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Mir Taqi Mir was an 18th century Urdu poet. He expressed the sorrow of the people, who
witnessed the decline of Delhi, in the following words.
Meaning: I belong to the same devastated city of Delhi, which was once a very remarkable
city in the world.
How did New Delhi gain prominence and become the capital city ofIndia?
Delhi became an important city only during the twelfth century. It first became the capital
of a kingdom during the rule of the Tomara Rajputs. The Tomara Rajputs were defeated by
the Chauhans of Ajmer in the middle of the twelfth century. Delhi emerged as an important
commercial centre under the rule of Tomaras and Chauhans. During this time, many rich Jaina
merchants resided in the city and built temples. Coins minted in Delhi were known as dehliwal
which were widely circulated. In the beginning of the thirteenth century, the transformation of
Delhi into a capital began with the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate. The five dynasties which
are termed together as the Delhi Sultanate ruled from 1206 CE to 1526 CE. Their rulers were
known as Sultans who ruled from Delhi.
Sources
Tarikh is a valuable source to study the Delhi Sultanate. It is the history written in Persian
language. During the Delhi Sultanate, Persian was the language of administration. These
histories or tawarikh (plural of tarikh) were written by learned men who, apart from recording
events, also advised the Sultan on governance. These records were often written for Sultans in
the hope of rich rewards. The authors lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and, therefore, paid lesser
attention to the general public living in villages, They influenced the Sultans by their own
29
to these sources, a critical and analytical
decisions to govern the empire. Thus, while referring
Delhi Sultanate.
approach is important to study the history of the
1451 CE-1526 CE
320 CE-1414 CE 1414 CE-1451 CE
1206 CE-1290 CE 1290 CE-1320 CE
and died in an accidental fall in 1210 CE, while playing chaugan or horse polo.
The next important king of the dynasty was Iltutmish, son-in-law of Qutbuddin. He assumed
power in 1210 CE. He was a slave of Qutbuddin Aibak. His contribution to the real consolidation
of the Delhi Sultanate was significant. During his last year, he nominated his daughter, Raziya,
as his heiress. He did not consider any of his surviving sons worthy enough to administer.
Raziya ascended the throne of Delhi in 1236 CE. Her brief rule witnessed a power struggle
that started between the Sultan and the Turkish chiefs known as 'the Forty' or the chahalgani.
Raziya was killed in 1240 CE.
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Raziya's successors were worthless and lacking in ability.
It was a period of disorder and confusion. In 1246 CE
some nobles raised Nasiruddin Mahmud, a younger
92 96
68 76 80 84 88
36 EXTENT OF THE
DELHI SULTANATE 6
UNDER ALAUDDIN KHALJI
KASHMIR
2
32
RAJPUTS
20
20
YADAVAS
KAKATIYAS BAY
OF
BENGAL
16
ARABIAN SEA
HOYSALA
12
LEGENDD
32
and ialet
ughlaqs continued tobandagans and also appointed people of humble birth
use
as generals or
governors that caused an element of
their masters as well
political instability. They were loya
as to their patrons but
not to their successors. Hence the accesSion f a
new Sutdn orten created
discord between the old and the new nobility. These Sultans chose
military commanders as
governors of the territories of different sizes These lands were called
iqta and their holders were called
iqtadar or muqti
The important duty of the muqti was to provide
law and order in their
military assistance to the Sultan and maintain
iqtas. In exchange for their military service, the muqtis had the authority
to collect revenue of their
iqgtas as their salary Their soldiers were also paid from these revenues
During the reign ot Khaljis and
Tughlaqs, strict rules were imposed and ensured that the office
of the muqt was not
inheritable. The igtas were assigned for a short span of time and were
frequently transferred. The Sultan appointed accountants to check the
amount of revenue
collected by the muqtis. Utmost care
was taken to ensure that the
muqtis collected only the
taxes authorised by the State and even
kept the required number of soldiers
Reforms of Alauddin Khalji
Under Alauddin Khalji,
the assessment and collection of land revenue was
brought under the
control of the State. He ordered the
measuring of land under cultivation in the Doab and on
this basis the land revenue would be
assessed. He introduced the policy of direct collection of
land revenue by the State. He fixed fifty
per cent of the produce to be paid as land tax (known
as khara) by all including the landlords of the area (called khuts and muqadams).
taxes on cattle and houses.
He aiso
levied
C
The most significant reform of Alauddin was the Did You Know
price control system. He was in need of a large The markets in
Delhi were controlled by
standing army to save Delhi from recurring
two officers namely
Diwan-i-Riyasatand
Mongol invasions. Therefore, he devised the price the Shahana-i-Mandi
control system to increase the size of the army
without incurring additional expenditure. The Sultan decided to pay salaries to his soidiers in
cash in lieu of iqtas.
The soldiers would buy their supplies and commodities from the merchants in Delhi and this
would lead to rise in the prices. To enable the soldiers to lead their life on a moderate pay, he
controlled the prices of all the articles in Delhi. He fixed the prices of all commodities such as
food grains, cattle, clothes, slaves, etc. Alauddin fixed the prices of goods on the basis of careful
survey done by his officers and set up markets. Anyone caught hoarding goods or a merchant
did not sell the commodities at prescribed rates was punished.
33
Rapid Round
1. Who established the Khalji dynasty?
2. Who was called an iqtada?
3 What is Kharaj?
Prince Jauna Khan, better known as Muhammad bin Tughlaq, ascended the throne in 1324 CE.
He was undoubtedly one of the most erudite and accomplished Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate.
He had a brilliant memory, keen intellect and a great capacity for assimilating knowledge.
He was proficient in different branches of knowledge such as logic, philosophy, astronomy,
mathematics and physical sciences. He was also a fine calligrapher and had a good knowledge
of Persian poetry.
34
not pay taxes.Relief measures such advancing loans to the farmers, digging wells came too
as
late. AgriCulture suffered
adversely and the poor peasants abandoned their lands and shifted
to other places. The increased taxation in Doab caused
hardships to the people
Transfer of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad
Muhammad bin Tughlaq's next administrative
measure was transferring his capital from
Delhi to Daulatabad (earlier Devagiri) in the
Deccan. The chief motive behind this
was the strategic and central location of
transfer
PAGen
Devagiri. It is near Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
It was more centrally located than Delhi.
Further, it was safe from Mongol attacks He
ordered the entire population of Delhi to
shift to Daulatabad. He provided all facilities
Fig. 4.4: Daulatabad Fort
to make the journey comfortable. But the
people of Delhi were not happy with this move. Large number of people died on the way. The
Sultan, after realising his folly, ordered to move back to Delhi.
The sudden death ofMuhammad bin Tughlaq urged the nobles to nominate his cousin. Firuz
benevolent ruler. He abolished many unjust taxes levied
Shah Tughlag, to the throne. He was a
He also constructed
several canals and repaired the old ones to improve
by his predeessor.
35
the city
and gardening activities. He founded
undertook building
dgriculture production. He humane by
to make the judicial system more
tried
of Firuzabad (in modern Uttar Pradesh). He of prosperity and
remembered as the period
banning inhuman punishments,
His reign was
not save the Delhi
weak s u c c e s s o r s could
After the death of Firuz,
happiness for his people. to be the last Tughlaq
Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughlaq happened
Sultanate from disruption.
to an end.
ruler. With his death, the Tughlaq dynasty came
Timur's Invasion
Sultanate was by
shattered the
Further, the power of the Delhi
ascended the throne of
invasion of Amir Timur (Tamerlane). He
attacked India in 1398 CE as a part of
his
Samarkand in 1369 CE. He
ransacked several places and
aggressive territorial conquests. He
number of
occupied Delhi. He carried immense booty and a large
Before leaving India,
captives including Indian artisans with him.
Timur amply rewarded Khizr Khan Sayyid for his support during
of
the time of invasion. He appointed Khizr Khan as the governor
Multan, Lahore and Dipalpur to rule over on his behalf. Fig. 4.5: Statue of Timur
Rapid Round
1. Who replaced the Khaljis?
2. Who was the last Tughlaq ruler?
3. When did Timur ascend the throne of Samarkand?
4. Who founded the Sayyid dynasty?
36
Global Connection
The Rise and Fall of the
Aztecs
ACCOraln9 To Nahuatl (the
native lanauage of the Aztec), Azteca means someone wno
comes from
Aztlan. It is
thought to be a mythical place located in Northern Mexico. The
Aztecs were migrants who
arrived from the North into the Anahuac Valley and established
themselves the shore of Lake Texcoco. In
on
1325 CE, they founded Mexico-Ienocnttan
(present-day Mexico
City), the capital city of the Aztecs. Sometime around 1428 CE, they
formed a Triple alliance with two cities,
namely, Texcoco and Tlacopan, and eventualy
expanded their empire. The Aztecs were very advanced and had strong spiritua
Dene
Their empire ended in 1521 CE when the
Spanish conqueror, Hernan Cortez, with his army
took over their land and
destroyed their city.
Word Galaxy
Concept Map
Qutbuddin Aibak
litutmish
Tarikeh/ Tewarih
Raziya
the Mamluk dynasty
sources
Nasiruddin Mahmud
garrison town
Ghiyasuddin Balban
toempire
JalaluddinKhali reforms ot Alauddin Khalji
The Delhi
theDelhi Sultanate Alauddin Khalii
Timur's invasion
Sultanate theKhali dynasty
raising of the taxation in Doab
Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
Bahlul Lodi the Lodi dynasty iqtaand iqtader
Muhammad bin Tughlaq transfer of capital from Delhi to Devagiri
Sikandar Lodi
the Tughlaq dynasty introduction of token currency
Ibrahim Lodi Firuz Shah Tughlaq
expansion schemes
Khizr Khan the Sayyid dynasty
Mubarak Shah
Alauddin Alam Shah
37
Let's Exercise
d) Muhammad bin Tughlaq transferred his capitalfrom anuP Durioin the Deccan
Delhi to Lahore Delhi to Devagiri
ii) Delhi to Ranthambore iv) Delhi to Malwa
Column A Column B
a) Mamluk dynasty i) Raising of the taxation in Doab
e)Lodidynasty v)Slavedynasty
o i c i d, iie
38
4. Answer the
following questions in 10 to 20 words.
a)What does Doab mean?
b) Name the two officers who controlled the markets of Delhi.
Do it to know it!
'Can the reforms of Alai
uddin
debate on
organise a
class into two groups.
the
9. Debate: Divide
in today's time?
Khalji's be adopted Turkish nobles of the IItutmish's 'the
are one of the
of the
Imagine you Rarh
between Raziya
started between
that started and
ative Writing:
10. Creati on a
p o wer struggle
e r :struggle
illustrated
essay
Write an
Forty'.
the Turkish nobles.
39
extent of the Delhi Sultanate
11. Map Work: On an outline map of medieval India, mark the
under Alauddin Khalji.
order.
12. Arrange the following events in a chronological
accidental fall.
a) Death of Qutbuddin Aibak in an
WEBLINKs
http://knowindia.gov.in/culture-and-heritage/medieval-history/timurs-invasion.php
https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/timeline-of-delhi-sultanate-1491285979-1
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/ikram/part1_03.html
As on 30/04/2019