60-second revision
- Order: Mamluk (1206) – Khalji (1290) – Tughlaq (1320) – Sayyid (1414) – Lodi (1451–1526).
- Iltutmish: silver tanka and copper jital, iqta system, the Forty; Razia was his daughter.
- Balban: sijda and paibos, theory of divine kingship. Alauddin Khalji: market control, dagh and huliya.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq: capital to Daulatabad, token currency; Ibn Battuta served as qazi of Delhi.
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq brought two Ashokan pillars (Topra, Meerut) to Delhi.
- Vijayanagara founded 1336 by Harihara and Bukka (Sangama dynasty); capital Hampi on the Tungabhadra.
- Krishnadeva Raya (Tuluva) wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu; Battle of Talikota 1565.
- Travellers to Vijayanagara: Niccolo de Conti, Abdur Razzaq, Domingo Paes, Fernao Nuniz.
The five dynasties
| Dynasty | Years | Key rulers and events |
|---|---|---|
| Mamluk (Slave) | 1206–1290 | Qutb-ud-din Aibak (founder; began Qutb Minar); Iltutmish (tanka and jital, iqta, the Forty); Razia (1236–40, first woman ruler); Balban (divine kingship, sijda and paibos) |
| Khalji | 1290–1320 | Jalaluddin; Alauddin (market control, standing army, dagh and huliya, Malik Kafur's southern campaigns, Alai Darwaza 1311, Siri fort) |
| Tughlaq | 1320–1414 | Ghiyasuddin (Tughlaqabad); Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Daulatabad, token currency, Ibn Battuta); Firoz Shah (canals, Ashokan pillars, jizya on Brahmins); Timur sacked Delhi in 1398 |
| Sayyid | 1414–1451 | Khizr Khan; a weak, short-lived dynasty |
| Lodi | 1451–1526 | Bahlul (first Afghan dynasty); Sikandar (founded Agra, 1504); Ibrahim, defeated by Babur at Panipat, 1526 |
Reforms that get asked
- Iltutmish — tanka (silver) and jital (copper); iqta assignments; the Turkan-i-Chahalgani, a group of forty nobles.
- Balban — broke the power of the Forty; declared the Sultan the shadow of God (zil-i-ilahi); introduced sijda (prostration) and paibos (kissing the feet).
- Alauddin Khalji — fixed prices in markets supervised by the shahna-i-mandi; dagh (branding horses) and huliya (descriptive roll of soldiers); land revenue raised to half the produce in the doab.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq — capital moved to Daulatabad (1327); token coins of copper or brass that were easily forged; a separate department of agriculture (diwan-i-amir-kohi).
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq — canals, new towns such as Firozabad and Hisar, a department of charity (diwan-i-khairat) and of slaves (diwan-i-bandagan).
Administration terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Iqta / iqtadar (muqti) | Revenue assignment given in place of salary / its holder |
| Kharaj | Land tax |
| Jizya | Tax on non-Muslims |
| Diwan-i-arz | Military department |
| Diwan-i-insha | Department of royal correspondence |
| Wazir | Chief minister, in charge of finance |
Buildings and writers
Qutb-ud-din Aibak built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and began the Qutb Minar, which Iltutmish completed; Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired its upper storeys after lightning damage. Alauddin's Alai Darwaza (1311) is admired for its true arch and dome. Amir Khusrau, a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya, wrote poetry in Persian and Hindavi and was called Tuti-i-Hind (parrot of India). Minhaj-us-Siraj wrote Tabaqat-i-Nasiri and Ziauddin Barani wrote Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi.
The Sultanate faced constant Mongol raids in the 13th and early 14th centuries, which is why Balban and Alauddin Khalji built up strong armies and forts. It declined after Muhammad bin Tughlaq's failed experiments and Firoz Shah's weak successors: provinces such as Bengal, the Deccan (the Bahmani kingdom) and Vijayanagara broke away, and Timur's sack of Delhi in 1398 left the Sultanate a regional power under the Sayyids and Lodis.
Vijayanagara (1336–1646)
Harihara and Bukka founded Vijayanagara in 1336 with its capital at Hampi on the Tungabhadra. Four dynasties ruled: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu. The kingdom fought the Bahmani sultans for the fertile Raichur doab between the Krishna and the Tungabhadra.
Krishnadeva Raya (1509–1529) of the Tuluva dynasty was its greatest ruler. He wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu, kept eight poets called the Ashtadiggajas, and is credited with fine temples, including additions to the Vitthala temple at Hampi, and with adding tall gopurams to many south Indian temples. Military chiefs called amara-nayakas held territories in return for maintaining troops. In 1565, at the Battle of Talikota (also called Rakshasi-Tangadi), the Deccan sultanates defeated Rama Raya and Hampi was plundered. Its ruins are a World Heritage Site.
| Traveller | From | Ruler at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Niccolo de Conti | Italy | Devaraya I |
| Abdur Razzaq | Persia (Herat) | Devaraya II |
| Domingo Paes | Portugal | Krishnadeva Raya |
| Fernao Nuniz | Portugal | Achyuta Raya (after Krishnadeva Raya) |
The Bahmani kingdom
Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah founded the Bahmani kingdom in 1347, breaking away from Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Its minister Mahmud Gawan built a famous madrasa at Bidar. The kingdom later split into five sultanates: Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar, Berar and Bidar — four of which joined hands at Talikota.
Test yourself: 10 questions, 45 s each
Every answer is explained. Free, no sign-up.
Start the quiz