Medieval Indian History: Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire

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Medieval India (c. 1206–1757 CE) — Key Facts

Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) — Five Dynasties:

Dynasty	Period	Important Rulers
Slave Dynasty	1206–1290	Qutub-ud-din Aibak, Iltutmish
Khalji Dynasty	1290–1320	Alauddin Khalji
Tughlaq Dynasty	1320–1414	Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Sayyid Dynasty	1414–1451	Khizr Khan
Lodi Dynasty	1451–1526	Ibrahim Lodi

Mughal Empire (1526–1857):

• Babur (1526–1530): Founded empire after First Battle of Panipat
• Humayun (1530–1540, 1555–1556): Defeated by Sher Shah Suri
• Akbar (1556–1605): Expanded empire, religious tolerance
• Jahangir (1605–1627): Nur Jahan’s influence
• Shah Jahan (1628–1658): Taj Mahal, Red Fort
• Aurangzeb (1658–1707): Expanded to Deccan, orthodox policies
• Later Mughals (1707–1857): Decline, British takeover

⚡ UPTET Exam Tip: Remember the dynasty sequence with mnemonic: Slave Khalji Tughlaq Sayyid Lodi (SKTSL) for Sultanate; Babur Humayun Akbar Jahangir Shah Aurangzeb for Mughals.

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Medieval India — Detailed Study Guide

Delhi Sultanate - Detailed Analysis

Qutub-ud-din Aibak (1206–1210):

• First Sultan of Delhi
• Turkish slave who rose to power
• Built Qutub Minar (73m, built in memory of Qutub-ud-din Bakhtiar Kakori)
• Died playing chaugan (polo) - “Lakhan” or “Khan” title

Iltutmish (1211–1236) — The “King of Kings”:

• Son-in-law of Aibak
• Organized the administration with Iqta system (military feudalism)
• Introduced “Chatri” or “Chand” style of architecture
• Mamluk dynasty officially began with him
• Won the Battle of Batinda against Prithviraj Chauhan III

Balban (1266–1287):

• Served as Naib (deputy) under three sultans
• Reigned as Sultan after eliminating competitors
• Introduced Sijda (prostration before king) and Paibos (kissing the Sultan’s feet)
• Strict enforcement of Sharia
• Built Delhi’s fortification (Delhi’s third fort, called Siri)

⚡ Common Mistake: Don’t confuse Iltutmish with Ibaadat. Iltutmish was a Sultan; he organized the iqta system properly.

Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316) — The Great Reformer:

• First Sultan to conquer Gujarat and Rajputana
• Market Reforms: Fixed prices for goods (first time in Indian history)
  • Wheat: 7.5 tankas per mann
  • Barley: 4 tankas per mann
  • Cloth prices fixed based on quality
  • Daily wages fixed (Silver tanka per day for artisans)
• Diwan-i-Arz: Military department reorganized
• Aqiqah tax: Tax on goats and cows
• Character: Ruthless, paranoid, powerful administrator

Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325–1351) — The “Crazy” Sultan:

• Capital relocation: Moved capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (devastated Delhi)
• Dak Chowki: Postal system established (horse and foot messengers)
• Token Currency: First to introduce bronze/tin coins as token money (FAILED - caused inflation)
• Taxation: Imposed heavy tax on Khalsa lands (caused rebellion)
• Army reforms: Attempted paid羌 regiment (failed)
• IQTA system reorganized - divided empire into 5 parts for revenue
• Despite “crazy” label, he was a scholar, poet, and visionary administrator

⚡ UPTET PYQ: “Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced token currency made of: (a) Gold (b) Silver (c) Bronze/Tin (d) Copper” → Answer: (c) Bronze/Tin

Mughal Empire - Administrative System

Central Administration:

• Diwan-i-Aam: Public audience hall (all people meet Sultan)
• Diwan-i-Khas: Private audience (only nobles, ministers)
• Mir Bakshi: Army payments, recruitment, matters of war
• Diwan: Finance minister (managed revenue)

Mansabdari System (introduced by Akbar):

• Mansabdar: Holder of a rank (mansab)
• Zat rank: Personal salary status (1-5000)
• Sawar rank: Cavalry strength maintained (1-5000)
• All nobles given mansabs, paid from imperial treasury
• Revenue collected through Zabt system (land revenue)

Land Revenue System:

• Zabt: Land revenue based on measurement (cuj=32 inches)
• Zamil: Revenue calculated from actual produce
• Ryotwari: Collection from individual cultivators
• Todar Mal’s Bandobast: Detailed land survey (1582)

⚡ Important: Todar Mal (Akbar’s finance minister) introduced standardized revenue rates, improved the revenue system significantly.

Mughal Architecture

Mughal architecture blends Indian, Persian, and Central Asian styles:

Structure	Emperor	Year	Significance
Red Fort	Shah Jahan	1639-1648	Capital fort, Mughal court
Taj Mahal	Shah Jahan	1632-1653	Tomb for Mumtaz Mahal
Jama Masjid	Shah Jahan	1650-1656	Largest mosque in India
Fatehpur Sikri	Akbar	1571-1585	Imperial capital
Humayun’s Tomb	Humayun’s wife	1562-1572	First garden tomb
Agra Fort	Akbar (base), Shah Jahan (extensions)	1565-1573	Red sandstone fort
Qutub Minar	Iltutmish	1193	73m tower, victory monument

⚡ UPTET PYQ: “Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan in memory of: (a) Nur Jahan (b) Mumtaz Mahal (c) Jodha Bai (d) Jahanara” → Answer: (b) Mumtez Mahal

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Medieval India — Complete Notes for UPTET

Bhakti and Sufi Movements

Bhakti Movement — Path of Devotion:

• Nyaneshvara/Lolleshvara (12th century): First Bhakti saint, wrote “Amritanubhava”
• Namadeva (1270-1350): Maharashtra, saint-poet, opposed caste system
• Ramananda (14th century): North India, taught devotion accessible to all
• Kabir (1440-1518): Born in Varanasi, weaver by caste, revolutionary ideas
  • “Sabse Oonchi Sansthiti” - Lowliest is highest in God’s eyes
  • Opposed rituals, idols, caste discrimination
  • Work: Bijak ( Guru Granth Sahib contains his verses)
• Guru Nanak (1469-1539): Founded Sikhism
  • Mool Mantra: Ik Onkar Satnam
  • Langar: Community kitchen (equality)
  • Taught Nav Doj (nine essentials including honesty, contentment)
• Mira Bai (1498-1547): Rajput princess, Krishna devotee
• Tulsidas (1532-1623): Wrote Ramcharitmanas (Awadhi)
• Surdas (1478-1589): Blind saint, Krishna devotee, wrote Sur Sagar

Sufi Movement — Islamic Mysticism:

• Nizam-ud-din Auliya (1238-1325): Most popular Sufi saint
• Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti (1142-1236): Ajmer, “Sarkar-e-Khas”
• Shah Jahan’s Sufi connection: Built mot Masjid for Sufi saints
• Silsila: Chain of spiritual lineage (Chishti, Qadri, Naqshbandi)
• Kashid-e-Pyare: Devotional songs for Sufi saints

⚡ Key Comparison: Bhakti focused on personal devotion to God; Sufism focused on love for God and humanity. Both opposed rigid religious formalism.

Mughal-Rajput Relations

Akbar’s Rajput Policy:

• Married Rajput princesses (Jodha Bai - wife of Akbar)
• Raja Man Singh I as general (Amir-ul-Umara)
• Built Amber Fort (Jai Singh)
• Din-i-Ilahi (Divine Faith) - universal religion attempt
• Prominent Rajput generals: Man Singh, Birbal, Bhagavat Das

Aurangzeb’s Rajput Policy:

• Banned music and dance at Rajput courts
• Imposed Jaziya tax (1653)
• Conflict with Mewar and Marwar
• Battle of Khanwa (1718): Marwar under Mughal control
• Resentment led to rebellions

Trade and Commerce

Medieval Indian Trade:

• Textiles: Muslin (Dacca), calico, silk, cotton exports
• Spices: Pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves
• Precious stones: Diamonds (Golconda), pearls (Kashmir)
• Trade routes: Overland (Silk Route), Maritime (Indian Ocean)

Port Cities:

• Calicut (Kerala) - spices
• Surat (Gujarat) - textile, diamond trade
• Hugli (Bengal) - silk, muslin
• Cambay (Gujarat) - cotton, silk

Foreign Travelers:

Traveler	Period	Key Observations
Ibn Battuta	1333-1347	Moroccan, visited Delhi court
Marco Polo	1292-1294	Italian, visited Coromandel
Nicolo Conti	1420-1521	Italian, visited Vijayanagara
Fra Orazio	1617-1621	Italian, visited Agra

⚡ UPTET PYQ: “Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri to honor: (a) A court victory (b) Sufi saint (c) Birbal (d) Jodha Bai” → Answer: (b) Sufi saint (Shaikh Salim Chishti)

decline of Mughal Empire

Causes of Decline:

1. Weak successors: After Aurangzeb, weak rulers (Bahadur Shah I to Bahadur Shah II)
2. War of succession: Repeated conflicts among princes
3. Nobles’ autonomy: Governors became independent (Nawab of Bengal, Hyderabad)
4. Aurangzeb’s policies: Deccan wars exhausted treasury, orthodox policies alienated Rajputs and Sikhs
5. Economic factors: Revenue demands increased, agrarian crisis
6. External invasions: Nadir Shah (1739), Ahmad Shah Abdali (1747-1761)
7. Rise of regional powers: Marathas, Jats, Sikhs, Mysore (Hyder Ali/Tipu Sultan)

Battle of Plassey (1757):

• Robert Clive vs. Siraj-ud-daulah
• Mir Jafar made Nawab
• 3,000 troops + 500 British vs. 50,000
• Bloodless coup - no actual battle

⚡ Important: Battle of Buxar (1764) was the actual military confrontation - ended Mughal financial control.

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