Delhi Sultanate

Imad ad-Din Muhammad ibn Qasim ath-Thaqafi (c. 695-715) was an Umayyad general who conquered the Sindh and Multan regions along the Indus River (now a part of Pakistan) for the Umayyad Caliphate. He was born and raised in the city of Ta'if (in modern-day Saudi Arabia). Qasim's conquest of Sindh and southern-most parts of Multan enabled further Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent.

A member of the Thaqif tribe of the Ta'if region, Muhammad bin Qasim's father was Qasim bin Yusuf, who died when Muhammad bin Qasim was young, leaving his mother in charge of his education and care. Umayyad governor Al-Hajjaj Ibn Yusuf Al-Thaqafi, Muhammad bin Qasim's paternal uncle, was instrumental in teaching Muhammad bin Qasim about warfare and governance. Muhammad bin Qasim married his cousin Zubaidah, Al-Hajjaj's daughter, shortly before going to Sindh.

The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim sultanate based mostly in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206-1526). Five dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate sequentially: the Mamluk dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526). Three dynasties (Mamluk, Khilji and Sayyid) were of Turkic origin, one dynasty (Tughlaq) was of Turko-Indian origin, and the last dynasty (Lodi) was of Pashtun origin. The sultanate is noted for being one of the few states to repel an attack by the Mongol Empire, and enthroned one of the few female rulers in Islamic history, Razia Sultana, who reigned from 1236 to 1240.

Qutb al-Din Aibak, a former slave of Muhammad Ghori, was the first sultan of Delhi and his dynasty conquered large areas of northern India. Afterwards, the Khilji dynasty was also able to conquer most of central India, but both failed to unite the Indian subcontinent. The sultanate reached the peak of its geographical reach during the Tughlaq dynasty, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent. This was followed by decline due to Hindu rebellions, states such as the Vijayanagara Empire asserting independence, and new Muslim sultanates such as the Bengal Sultanate breaking off.

Aram Shah was the second sultan of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. He reigned from 1210 to 1211.

The relationship of Aram Shah with Qutb al-Din Aibak (the first sultan of Delhi, who ruled from 1206 to 1210) is a subject of controversy. According to some, he was Aibak's son, but Minhaj-i-Siraj distinctly writes that Qutb al-Din only had three daughters. Abul Fazl has made the "astonishing statement" that Aram Shah was Qutb al-Din's brother. A modern writer has hazarded the opinion that "he was no relation of Qutb al-Din" but was selected as his successor as he was available on the spot.

The Tughlaq dynasty, also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Turko-Indian origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq. The dynasty ended in 1413.

Ala ud-Din Khilji (r. 1296-1316) was the second and the most powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty of Delhi Sultanate in South Asia.

Alauddin was a nephew and a son-in-law of his predecessor Jalaluddin. When Jalaluddin became the Sultan of Delhi after deposing the Mamluks, Alauddin was given the position of Amir-i-Tuzuk (equivalent to Master of ceremonies). Alauddin obtained the governorship of Kara in 1291 after suppressing a revolt against Jalaluddin, and the governorship of Awadh in 1296 after a profitable raid on Bhilsa. In 1296, Alauddin raided Devagiri, and used the loot to stage a successful revolt against Jalaluddin. After killing Jalaluddin, he consolidated his power in Delhi, and subjugated Jalalaudidn's sons in Multan.

First capital of Delhi Sultanate was Lahore. From 1206 to 1210 Lahore was the capital of Delhi Sultanate.

In 1327, Tughluq passed an order to shift the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (in present-day Maharashtra) in the Deccan region of south India. Tughluq said that it would help him to establish control over the fertile land of the Deccan plateau and to create a more accessible capital since his empire had grown more in the south. He also felt that it would make him safe from the Mongol invasions which were mainly aimed at Delhi and regions in north India. It was not always possible to operate an army from Delhi for the occupation of Southern states. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq himself had spent a number of years as a prince on campaign in the southern states during the reign of his father. Daulatabad was also situated at a central place so the administration of both the north and the south could be possible.

The dynasty was established by Sayyid Khizr Khan, deputised by Timur to be the governor of Multan (Punjab). Khizr Khan took Delhi from Daulat Khan Lodi on May 28, 1414 and founded the Sayyid dynasty. But he did not take up the title of sultan and nominally, continued to be a Rayat-i-Ala (vassal) of the Timurids, initially of Timur and after his death, his successor Shah Rukh, grandson of Timur. Khizer Khan was succeeded by his son Sayyid Mubarak Shah after his death on May 20, 1421, who styled himself as Muizz-ud-Din Mubarak Shah in his coins. A detailed account of his reign is available in the Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi written by Yahya-bin-Ahmad Sirhindi. After the death of Mubarak Shah, his nephew, Muhammad Shah ascended the throne and styled himself as Sultan Muhammad Shah. Just before his death, he called his son Sayyid Ala-ud-Din Shah from Badaun and nominated him as his successor.

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, or Ghazi Malik (Ghazi means 'fighter for Islam'), (died c.1325) was the founder of the Tughluq dynasty in India, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1320 to 1325. He founded the city of Tughluqabad. His reign was cut short after 5 years when he died under mysterious circumstances in 1325. He was succeeded by Muhammad bin Tughluq>

Muhammad bin Tughluq was renowned as the wealthiest man in the Muslim world at that time. He patronized various scholars, Sufis, qadis, viziers and other functionaries in order to consolidate his rule. As with Mamluk Egypt, the Tughlaq Dynasty was a rare vestigial example of Muslim rule in Asia after the Mongol invasion. On the strength of his years of study in Mecca, Ibn Battuta was appointed a qadi, or judge, by the sultan. However, he found it difficult to enforce Islamic law beyond the sultan's court in Delhi, due to lack of Islamic appeal in India.

Sultan Sikandar Lodi, the Muslim ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, founded Agra in the year 1504. After the Sultan's death, the city passed on to his son, Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. He ruled his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Mughal Badshah (emperor) Babar in the First battle of Panipat fought in 1526.

The Lodi dynasty (or Lodhi) was an Afghan dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. It was the last dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi, when he replaced the Sayyid dynasty.

Bahlul Khan Lodi (r.1451-1489) was the nephew and son-in-law of Malik Sultan Shah Lodi, the governor of Sirhind in (Punjab), India and succeeded him as the governor of Sirhind during the reign of Sayyid dynasty ruler Muhammad Shah. Muhammad Shah raised him to the status of an emir. He was the most powerful of the Punjab chiefs and a vigorous leader, holding together a loose confederacy of Afghan and Turkish chiefs with his strong personality. He reduced the turbulent chiefs of the provinces to submission and infused some vigour into the government. After the last Sayyid ruler of Delhi, Ala-ud-Din Aalm Shah voluntarily abdicated in favour of him, Bahlul Khan Lodi ascended the throne of the Delhi sultanate on 19 April 1451. The most important event of his reign was the conquest of Jaunpur. Bahlul spent most of his time in fighting against the Sharqi dynasty and ultimately annexed it. He placed his eldest surviving son Barbak on the throne of Jaunpur in 1486.

Begum, sultan name, Raziya al-Din (1205-October 13, 1240), throne name Jalalat-ud-Din Raziya, usually referred to in history as Razia Sultan, was the Sultan of Delhi from 10 November 1236-14 October 1240. She was famously the only female ever to rule the Delhi Sultanate.

Razia Sultana was the daughter of Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, who had begun life as a Turk slave and ended it as Sultan of Delhi. Iltutmish had been a great favorite of his master, Qutb ud din Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi, so Aibak had his daughter Qutub Begum married to Iltutmish. Qutub Begum was the mother of Razia, and Razia was thus a maternal granddaughter of Qutb ud din Aibak and Shamshad Begum (Valide Sultan). Razia also had a brother, Nasiruddin Mahmud. Razia, being a member of the ruling family, grew up in privileged circumstances and was close to the levers of power both within the harem (where her mother was dominant) and in the court, where she was a favorite of both her maternal grandfather and her father. This was in contrast with her half-brothers Rukn ud din Firuz and Muiz ud din Bahram, who were the sons of former slave-girls, and thus grew up quite distant from the centers of power.

The Qutub complex also spelled Qutab or Qutub is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India. The best-known structure in the complex is the Qutub Minar, built to honor the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Its foundation was laid by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who later became the first Sultan of Delhi of the Mamluk dynasty. The Minar was added upon by his successor Iltutmish (a.k.a. Altamash), and much later by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, a Sultan of Delhi from the Tughlaq dynasty in 1368 AD. The Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque (Dome of Islam), later corrupted into Quwwat-ul Islam, stands next to the Qutb Minar. It was built on the ruins of Lal Kot Fort (built by Anangpal, the Tomar ruler, in 739 CE) and Qila-Rai-Pithora (the Chauhan emperor Prithviraj Chauhan's city), whom Ghori's Afghan armies had earlier defeated and killed in the Second Battle of Tarain.

Shams ud-Din Iltutmish (r.1211-1236) was the third ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, belonging to the Mamluk dynasty. Iltutmish consolidated the position of the sultanate in the Indian subcontinent.

He conquered Multan and Bengal from contesting rulers, and Ranthambhore and Siwalik from their rulers.

Shams ud-din Iltutmish founded the Delhi Sultanate and much strengthened the power of the slave dynasty and of Islam in the India, although his kindred and heirs were not as politically gifted, with no ruler comparable to him in the area until the time of Ghiasuddin Balban.

Iltutmish changes the capital Lahore to Delhi

5th Sultan of Delhi Sultanate was Razia Sultana.

Razia Sultana was the daughter of Shams-ud-din Iltutmish, who had begun life as a Turk slave and ended it as Sultan of Delhi. Iltutmish had been a great favorite of his master, Qutb ud din Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi, so Aibak had his daughter Qutub Begum married to Iltutmish. Qutub Begum was the mother of Razia, and Razia was thus a maternal granddaughter of Qutb ud din Aibak and Shamshad Begum (Valide Sultan). Razia also had a brother, Nasiruddin Mahmud. Razia, being a member of the ruling family, grew up in privileged circumstances and was close to the levers of power both within the harem (where her mother was dominant) and in the court, where she was a favorite of both her maternal grandfather and her father. This was in contrast with her half-brothers Rukn ud din Firuz and Muiz ud din Bahram, who were the sons of former slave-girls, and thus grew up quite distant from the centers of power.

We know of Firuz Shah Tughlaq in part through his 32-page autobiography, titled Futuhat-e-firozshahi. He was 45 when he became Sultan of Delhi in 1351. He ruled until 1388. At his succession, after the death of Muhammad Tughlaq, he faced many rebellions, including in Bengal, Gujarat and Warangal. Nonetheless he worked to improve the infrastructure of the empire building canals, rest-houses and hospitals, creating and refurbishing reservoirs and digging wells. He founded several cities around Delhi, including Jaunpur, Ferozpur, Hissar, Firuzabad, Fatehabad. Most of Firozabad was destroyed as subsequent rulers dismantled its buildings and reused the spolia as building materials, and the rest was subsumed as New Delhi grew.

Ghiyas ud din Balban (reigned: 1266-1287) was the ninth sultan of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi. Ghiyas ud Din was the wazir and heir of the last Shamsi Sultan, Nasir ud-Din. He reduced the power of the treacherous nobility and heightened the stature of the sultan. In spite of having only few military achievements, he was the most powerful ruler of the sultanate between Shamsuddin Iltutmish and Alauddin Khilji.

Balban was the greatest of the Slave Kings. His Original name was Baha Ud Din.. He was an Ilbari Turk. When he was young he was captured by the Mongols carried to Ghazni and sold to Khawaja Jamal din of Basra, a man of piety and learning. The latter then brought him to Delhi in 1232 AD along with other slaves and all of them were purchased by Iltutmish. Balban Belonged to the famous band of 40 group of Turkish slaves of Iltutmish Ghiyas made several conquests, some of which were as vizier. He routed the Mewats that harassed Delhi and reconquered Bengal, all while successfully facing the Mongol threat, a struggle that spent his son and heir's life. So it came to pass that upon his death in 1287, his grandson Qaiqubad was nominated sultan, undermining the achievements of his grandfather.

Tughlaq instituted economic policies to increase the material welfare of his people. Many rest houses (sarai), gardens and tombs were built. A number of madrasas were opened to encourage literacy. He set up hospitals for the free treatment of the poor and encouraged physicians in the development of Unani medicine. He provided money for the marriage of girls belonging to poor families under the department of Diwan-i-khairat. He commissioned many public buildings in Delhi. He built Firoz Shah Palace Complex at Hisar in 1354 CE, over 300 villages and dug five major canals, including the renovation of Prithviraj Chauhan era Western Yamuna Canal, for irrigation bringing more land under cultivation for growing grain and fruit. For day-to-day administration, Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq heavily depended on Malik Maqbul, previously commander of Warangal fort, who was captured and converted to Islam. When Tughlaq was away on a campaign to Sind and Gujarat for six months and no news was available about his whereabouts Maqbul ably protected Delhi. He was the most highly favoured among the significant number of the nobles in Tughlaq's court and retained the trust of the sultan. Sultan Feroze Shah Tughlaq used to call Maqbul as 'brother'. The sultan remarked that Khan-i-Jahan (Malik Maqbul) was the real ruler of Delhi.

At the time Firuz Shah Tughlaq people got high income.

he First Battle of Panipat, on 21 April 1526, was fought between the invading forces of Babur and the Ibrahim Lodi. It took place in north India and marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder firearms and field artillery in India.

Hearing of the size of Ibrahim's army, Babur secured his right flank against the city of Panipat, while digging a trench covered with tree branches to secure his left flank. In the center, he placed 700 carts tied together with ropes. Between every two carts there were breastworks for his matchlockmen. Babur also ensured there was enough space for his cavalry to charge between these carts.

When Ibrahim's army arrived, he found the approach to Babur's army too narrow to attack. While Ibrahim redeployed his forces to allow for the narrower front, Babur quickly took advantage of the situation to flank (tulghuma) the Lodi army. Many of Ibrahim's troops were unable to get into action, and fled when the battle turned against Ibrahim. Faced with musket fire, cannon fire and cavalry attacks from all sides, Ibrahim Lodi fought and died with 6,000 of his remaining troops.

Babur's guns proved decisive in battle, firstly because Ibrahim Lodi lacked any field artillery, but also because the sound of the cannon frightened Lodi's elephants, causing them to trample Lodi's own men.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor created a Sunni Islamic kingdom extending east of the Indus river in north India, and he thus laid the foundation for the Delhi Sultanate

Explanation: The Mongolian raids on West and Central Asia set the scene for centuries of migration of fleeing soldiers, intelligentsia, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from those regions into the subcontinent, thereby establishing Islamic culture there.

Explanation: The Bahmani Sultanate was a Muslim sultanate that broke off from the Delhi Sultanate.

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate faced several challenges leading to its decline, including the rise of Hindu kingdoms and Muslim sultanates, Hindu reconquests, and infighting among the ruling elite

Explanation: The Mughal Empire succeeded the Delhi Sultanate in 1526

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate had a significant impact on Indian culture, as it led to the development of Hindustani language, brought the Indian subcontinent into multicultural Islamic social and economic networks, and established Indo-Islamic architecture.

Explanation: Razia Sultan was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, who reigned from 1236 to 1240.

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate drew the Indian subcontinent more closely into international and multicultural Islamic social and economic networks, repelled attacks of the Mongols, and contributed to the decline of Buddhism in East India and Bengal.

Explanation: Raziya Sultan was one of the few female rulers in Islamic history who reigned during the Delhi Sultanate from 1236 to 1240.

Explanation: Bakhtiyar Khalji's annexations involved large-scale desecration of Hindu and Buddhist temples and destruction of universities and libraries.

Explanation: Mongolian raids on West and Central Asia set the scene for centuries of migration of fleeing soldiers, intelligentsia, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from those regions into the subcontinent, thereby establishing Islamic culture there.

Explanation: The Tughlaq dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent under Muhammad bin Tughluq and reached the peak of its geographical reach during his reign.

Explanation: The Mughal Empire succeeded the Delhi Sultanate after conquering it in 1526.

Explanation: Muhammad Ghori defeated the Rajput Confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan in the Battle of Tarain in 1192.

Explanation: Qutub-ud-din Aibak succeeded Muhammad Ghori as the ruler of Delhi after his death.

Explanation: Ibrahim Lodi was the last Sultan of Delhi before the Mughal conquest in 1526.

Explanation: The Mamluks were overthrown in the Khalji revolution, which marked the transfer of power from the Turks to a heterogeneous Indo-Muslim nobility, led by Alauddin Khalji.

Explanation: Alauddin Khalji is known for his market regulation policy, which aimed to control prices and prevent hoarding.

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate was established by the Ghurid conqueror Muhammad Ghori after defeating the Rajput Confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan in 1192.

Explanation: Qutub-ud-din Aibak was the first Sultan of Delhi and the founder of the Slave dynasty.

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate was established by the Ghurid conqueror Muhammad Ghori, and it was one among several principalities ruled by his slave-generals.

Explanation: Mahmud of Ghazni was a Muslim ruler who raided and plundered kingdoms in north India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030

Explanation: Mahmud of Ghazni raided and plundered kingdoms in north India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030.

Explanation: The Ghurid Sultan Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori (commonly known as Muhammad of Ghor) began a systematic war of expansion into north India in 1173.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor sought to carve out a principality for himself and expand the Islamic world.

Explanation: The rise of the Delhi Sultanate in India was part of a wider trend affecting much of the Asian continent, including the whole of southern and western Asia: the influx of nomadic Turkic peoples from the Central Asian steppes.

Explanation: The influx of nomadic Turkic peoples from the Central Asian steppes can be traced back to the 9th century when the Islamic Caliphate began fragmenting in the Middle East.

Explanation: Muslim rulers in rival states began enslaving non-Muslim nomadic Turks from the Central Asian steppes and raising many of them to become loyal military slaves called Mamluks.

Explanation: Many of the Turkic Mamluk slaves eventually rose up to become rulers, and conquered large parts of the Muslim world, establishing Mamluk Sultanates from Egypt to present-day Afghanistan, before turning their attention to the Indian subcontinent.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor began a systematic war of expansion into north India in 1173, seeking to carve out a principality for himself and expand the Islamic world. This laid the foundation for the Muslim kingdom called the Delhi Sultanate.

Explanation: Some historians chronicle the Delhi Sultanate from 1192 due to the presence and geographical claims of Muhammad Ghori in South Asia by that time.

Explanation: The fragmentation of the Islamic Caliphate in the Middle East led to the enslavement of non-Muslim nomadic Turks, many of whom migrated to Muslim lands and eventually became rulers, establishing Mamluk Sultanates across much of the Muslim world before turning their attention to the Indian subcontinent

Explanation: The raids on north and western Indian kingdoms by Muslim warlords did not establish or extend the permanent boundaries of the Islamic kingdoms. While they caused damage and plundered kingdoms, they did not result in the spread of Islam or a shift in power from Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms to Muslim rulers.

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate began in 1206 after Qutb al-Din Aibak assumed power following the assassination of his master, Muhammad of Ghor.

Explanation: Alauddin Khilji was the first ruler of the Khilji dynasty in the Delhi Sultanate, which ruled from 1290 to 1320.

Explanation: Alauddin Khilji is known for his market reforms, which included price controls and regulation of trade in Delhi.

Explanation: Ibrahim Lodi was the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, and his defeat at the Battle of Panipat in 1526 marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India.

Explanation: The Mamluks were nomadic Turkic peoples from Central Asia who were enslaved by Muslim rulers in rival states and raised to become loyal military soldiers.

Explanation: The rise of the Delhi Sultanate marked the beginning of a period of Islamic rule in India and contributed to the development of a distinct Indo-Islamic culture.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor sought to carve out a principality for himself and expand the Islamic world in north India, and he founded the Ghurid Sultanate

Explanation: The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim kingdom, and Islam was the primary religion of the rulers and the majority of the population.

Explanation: Qutb al-Din Aibak, a Turkic Mamluk, became the first Sultan of Delhi after the assassination of Muhammad of Ghor in 1206.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor was the founder of the Ghurid dynasty, which ruled over a vast area in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Explanation: Mahmud of Ghazni, the son of a Turkic Mamluk military slave, raided and plundered kingdoms in north India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030.

Explanation: Qutb al-Din Aibak was one of Muhammad of Ghor's slaves who assumed power after his assassination and became the first Sultan of Delhi.

Explanation: There are conflicting accounts of who assassinated Muhammad of Ghor. Some accounts suggest that he was assassinated by Ismāʿīlī Shia Muslims, while others suggest that it was the Khokhars who were responsible

Explanation: While Muslim invasions and intrusions into the Indian subcontinent began in the 9th century, the Delhi Sultanate is generally considered to have begun in 1192 due to the presence and geographical claims of Muhammad Ghori in South Asia by that time.

Explanation: The rise of the Delhi Sultanate in India was primarily due to the influx of nomadic Turkic peoples from Central Asia, who migrated to Muslim lands and became Islamicized. Many of the Turkic Mamluk slaves eventually rose up to become rulers, and conquered large parts of the Muslim world, establishing Mamluk Sultanates from Egypt to present-day Afghanistan, before turning their attention to the Indian subcontinent

Explanation: Mahmud of Ghazni raided and plundered kingdoms in North India from east of the Indus river to west of Yamuna river seventeen times between 997 and 1030.

Explanation: Muhammad of Ghor's primary motivation behind his expansion into North India was to carve out a Sunni Islamic kingdom of his own, extending east of the Indus river.