duties included collecting revenue from the iqta to pay his soldiers and maintain his troops, and ensuring law and order, but the iqta was not his hereditary property — sultans could transfer or take it back. Final answer: The iqta system allowed the sultans to control a vast empire by delegating revenue collection and military duties to trusted nobles while retaining central authority.
• Q: Describe two important achievements of Alauddin Khalji as a Delhi Sultan. A: Step 1: Alauddin Khalji expanded the Sultanate's territory significantly into the Deccan and South India through military campaigns led by his generals. Step 2: He introduced strict market control regulations, fixing the prices of essential goods like food grains, cloth and horses, mainly to maintain a large and affordable army. Step 3: He also successfully defended the Sultanate against repeated and serious Mongol invasions from Central Asia. Final answer: Alauddin Khalji's key achievements were territorial expansion into the south, market price control, and defence against Mongol attacks.
• Q: Why did the Delhi Sultanate decline by the sixteenth century? A: Step 1: After the Tughlaqs, the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties ruled over a much smaller and weaker Sultanate compared to its peak under the Khaljis and Tughlaqs. Step 2: Powerful regional kingdoms such as the Bahmani Sultanate and the Vijayanagara Empire rose in areas that were once under Sultanate control, reducing its territory and influence. Step 3: Internal weaknesses, succession struggles among nobles, and the inability of later sultans to control distant provinces further weakened central authority. Step 4: Finally, Ibrahim Lodi, the last Lodi sultan, was defeated by Babur at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 CE. Final answer: A combination of rising regional powers, weak central control, and the Lodi defeat at Panipat in 1526 CE ended the Delhi Sultanate.

Exam Tip: Answering Source-Based Questions

CBSE often asks questions based on extracts from tawarikh given in the NCERT textbook. Always read the extract carefully, identify the ruler or event it describes, and connect it to the dynasty and approximate time period. Mention that such texts were written by ulama with a court perspective, so their descriptions of 'ideal' kingship or social order should be read critically rather than taken as complete historical fact.

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