Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate known as one of the India’s rich

historical time-period. This empire rulers from the 13th- 16th
century, played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s
culture, architecture, and society. Delhi Sultanate was a
series of
Islamic dynasties that ruled over the Indian subcontinent. It
began with Ghurid invasion in 1192, establishing first Muslim
rule in Delhi. Over the period various dynasties, such as
Slave Dynasty, Khilji Dynasty, Tuglaq Dynasty, Sayyid
Dynasty and the Lodi Dynasty, left their marks on the region.
Lets discuss in detail:

Muizzuddin Muhammad, also known as Muhammad of Ghor,

defeated the Chahmana ruler Prithviraj Chauhan in the
Second battle of Tarain in 1192 CE. This defeat paved the
way for further Ghurid expansion into India. The Rajputs
failed miserably in forging any alliance to recover the lost
territories.

In 1206, Qutubuddin Aibak established the Delhi Sultanate

after declaring his independence from the Ghurids. The
establishment of the Delhi sultanate resulted in profound
changes in India’s society, administration, and cultural life.

Dynasties in Delhi Sultanate

As we have discussed above that Delhi Sultanate was a series of
Islamic dynasties that ruled over India from Delhi.

1. Slave Dynasty
2. Khilji Dynasty
3. Tughlaq Dynasty
4. Sayyid Dynasty
5. Lodi Dynasty
 Delhi Sultanate: All Dynasties With Time Period

1. The Mamluk or Ilbari or Slave Dynasty (1206- 1290 CE) of

Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate

 Muham mad of Ghor, Sultan of the Ghurid Empire,

was killed in 1206 CE. His empire was split into regions led
by his former Mamluk (a non-Arab slave soldier who had
converted to Islam)
 Qutb-ud-din Aibak was the founder of slave dynasty,
also we can say founded the Delhi Sultanate under the
Slave dynasty.

Region Ruler
Ghazni Taj-ud-Din
 Yildoz
Muhammad bin
Bengal
Bakhtiyar Khilji
Multan Nasir-ud-Din
Qabacha
Delhi Qutbuddin Aibak

 The Slave or Mamluk dynasty is also called the Ilbari

dynasty, as most of the rulers were of the Ilbari tribe, such
as Iltutmish and Ghiasuddin Balban. However, Qutbuddin
Aibak was of the Aibak tribe.
 People of Humble origin were often given a high rank in the Slave
dynasty.

Map Of Delhi Sultanate During Qutubuddin Aibak And Balban

Rulers of Slave dynasty Features

Qutbuddin Aibak (1206-1210 · He was a slave of

CE) Mohammad Ghori and one of
Capital – Lahore his loyal Generals. Soon after
Ghori’s assassination, he
declared
 independence and established
the first Muslim dynasty in
India.
· He took titles
such as Malik and Sipahasalar
and not Sultan. He didn’t even
mint coins in his name.

· Ghiyasuddin Mahmud, the

successor of Muhammad Ghori,
gave him the title of Sultan.

· He is also known as Lakh Baksh.

· Started the construction of Qutub

Minar (1199 CE), named after
Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar
Kaki, a Sufi saint.
· He had to fight a war of
succession after the death of his
father-in-law Aibak.
Iltutmish (1211-
·Crushed rebellions include Nasir-
1236 CE) Capital – ud-din Qabacha from Lahore, Ali
Mardan Khan and Iwaz from
Delhi Bengal and Bihar.

· The Mongol ruler Genghis Khan

tried to Invade India during this
time. He refused to help the
Afghan ruler Jalal-al-Din to save
his empire from Mongolian attack.

· Chalukyas of Gujarat defeated

him.Established Iqta system.

Established a nobility known as

Turkan- i-Chahalgani or Chalisa
(a group of forty)

·Minted coins – silver (Tanka) and

copper (Jital).

·He completed the construction of

Qutub Minar and built the Hauz
Shams and a
madarsa around it.
 · Succeeded her father,
Iltutmish, after the death of her
half-brother Ruknuddin.
Raziya (1236-1239 CE) · he discarded the female
dress and attended the
court without a veil.

· Razia was a devotee of

Turkman Bayabani(a famous
sufi saint).

· She had to face multiple

rebellions:

o Kabir Khan, Governor of

Lahore.

o Altunia, Governor
of Tabarhinda (Bhatinda).

o Rajputs of Ranthambhore.

o lltutmish’s Wazir, Nizam-ul-

Mulk Junaidi, supported the
revolters.

·She married Altunia, the

Governor of
Bhatinda and her lover.

·They marched toward Delhi to

reclaim it from her half-brother
Muizuddin Bahram. She was
killed during this march.
 After Razia’s death, Ghiasuddin
Balban, a Turkish chief, ruled
through puppet rulers for several
decades.
A Series of Puppet rulers ·During Raziya’s reign, he was a
high rank noble. He was a
naib or deputy to Nasiruddin
Mahmud(1246-65), a younger son
of Iltutmish.
·Nasiruddin Mahmud was one of
the puppet rulers who gave
Balban the title of Ulugh Khan
(Premier khan).
 · Hefinally seized power in 1266
CE for himself.
· He proclaimed the Sultan to be
God (Zil-i- Ilahi) and thus
Ghiasuddin Balban (1266-
mandated the practice of Sizda
(prostration) and Paibos (kissing
the feet of a sultan).

· He tried to break the power of

Chahalgani or Chalisa (a group of
40 Turkic nobles). Only Turkish
noble family members were
appointed to a government post.

· Blood and Iron Policy: He

became ruthless against enemies.
He Administered justice with
extreme impartiality and appointed
spies everywhere. He even
1287CE) banned laughing or joking in court.

· Establish
ed
a new military department
(Diwan-i-Arz).

· Persian Influence: He declared

that he is a descendant of the
legendary Iranian King Afrasiyab
and introduced the
celebration of the Persian new
year Nauroz in India.

 Qaiqabad (1287-1290 CE) was the last ruler of slave

dynasty; he was killed after getting paralysis. After his
death, his son Kayumars was killed by a group of nobles
led by Arz-i-Mamalik (military head) and Malik Firuz (Later
known as Sultan Jalaluddin Firuz Khalji).
2. The Khalji/ Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320 CE)
The Khalji/ Khilji were of Turk–Afghan. Their rise in power in
India ended the monopoly of Turkish nobles and officials. After
the Khilji Dynasty Rulers
1. Jalal-ud-din Khalji (1290-1296 CE)
 Jalal-ud-din Khilji was the Founder of Khilji Dynasty
 He couped against the Slave dynasty rulers at the age of 70,
removed some of the harsh rules of Balban and avoided
harsh punishments.
 Expeditions under his son-in-law Alauddin Khalji, whom
he titled Amir- ul-Tuzuk.
 Alauddin led an expedition to Devagiri, which was ruled by
Ramachandra Deva of the Yadava dynasty in 1296. he
killed him in Kara (Kaushambi, U.P).
 Rebellions during his regime were –
1. Malik Chhajju’s (Governor of Bengal) Revolt was
repressed. Chhajju was spared despite the protest from
Alauddin.
2. Noble Tajuddin Kuchi was humiliated publically for his
intention to revolt.
3. Sidi Maula(a Sufi saint) was executed on the allegation
of conspiracy against the King.

Map Of Delhi Sultanate Under Jalal-Ud-Din Khilji

2. Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316 CE) (Early Name: Ali Gurshap)

1. Capital: at Siri, a city near Delhi founded by him).

2. He proclaimed himself Sultan after killing
3. Reintroduced of Blood and Iron policy:
1. Nobles were forbidden to hold festivities and marriage
alliances without the permission of the Sultan.
2. He banned the use of wine and intoxicants.
3. Spies were employed against nobles.
4. Mongols attacked six times during 1296-1306 during
Alauddin’s reign, with the attack of 1303 being particularly
fierce. However, he was successful in repulsing the attacks.
5. Military reforms introduced to fight Mongols(after 1303
Mongol attack):
6. He was the first Sultan to pay the army in cash.
7. Introduced the Dagh System (branding of horses) and
Chehra System (maintenance of description of each
soldier).
 Conquests in the North (till 1306)
1. Made Malik Kafur (captured during the Gujarat
expedition) his Malik-Naib (Military general).
2. Rajasthan(1302), Gujarat(1304) and Malwa(1305)
– under the command of Nusrat Khan and Ulugh
Khan, his brother.
3. The Rajput rulers were allowed to rule by paying
regular tribute and obeying Sultan’s orders.
1.
 Alauddin’s Conquests in the South(1307-1313) –
1. In 1296, Devagiri was raided for the first time, and in 1307,
the Yadava territory fell to Malik Kafur’s forces almost
without a fight.
2. In 1303, Kakatiyas bravely defeated Delhi’s forces in
the Battle of However, In 1309, Malik Kafur subjugated
them.
3. In 1310, Yadavas helped Kafur to invade the
Hoysala territory.
In 1311, he tried to invade the Pandyan country, too, when it was
dealing with a war of succession, and returned with a great amount of
plunder.
  Amir Khusrau (Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet
and scholar) accompanied the sultans on the
expeditions.

Map Of Delhi Sultanate Under Alauddin Khilji

Constructions under Alauddin’s regime:

 Built Fort of Siri (1302 CE), where the Palace of one

thousand pillars (Hazar Satun), Hauz-i-Khas and Huaz-i-Ilahi
were also built.
 Alai Darwaza near Qutub Minar.
  Jamayat Khana Masjid near the tomb of Nizamuddin
Auliya (who was a famous sufi in his
time).

3. Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah (1316-1320 CE),

the last ruler, withdrew the blood and iron policy and
Introduced the policy of Forgive and Forget. He was killed by
Khusrau Khan.

 Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah was the last ruler of Khilji dynasty.

 Khusrau Khan was 2 months later defeated by Ghazi Malik
(Ghiyath al- Din Tughluq) , the governor of Dipalpur
(Punjab, Pakistan), which ended the Khalji Dynasty.

3. The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1412 CE)

Origin of Tughlaqs:

 According to Ibn Batuta, the tughlaqs belong to the

Qarauna tribe of Turks who lived between Turkistan and
  Ghiyasuddin’mother was a Jatt noble, and his father was
likely descended from Indian Turkic

Map Of
Delhi Sultanate Under Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

Tughlaq Dynasty Rulers

1. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Shah or Ghazi Malik (1320-1325 CE)

 Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq Shah was the founder of Tughlaq Dynasty

 In the five-year period of his rule, he expanded the empire in
Bengal and consolidated the territories of Warangal. During
his time, the Delhi sultanate reached the peak of its extent.
 Religious discrimination Policy: He lowered the tax
rate for Muslims and raised the tax for Hindus.
 He was an effective Administrator:
1. He constructed canals for irrigation,
 2. Improved the means of communication, such as postal services.
3. Repaired the forts and increased the public utility works.
4. Founded a city called Tughlaqabad in Delhi.

2. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 CE) (Birth Name: Jauna

Khan)

 He got the title of Ulugh Khan and ruled as Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
 Sources of History of his rule:
1. Ibn Batuta (a Moroccan traveller) visited India during
his rule. He appointed Ibn Batuta as Qazi of Delhi and
later sent him to the court of the Chinese ruler as an
ambassador. Ibn Batuta wrote a book Qitab-ul-Rihla.
2. Had a court historian Ziauddin Barani who wrote
Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, which covers the Tughlaq
dynasty.
 Failed Expeditions under Mohammad bin Tughlaq –

1.
1. He founded a fortified city called Jahanpanah near
Delhi in 1327 to address the threat of Mongol invasions.
2. He planned to conquer Khurasan and Iraq in 1329.
But later abandoned the plan.
3. He attacked Qarachil (Kumaon hills, Himalaya) in
1330 to counter Chinese incursion. He wanted to bring
the tribes of the Kumaon- Garhwal region into Delhi
Sultanate.
 Rebellions after
1335 – 1.
1. The Vijayanagara Empire was established in 1336 CE by
the
brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I in the Deccan.
2. In 1336 Kapaya Nayak recaptured Warangal from the
Tughlaq army, establishing the Musunuri Nayaka
State.
3. In 1338, his nephew rebelled in
4. By 1339, the eastern regions under local Muslim
governors and southern parts led by Hindu kings had
declared independence.
5. In 1347, Bahmani Sultanate became independent in
the Deccan region.
 Attempt towards Agricultural reforms:
1.
1. Set up a separate department called Diwan-i-
amir-i-kohi for agriculture.
2. Gave takkavi loans (loans for cultivation) to cultivators.
3. However, this policy also failed, probably due to
corruption among officials and the inability of
cultivators to repay loans.
 Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq took several disastrous decisions
for which he is called the “wisest fool in history” or “The
Mad King”.
 Transfer of Capital: He transferred his capital
1.
from Delhi to Deogiri in 1327 to consolidate
southern territories and protect himself from
foreign invasion. He renamed it But after the
Bengal revolt, he shifted back in 1329. After
his return, rulers of the south declared
independence.
2. He increased the tax rates in the Ganga-
Yamuna Doab region and levied additional
cesses called This could have led to famine
during his rule.
3. He introduced Token coins (fiat currency)
of copper and bronze; this failed as the
forgery of coinsincreased.
 Showed some religious tolerance:

1. He was the 1st Sultan who visited the tomb of

Moinuddin Chishti in
2. Built the tomb of Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi.

3. He conversed with Muslim mystics, Hindu yogis

and Jain saints (like Jinaprabha Suri), including
Muslims of various races as nobles.
4. Allowed important offices to Muslim converts and
a few Hindus.
5. Repaired Shamsi Mosque of Badaun.
 Map Of Delhi Sultanate Under Firoz Shah Tuglaq

3. Feroz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388 CE)

 Adopted a policy of appeasement of Nobles, theologists and the army.

 Sources of Feroz Shah’s history:
1. He wrote a memoir Futuhat-i Firoz Shah.
2. He made Arizuddin Khan translate 100s of Sanskrit
manuscripts taken from Nagarkot (Nepal) and
elsewhere into Persian under the name Dalail-i-
Firozshahi.
3. Ziauddin Barani and Shams-i-Siraj lived in his court.
 Reforms in his times:
1. Wrote off the loans under Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
2. Built free hospitals like Dar-ul-Shafa and marriage
bureaus for poor Muslims and ordered the kotwals to
make lists of unemployed persons.
 3. Established Diwan-i-Khairat, an office for
charity, and Diwan-
i- Bundagan, a department for slaves.
4. Established Sarais (rest house) for merchants and travellers.
5. Made and repaired canals for irrigation.
6. Banned torture as punishment.
 Loosening Grip on Administration and Army:
1. He made the position of the army officers and
Nobles hereditary, thereby allowing them more
power
2. He paid the army not in cash but by assignments
on the land revenue of villages, which gave birth
to powerful feudatories.
3. Increased the number of slaves in the rule and
posted them in the army and royal workshops
(Karkhanas).

 Military Campaigns:
1. He did not attempt to reassert the authority in South
India and Deccan, which gained independence
during Mohammad bin Tughlaq’s times. He,
however, crushed the rebellions in Gujarat and
Thatta.
2. He led two unsuccessful campaigns in Bengal. His
armies desecrated the temples in Jajnagar
(Orissa) but couldn’t annex the state.
3. Led a campaign against Kangra in Punjab Hills.
 His Religious intolerance was aimed at pleasing
Muslim orthodoxy, which was a desperate attempt to
gain control over his decaying empire.
1. He prohibited the practice of Muslim women
worshipping at the graves of saints and
persecuted several Muslim sects which were
considered heretical by the orthodox Muslims.
2. For the 1st time, Jaziya (tax on non-Muslim
subjects of the rule) became a separate tax;
 earlier, it was a part of land tax.
 Constructions under him:
1. Established new towns such as Firoz-shah Kotla
in Delhi, Hissar- Firuzah or Hissar (in modern
Haryana) and Firuzabad (in modern Uttar
Pradesh).
2. Repaired the Qutub Minar, which was struck by
lightning.

4. Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Shah Tughlaq (1394-1412 CE)

 Son of Feroz Shah, Nasiruddin Mahmud, sat on the

throne but could not control the rebellious nobles and
governors.
 By his time, the army, too, had become inefficient.
 Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Shah Tughlaq was the last
ruler of Tughlaq Dynasty
 The invasion of Timur in Delhi in 1398 ended the
Tughlaq dynasty, and Nasiruddin Mahmood was
displaced in 1412.

4. The Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451 CE)

 The Sayyid claimed to be the descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad.
 After Timur attacked Delhi in 1398, he appointed Khizr
Khan as the Governor of Multan. Khizr Khan captured
Delhi and established the Sayyid dynasty in 1414.
Rulers of Sayyid Dynasty

Rulers Features
· He ruled as the Rayat- i-Ala (vassal) of
the Timurids.
. Khizr khan was the founder of Sayyid
Khizr Khan Dynasty.
(1414- · He didn’t take the title of Sultan but took small
1421) titles such as Masnad-i-Aali (Most High Post) and
continued to mint coins in the name of previous
Tughlaq rulers.

· Succeeded in his father’s small kingdom.

· Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi wrote Tarikh-i-
Mubarakshahi during his rule.
Mubarak
Shah (1421- · Established a new town Mubarakabad on the
34) banks of the Yamuna River.

· AlamShah, was the last ruler of Sayyid Dynasty,

abdicated his small kingdom and retired to Budaun,
U.P.
Alam Shah
· Bahlul Khan Lodi (the governor of
(1445-
Sirhind in
1450)
Punjab) captured Delhi in 1451.
5. The Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)
 The Lodis were the members of the Pashtun Lodhi tribe.
 The kingship was highly centralised during the rule of the
earlier Turkish Sultan of India, and Sultan’s absolute power
was absolute.
 But for the Afghans, the King was ‘the first among equals‘.

Map Of Delhi Sultanate Under Lodhi Dynasty

Rulers of Delhi Sultanate:

Rulers Features
. Bahlul Khan Lodi
was the founder of
Bahlul Khan Lodi (1451–1489) Lodi Dynasty.

· He annexed Delhi
from the Sharqi dynasty
(Capital – Delhi) of Jaunpur U.P.

· He never sat on the

throne in front of his fellow
Afghan nobles nor
organized an open darbar.

· Called his Afghan

nobles Masnad-i-Ali.
Sikandar Shah Lodi (1489– · He took up the title
1517) Sikandar Shah.
(Born as Nizam Khan) · He founded
the city Agra and
(Capital Agra) Sikandrabad and made
Agra his capital.

Administrative Changes:

· He demanded obedience
from his nobles and held
an open durbar, unlike his
father.

· Started the audit practice

to check the
accounts of Muqtas and
Walis (governors).
Built by Sikandar Lodi in 1516 · Refined the intelligence
 system.

· He banned the use of

languages other than
Persian in government
offices.
· Founded a new
measurement of a yard
called Gazz-i-Sikandari.
 Social initiatives:

· Opened charity houses

for impoverished and
disabled people and gave
financial aid to educational
institutions.

· During his reign,

Ayurvedic books were
translated under the title
Tibb-i-Sikandari.

Military Expeditions:
· He annexed Dholpur
(Rajasthan); thus, Rajputana
and Malwa regions came
under his rule.

· He also annexed the

forts of Narwar and
Chanderi of Madhy a
Pradesh.

·Khanzada of Nagaur
(Rajasthan) accepted his
suzerainty.
 · Ibrahim Lodi
was the last
ruler of Lodi
Dynasty.
. Babur
defeated
Ibrahim
Ibrahim Lodi (1517- Lodi
1526) in the
first Battle of
Panipat
(April 20,
1526), which
ended the
Lodi
dynasty.

· Babur was
invited by
the governor
of
Lahore,
Daulat
Khan Lodi
and the
governor of
 Dipalpur Alam
Khan Lodi.

Administration of Delhi Sultanate

 The empire was divided into Provinces(Iqtas), districts

(Shiqs) and Sub- districts(Pargana) for efficient collection of
revenue.

Administration Of Delhi Sultanate

Central Administration

1. King or Sultan – Sultan was the head of the Delhi sultanate.

  He was the supreme commander of the army and the
highest Judicial authority.
 Caliph recognised him by granting robes of honour,
letters of investiture and titles.
 Sikka or coins were inscribed with King’s
name, and Khutba (sermons at mosques) were read in
his name.

2. Wazir – He looked after general administration and was head

of the finance department Diwan-i-Wazarat.
 After the Sultan, he was the most influential member in
the central government and had wide supervisory
authority over other officials.
 Khwaja Jahan was a very powerful Wazir who tried to
play the role of Kingmaker after the death of Firoz
Shah. After this incident, no Sultan allowed the
concentration of power in Wazir’s hands.
 The following officials helped him –

Mushrif-i Accountant-
mumalik general
Mustaufi-i
Auditor-general
mumalik
Collector of
Diwan-i arrears of
mustakh revenue during
raj the reign of
Alauddin
Khalji

3. Arz-i-Mamalik – He was the head of the Diwan-i-Arz (Military

 Department).
 Balban introduced this department.
 His function was to inspect the troops maintained by the
Iqta-holders and supervise the supply and transport of
the Sultan’s army.

4. Important officials

Official In Charge
s of
Head of the State news
agency. Under
Barid-i him,
mumal barids(Intelligence
ik officer)
and munhiyan(secret
spies) worked and sent
news to him.
Took care of the entire
Wakil-
household and paid
i- dar
Sultan’s staff.
Master of ceremonies
Amir- at the court. Through
i- him, all petitions to the
hajib Sultan were submitted.

5. Important Departments at the Central level:

Departme Work
nt
 The department of
Diwan-i
slaves was established
bandaga
by Firoz Shah
n
Tughlaq.
Department for agriculture,
Diwan-i-
which Muhammad bin
amir-i-
Tughlaq set up.
kohi
Diwa State correspondence and
n-i was headed by Dabir-i
insha mumalik.
Diwa The highest religious office, it
n-i was headed by Sadr-us
rasala sudur.
t

6. The Judiciary
 The King was the final court of appeals for civil and criminal
matters.
 Qazi-ul-Mumalik was the chief judge of the Sultanate.
 Qazi heard appeals in lower courts.
 Muhatsibs were the officials who assisted the judicial
department in their work.
 Kotwal maintained law and order.
Provincial Administration
Provincial Administration Of Delhi Sultanate

1. The whole empire was divided into Iqtas (provinces).

The Iqta System originated from the Caliphate
Administration of Western Asia. Iltutmish introduced this
system in the Delhi sultanate.
2. Iqtas were actually the revenue assignments given to high-
ranking nobles (Walis/Muqtis) instead of cash payments for
their services to the Sultan.
3. However, this posed a challenge:
 As the noble could become a virtual lord of the land.
 There was not enough land to be awarded to all nobles.
Those nobles with an Iqta were known as
4. The Sultans could not solve this problem:
 Alauddin Khalji had to abolish the whole Iqta system
during his rule to subdue his nobles. But since nobles
were important to maintain the empire, later, sultans
revived it.
 Initially, the revenue assignments were
non- hereditary and transferable. But during Feroz
Shah Tughlaq’s rule, the Iqta assignment was made
hereditary to appease the nobles, which ultimately
caused the downfall of the Tughlaqs.
5. Functioning of the system:
 Iqtadars collected revenue for their expenses and the
expenses of their troops and sent the surplus (Fawazil)
to
 They were helped at the Pargana level by
Amil, Mushrif and Khazandar.
Functioning Of The System In Delhi Sultanate
Local/Village Administration

 Rural aristocracy included Khut, Muqaddam and Chaudhri,

who collected land revenues (Kharaj) from the peasants and
deposited them with the officials of Diwan-i-Nizarat
(Revenue department)
 Muqaddam, or Chaudhri, headed the village, and Khut was
the revenue collector. Patwaris were the village accountant.
 The revenue collectors were allowed to have remuneration
called Haqq-i- Khuti or Haqq-i-Muqaddam, which was the
exemption from the revenue of a portion of land they held.
 They also took some share of the revenue from the
peasants, called Qismat-i Khoti or Qismat-i-Muqaddam.

Military of Delhi Sultanate

1. Sultan was the commander-in-chief of the army.

 Balban introduced a separate military
department – Diwan-i- Arz, headed by
Arz-i-Mamalik.
 The army consisted of cavalry, infantry and elephant
2. Infantry:
 The Sultans often purchased slaves (Bandagan) for military
service.
 The infantry was recruited from slaves or people of
humble origin, and even Hindus.
 These foot soldiers (Payaks) also consisted of
some archers (Dhanuks).
3. Cavalry:
 The cavalry was the most important unit of the
army since it enhanced its manoeuvrability.
 Alauddin Khalji introduced three levels of soldiers –

1.
1.
1. Murattab – They had no horse of their own.
2. Sawar – Persons having one horse each.
3. Do-aspa – A person having two horses. Such a
system was introduced to increase the speed of
the army.
 
 Supply Horses:
1. Horses were brought from Arabia, Turkistan and
Russia. This import dependence made Indian
rulers vulnerable.
2. Thus, Sultans like Firuz Tughlaq established
breeding centres (Paigahs) for horses.
 The Officer-Incharge of the Horse Stables (Qurkhana) was called
 The Turks introduced the saddle and These had given
the Turks an edge over the Indians as these helped the
mounted archer strike with speed without fear of falling.

4. Elephants came from Bengal.

 Shahna-i-Pil looked after elephants and was
superintended for elephants.

5. Firearms
 The Alauddin’s army had rudimentary artillery, as
evident from the word Sang-i maghribi as midfa
(canon) in the Sultanate literature. They also used
catapults. The southern kingdoms faced such
technologies for the first time and had no defence
against them.
 Tughlaqs used fireworks and rockets against Timur,
but he had better firearms, which led to his victory.
6. Army Logistics:
 Zarradkhana supplied the arrows and catapults. It also
replaced broken weapons.
 The food was supplied to the army on the march through
7. The Intelligence system:
 The Talaiah/Yazkis was a wing of the army that moved
ahead of the main army to bring the news of the enemy
army.
 Sahib-i-barid-i lashkar (news writer) sent reports of
the army expedition to the centre.
8. The military court was known as Qazi-i Lashkar.
Maintenance of the Army in Delhi Sultanate:

 The Sultan kept a standing army, while Nobles were

expected to maintain a fixed number of soldiers in exchange
for payments (or revenue assignments).
  Soldiers could be assigned 3 types of services:
 Hashm-i-Qalb or Afwaj-i qalb, which consisted of
Khasa Khel (royal slaves and guards), was posted in
the capital
 Hashm-i atraf were those posted outside the capital.
 Mufrads were other unattached soldiers.
 Payments:
 Wajhi were the soldiers who were paid regularly.
 Ghair-Wajhi were the soldiers recruited on an irregular
basis who were paid by way of drafts (Itlaq, Barat).
These drafts could be encashed by the Sultan’s
revenue officers of the Khalisa (Crown or reserve
land).
 Royal Security
 The most loyal slaves were appointed as Royal
Bodyguards (Jandar), who were headed by Sar–
 During public appearances, Sultans were protected by
fully armed soldiers called Silahdars, who were under
the charge of Sar- silahdar.
 They were paid a hefty salary.

Reforms were introduced by Various rulers of Delhi Sultanate in

the army.

1. Balban: separated the military department as Diwan-i-Arz.

2. Alauddin Khalji started payment in cash for the first time in
Delhi Sultanate. This reduced the dependence on feudal
lords.
 He introduced the Dagh (branding of
horses) and Chehra or Huliya (maintaining the
description of every soldier) system in the army.
 He introduced three levels of soldiers – foot soldiers,
ek-apsa (one horse) and do-apsa.
3. Firoz Shah Tughlaq started paying the Wajh soldiers by the
grants of villages which was hereditary.
The Decimal System of the Army

 The Sultanate army adopted the Mongol decimal system of

the military hierarchy, in which a Khan (a military general)
had more than ten thousand horsemen under his
command.
  The Sultan was placed above all the Khans.

Decimal System Of The Army Of Delhi Sultanate

Conclusion
After the Ghurid Invasion of North India, various Sultanates got
established in India, of these Delhi Sultanate proved to be the
strongest and ruled over large part of India for many years. They
were eventually displaced by the Mughals.