The Delhi Sultans

There were three types of taxes-

1. The tax levied on crops was called 'kharaj' which was about 50 percent of the peasant's produce.
2. The second tax was on the cattle.
3. The third tax was on the Houses.

Delhi first became a capital kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs. They were defeated by the chauhans or the Chamanas in the twelfth century who were from Ajmer. It was then that Delhi became a commercial centre. Many Jaina merchants lived in the city and constructed important temples.Coins minted here had a wide circulation.

Muhammad Tughluq's administrative character and methods were a failure. The main reasons for the failures were-

• His campaign into Kashmir was a disaster, after which he gave up his plans to invade Transoxiana.
• The shifting of Capital, from Delhi to Daulatabad, was a spoiled decision.
• The raising of taxes and famine in the Ganga-Yamuna belt led to widespread rebellion.
• Finally, the 'Token' currency had to be recalled.

A fourteenth century traveler 'Ibn Battuta' explained that the Chieftains fortified themselves in mountains, in Rocky, uneven and rugged places, as well as in bamboo groves. They lived in these forests, which serve them as ramparts, inside which was their cattle and the crop, and water was available for them, this is usually rain water. These chieftains cannot be subdued except by powerful armies who enter the forests by cutting the bamboos with special instruments.

The authors of the Tawarikh had a systematic method of working-

• The authors lived in cities(mainly Delhi) and hardly ever in villages
• They often wrote their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards
• These authors advised the rulers on the need to preserve an ideal' social order based on birthright and gender distinctions
• These ideas were not shared by everybody.

Because of following reasons:

• Long distance
• Rebellion and war
• Challenge of Mongol Invasions from Afghanistan
• Rebellions of Governors.

In 1236, Sultan iltutmish's daughter Raziya became the Sultan. Minhaj-i-Siraj the chronicler of that time recognised that she was better qualified than her brothers to rule the kingdom but as per the rules and norms of Gender distinctions and Birthright he was not comfortable with a female becoming the ruler,even the nobles were not happy. She was removed from the throne in 1240

The Bandagans were special slaves purchased for military service by the early sultans especially Illtutmish.They were carefully trained to man important political offices in the kingdom.They were totally dependent on the masters and the Sultan could trust them implicitly.

The Khalji and the Tughlaq monarchs appointed military commanders as governers of territories. These land were called the Iqta and the landholders were called Iqtadars or the muqti. The role of the muqti was to lead military campaigns and to maintain peace and order in their Iqtas.

The Mongols under Genghis Khan attacked the Delhi Sultanate repeatedly after 1219.This forced the two rulers to mobilise a large standing army in Delhi because the attacks increased during the reign of Allaudin Khilji and in the early years of Muhammed Tughluq's rule.

Sultan muhammed Tughluq appointed Aziz Khummar, a wine distiller, Firuj Hajjam, a barber, Manka tabbakh, a cook and two garderners Ladhs and Pira to high administrative posts.Ziyauddin barani , a fourteenth century chronicler reported the appointments as a sign of the sultan's loss of judgement and his incapacity to rule.

The duty of Iqtadar or Muqti was to maintain law and order in their iqtas. In exchange of their services, they collected revenues of their assignments as salary.They also paid the soldiers from the revenue they collected.These muqti's were assigned iqtas for a short period of time to maintain control.

The Khalji and Tughluq Monarchs appointed military commanders as governors of territories of varying sizes. These lands were called Iqta

Delhi became as capital city under the Delhi Sultanate in 13 Century.

Important historical sources to study the history of the Delhi Sultanate are coins, inscriptions and architecture and the most important sources are Histories (Tarikh (singular) or Tawarikh (plural). They were written in Persian language

Razziya was the daughter of Iltutmish. She was appointed as the Sultana of Delhi in 1236. Minhaj-I-Siraj was a Chronicler of the age. He favored the subordination of women. Religious leaders of that period did not like a woman ruling the state. That was why, Razziya was removed from the throne in 1240

Iqtas were the land granted to the military commanders in lieu of their salaries and holders of these territories were known as Iqtadars or muqtis

Invasion of the Mongols took place under Genghis Khan in the north-east Iran in 1219. During this time Delhi also was invaded. And the rule of Alauddin Khalji and Tughluq witnessed many invasions of the Mongols. Due to this reason the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate had to mobilize their army and strengthened it.

Ulema' were the scholars of Islamic learning, who were generally orthodox in their outlook. Ibn Batuta, was a fourteenth-Century traveller from Morocco, Africa.