About the Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 AD) was the first great Islamic empire in India. It was founded by Qutbuddin Aibak in 1206 AD after the death of Muhammad Ghori. For more than three hundred years, five dynasties ruled from Delhi: the Slave (Mamluk), the Khilji, the Tughlaq, the Sayyid and the Lodi. The Sultanate ended in 1526 AD when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire.
The Five Dynasties
1. Slave (Mamluk) Dynasty (1206–1290): Founded by Qutbuddin Aibak, who was called Lakh Baksh (giver of lakhs) for his generosity. He began the Qutub Minar and built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Iltutmish (1211–1236) was the real consolidator of the Sultanate; he organised the Iqta system, formed the Chahalgani (Corps of Forty), introduced the silver tanka and copper jital coins, and completed the Qutub Minar. His daughter Razia Sultan (1236–1240) was the first woman to rule Delhi. Balban (1266–1287) strengthened the monarchy with his ideas of kingship, the policy of blood and iron, a spy system and the court customs of sijda and paibos. He was also the head of the Diwan-i-Arz (military department).
2. Khilji Dynasty (1290–1320): Founded by Jalaluddin Khilji. The greatest ruler was Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316), who conquered Gujarat, Ranthambore, Chittor and Malwa. His general Malik Kafur led campaigns into the Deccan against Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra and Madurai. Alauddin introduced market control and price control, a large permanent standing army paid in cash, and the dagh (branding) and huliya (descriptive roll) systems. He took the title Sikander-i-Sani (Second Alexander), built the Siri fort, Hauz Khas and the Alai Darwaza, and successfully defended India from Mongol invasions.
3. Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414): Founded by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, who built the fortified city of Tughlaqabad. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325–1351) is remembered for his bold but failed experiments: shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri), introducing token currency, and raising taxes in the Doab. He is called a “wise fool” and an “ill-starred idealist”. The Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited India during his reign. Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388) built canals and many towns such as Firozabad, Fatehabad and Jaunpur, and wrote the Futuhat-i-Firozshahi. The dynasty was shattered by Timur’s invasion in 1398 AD.
4. Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451): Founded by Khizr Khan, who was a nominee of Timur. His successors Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Shah and Alam Shah were weak rulers.
5. Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526): Founded by Bahlol Lodi. The greatest ruler was Sikandar Lodi, who founded Agra and was called the “Sultan of the Age”. The last ruler Ibrahim Lodi was defeated and killed by Babur at the First Battle of Panipat (1526 AD).
Administration of the Delhi Sultanate
- Sultan: head of the state, army and administration; in practice a military autocrat.
- Wazir: the prime minister, in charge of finance and general administration.
- Diwan-i-Arz: the military department.
- Diwan-i-Risalat: the department of religious affairs.
- Diwan-i-Insha: the department of correspondence.
- Muhtasib: officer in charge of markets and public morals.
- Iqta: land assigned to nobles (iqtadars) in lieu of salary; the Khalisa was land reserved for the Sultan.
- Taxes: kharaj (land tax), jizya (on non-Muslims), zakat (on Muslims), and taxes on trade and cattle. Land revenue was generally half of the produce.
Timeline of the Delhi Sultanate
- 1206 AD: Qutbuddin Aibak founds the Slave dynasty.
- 1211–1236 AD: Reign of Iltutmish.
- 1236–1240 AD: Razia Sultan rules Delhi.
- 1266–1287 AD: Reign of Balban.
- 1290 AD: Jalaluddin Khilji founds the Khilji dynasty.
- 1296–1316 AD: Reign of Alauddin Khilji.
- 1320 AD: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq founds the Tughlaq dynasty.
- 1325–1351 AD: Muhammad bin Tughlaq; Ibn Battuta visits India.
- 1398 AD: Timur invades India.
- 1414 AD: Khizr Khan founds the Sayyid dynasty.
- 1451 AD: Bahlol Lodi founds the Lodi dynasty.
- 1526 AD: First Battle of Panipat; Ibrahim Lodi defeated by Babur.
Main Facts about the Delhi Sultanate (Quick Revision Bullets)
- Founder of the Slave dynasty: Qutbuddin Aibak (1206).
- Qutbuddin Aibak’s title: Lakh Baksh.
- Buildings begun by Qutbuddin Aibak: Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.
- Real consolidator of the Sultanate: Iltutmish.
- Coins introduced by Iltutmish: silver tanka and copper jital.
- Chahalgani: Corps of Forty nobles, formed by Iltutmish.
- First woman ruler of Delhi: Razia Sultan.
- Ruler who used sijda and paibos: Balban.
- Greatest Khilji ruler: Alauddin Khilji.
- Market and price control: Alauddin Khilji.
- Dagh and huliya system: Alauddin Khilji.
- Alauddin’s title: Sikander-i-Sani (Second Alexander).
- Malik Kafur: general of Alauddin Khilji who led the Deccan campaigns.
- Tughlaq who shifted the capital: Muhammad bin Tughlaq (Delhi to Daulatabad).
- Traveller who visited during Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Ibn Battuta.
- Founder of Agra: Sikandar Lodi.
- Timur’s invasion: 1398 AD.
- Last Sultan of Delhi: Ibrahim Lodi (1526).
Important Persons and Terms
- Qutbuddin Aibak: founder of the Slave dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate.
- Iltutmish: real consolidator; Iqta system, Chahalgani, tanka and jital.
- Razia Sultan: first woman ruler of Delhi.
- Balban: strong ruler; policy of blood and iron; sijda and paibos.
- Alauddin Khilji: greatest Khilji ruler; market control; defender against the Mongols.
- Malik Kafur: Alauddin’s general in the Deccan.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq: known for the capital shift, token currency and Doab taxation.
- Ibn Battuta: Moroccan traveller who wrote the Rihla.
- Firoz Shah Tughlaq: builder of canals and towns; wrote Futuhat-i-Firozshahi.
- Amir Khusrau: greatest poet of the Sultanate, called “Tuti-e-Hind” (Parrot of India); wrote Khazain-ul-Futuh and Tarikh-i-Alai.
- Ziauddin Barani: historian, author of Tarikh-i-Firozshahi and Fatwa-i-Jahandari.
- Minhaj-us-Siraj: author of Tabaqat-i-Nasiri.
Why the Delhi Sultanate Matters for Exams
The Delhi Sultanate is one of the most important topics of medieval Indian history. Typical questions: Who founded the Delhi Sultanate? (Qutbuddin Aibak.) Who was the first woman ruler of Delhi? (Razia Sultan.) Which Sultan introduced market control? (Alauddin Khilji.) Who shifted the capital to Daulatabad? (Muhammad bin Tughlaq.) Who wrote the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri? (Minhaj-us-Siraj.) A common trap is to confuse the Slave and Khilji dynasties, or the tanka (silver) with the jital (copper). Another trap is to think that Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s capital shift was to Delhi — actually it was from Delhi to Daulatabad.
How to Prepare This Topic
- Learn the five dynasties in order with their founders and periods. Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi.
- Focus on the four famous Sultans. Iltutmish, Balban, Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
- Learn the administrative terms. Iqta, Khalisa, Wazir, Diwan-i-Arz, Diwan-i-Risalat, Muhtasib, kharaj and jizya.
- Learn the sources and writers. Amir Khusrau, Ziauddin Barani, Minhaj-us-Siraj and Ibn Battuta.
- Link the end. The Sultanate ended at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 AD.
Common Exam Traps
- Qutbuddin Aibak founded the Sultanate; Iltutmish consolidated it.
- Alauddin Khilji introduced market control, dagh and huliya, not Balban.
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted the capital to Daulatabad, not to Delhi.
- The silver tanka and copper jital were introduced by Iltutmish.
- Amir Khusrau was the poet; Ziauddin Barani was the historian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded the Delhi Sultanate and when?
The Delhi Sultanate was founded by Qutbuddin Aibak in 1206 AD after the death of Muhammad Ghori. He belonged to the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty and built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and began the Qutub Minar.
Which were the five dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate?
The five dynasties were the Slave (Mamluk) dynasty (1206–1290), the Khilji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451) and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).
Who was the first woman ruler of Delhi and who was the real consolidator of the Sultanate?
Razia Sultan was the first woman ruler of Delhi (1236–1240). Iltutmish, her father, was the real consolidator of the Sultanate; he organised the Iqta system, formed the Chahalgani and introduced the silver tanka and copper jital.
What were the market control measures of Alauddin Khilji?
Alauddin Khilji fixed the prices of essential goods, appointed the Muhtasib to supervise markets, maintained a large permanent standing army paid in cash, and introduced the dagh (branding) and huliya (descriptive roll) systems for horses and soldiers.
Why is Muhammad bin Tughlaq called a wise fool?
Muhammad bin Tughlaq was a learned and ambitious ruler, but several of his bold experiments failed — shifting the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, introducing token currency, and raising taxes in the Doab during a famine. Hence he is called a wise fool or an ill-starred idealist.
How did the Delhi Sultanate come to an end?
The Delhi Sultanate ended when Babur defeated and killed the last Lodi ruler Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 AD, and founded the Mughal Empire.