History of Delhi Sultanate Period

 The period between 1206 A.D. and 1526 A.D. in India’s

history is known as the Delhi Sultanate period.
 During this period of over three hundred years, five
dynasties ruled in Delhi Sultanate:
.
1. Slave (1206-1290 CE)
2. Khaliji (1290-1320 CE)
3. Tughlaq (1320-1413 CE)
4. Saiyyad (1414-1451 CE)
5. Lodhis (1451-1526 CE)

1. Slave (Ghulam) or Mamluk Dynasty

 Qutub-ud-din Aibak Founded Slave dynasty. It is also known
as Mamluk
 Aibak is considered as the real founder of Muslim rule in
India.

Qutub-ud-din Aibak (c. 1206 – 1210 CE)

 Founded First independent Turkish Kingdom in the Delhi
Sultanate, Indian & assumed the title ‘Sultan’.
 He became independent after Ghuri’s death and began
his rule in 1206 A.D.
 He Made Lahore capital.
 He is Known as ‘lakh Baksh’ or giver of lakhs as he gave a lot
of liberal donations.
 Aibak issued coins in gold, silver, billon and copper. He
discarded carving the name of Abbasid caliph on it.
 Aibak constructed 2 Mosques:

1. Quwwat-ul-Islam (Delhi).

2. Arhai din ka Jhonpara (Ajmer)

ART &
ARCHITECTURE  He Started construction of the Qutub
Minar dedicated to Sufi Saint, Khwaja
Qutubuddin Bakthiyar Kaki – later completed by
Iltutmish.
 He patronized Fakhar-ud-Din, author of Tarikh-i-
Mubarak Shahi & Hasan Nizami who wrote Tajul-
Masir, the first official history of the Delhi
Sultanate.
Aram Shah (1210):
 Considered the most incapable ruler. Thus Iltutmish (son-in-
law of Aibak) was invited to Delhi à He then deposed Aram
Shah and became Sultan.

Shamsuddin Iltutmish (1210-1236):

 Belong to Ilbari tribe hence named Ilbari dynasty.
 Aibak had appointed him as iqtadar of Gwalior.
 Real consolidator of Turkish rule in India and also Delhi.
 He Shifted capital from Lahore to Delhi.
 He defeated the ruler of Khwarizmi.
 Introduced Arabic coinage into India. Silver
tanka became a standard coin in medieval India and also
issued Copper jital.
 Created a new class of ruling elite of forty powerful military
leaders, the forty (Turkan-i-chahalgani).
 He nominated Raziya as his successor. Thus, the hereditary
succession to Delhi Sultanate.

Razia Sultan (1236-40):

 1st and only female Muslim ruler of medieval India.
 Discarded female apparel and purdah, adopted male
attire, went for hunting and let the army thud aroused
resentment among Turkish nobles.
 She was not acceptable to Muslim theologians and nobles.
 1240 – Serious rebellion broke out in Sirhind under Altuniya
(governor). Raziya with Yaqut marched to suppress, but Yaqut
was murdered and Razia imprisoned. In the meantime,
Bahram (another son of Iltutmish) was pit to throne by Turkish
nobles.
 Later Raziya while returning back to Delhi was killed on the
way.

Balban (1266-1287):
 Also known as Ulugh khan. He was one of the main
architects of the Delhi Sultanate.
 According to him, the Sultan was God’s shadow on earth (Zil-i-
Ilahi) and recipient of divine grace (Nibyabat-i-Khudai).
 Separated Diwan-i-wizarat (Finance
Department) from the Diwan-i-Arz (Military
Department).
 He followed the policy of blood& iron.
Administratio
 Excluded non-Turks from administration.
n
 Indian Muslims not given important posts.
 Appointed spies to monitor the activities of the
nobles.
 Introduced sijada (prostration)
and paibos (kissing the Sultan’s feet) to prove his
superiority over the nobles.
  He broke the power of the Forty.
 Introduced Persian festival Nawrouz.
 Called himself Nasir-amir-ul-momin (Caliph’s right-hand )

2. KHALJI DYNASTY (1290-1320 AD)

 Khalji nobles headed by Jalaldduin, overthrew the incompetent
successors of Balban in 1290 & Est. Khalji dynasty.
 This event is called ‘Dynastic Revolution’ of 1290.

Jalauddin Khalji (1290-1296 CE):

 1st sultan of Delhi Sultanate to have a benevolent attitude

towards Hindus.
 He stated the State should be based on the willing
support of the governed and as the majority of the
population was Hindu, the state cannot become truly Islamic.
 Adopted the policy of tolerance and tried to win goodwill of
the nobility.
 Was murdered by his son-in-law Alauddin Khalji in 1296 and
usurped the throne.

Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316 CE):

 Was appointed as Amir-i-Tuzuk (Master of Ceremonies)

and Ariz-i-Mumalik (Minister of Law) by Jalauddin Khalji of
the delhi sultanate.
 Jalauddin’s policy of tolerance was reversed by Alauddin
Khalji; awarded harsh punishment for opposing him.
 To keep hold on nobles –He prohibited to hold festivals,
marriage without permission of him, banned wines &
intoxicants to avoid social gathering, reorganized spy
services (Barids).
 He was the first sultan of the delhi sultanate who separated
religion from politics. He proclaimed “Kingship knows no
kinship”.
 Barani wrote the book ‘Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi.
 Patronized poets like-Amir Khusrau and Mir Hasan Dehlv.
 He adopted the title of Sikander-i-Azam and gave Amir
Khusrau the title of Tuti-i-Hind (Parrot of India).
 Malik Kafur was his slave – general. He led a series of
expeditions in the southern part of India, against the Yadavas
(1308), Kakatiyas (1310), Hoysalas (1311) etc.
 Amir Khusrau’s Khazain-ul-Futuh speaks about Alauddin’s
conquests.

Architecture:  Famous gateway known as Alai Darwaza,

Hauz Khas, Mhal Hazaar Satoon, Jamait
 Khana Mosque, Alai Minar and constructed
a new capital at Siri.
 1st sultan to have a large permanent
standing army & paid in cash from royal
treasury.
Military
 Innovated: Chehra and Dagh system.
Reforms:
o Chehra – detailed description of each
soldier
o Dagh– Branding of horses.
 Revenue was half of the produce & was
based on land under cultivation.
 First ruler to fix land revenue in cash.
It enabled him to pay his soldiers in cash.
 Biswa was a standard unit of
measurement. Imposed one fifth of the
Land Revenue produce and along with it house tax
administration (Grahi) and pasture tax (Chari).
 He created the post of Mustakraj to collect
revenue.
 He brought the area surrounding Delhi
directly under the state for revenue
purposes. Thus, the Iqta system was not
applied there.
 In 1296, Alauddin constructed the Hauz-i-
Alai.
 Alauddin built the Siri Fort & camped in
Siri during the Mongol invasion in 1303.
Architecture
 He built the Qasr-i-Hazar Situn palace at
the Siri fort.
 Alauddin constructed the Alai Darwaza –
entrance gate to Qutub Minar.
 Fixed cost of all commodities. For this
purpose, he set up 3 markets – one for food
grains, second for cost and third for horses,
slaves etc.
 He appointed Shahna-I-Mandi, Naib-I-
Riyasat & Diwan-I-Riyasat to keep a check
on these markets.
Market Reforms  He also received daily reports of markets
from Barids (intelligence officers)
and munhiyans (secret spies).
 Not clear whether these reforms were
applied to only Delhi or also to other towns.
 Reasons for Market Reforms:
o To enjoy the support of citizens
o To sustain a large army with low salaries.

3. TUGHLAQ DYNASTY (1320-1414 AD)

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325):

 Founder of Tughlaq dynasty.

 Took title: Ghazi
 1st Sultan to start Irrigation.
 Built a strong fort called Tughlaqabad near Delhi.
 Amir Khusrau’s famous work “Tughlaq Nama” deals with the
rise of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq.

Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351):

 His reign marks the zenith of the Delhi Sultanate but also saw
the beginning of disintegration.
 He defeated Mongols.
 Appointed official on the basis of merit in the Delhi Sultanate.
 Advanced secular policies. Applied justice to Ulema.
 Ibn-Batuta (native of Morocco) was his contemporary of
Muhammad Tughlaq and was his envoy to China.
 He Built fort of Adilabad and the city of Jahanpanah.
 During reign 3 major kingdoms of South India emerged:
Vijayanagar, Bahamani, and Madurai.

 Transferred capital from Delhi to the
Delhi Sultanate to
Devagiri (Daulatadab). Shifted back after
2 years because of lack of water supply.
 Token Currency– Issued bronze coins at
par with the value of the silver tanka coins in
the Delhi Sultanate. He had also introduced
Muhammad the copper currency system. Later withdrew
Tughlaq’s both.
 He launched the Khorasan project to
Experiments counter the threat of Chinese incursions –
: Failed.
 Quarachil expedition – launched in
Kumaon hills to counter the threat of
Chinese incursions – failed.
 He set up Diwan -i- amir- kohi a separated
department to extend cultivation by giving
loans to cultivators (takkavi loans) – Failed
due to corrupt officials.

Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388):

 Adopted policy in the Delhi sultanate of trying to appease the

nobles, army, theologians and of asserting his authority over
only such areas which could be easily administered from the
center.
 He extended the principle of heredity to the army & nobility.
  Thus, the iqta system was not only revived, but also it
was made hereditary.
 Malik Sarwar was a prominent noble and had been wazir for
some time. He asserted independence and assumed the
title of Malik-us-Sharq (lord of the east).
 Malik ruled from Jaunpur, it was called Shiraz of the east.
Malik Muhammad Jaisi, author of “Padmavat” lived in
Jaunpur.
 To appease theologians, Firoz took following decisions in
the Delhi Sultanate:
 Prohibited practice of Muslim women going out to worship.
 Made jizya a separate tax. Earlier it was part of land
revenue. Only children, women, disabled exempted.
 Erased wall paintings in his palace
 He constructed and improved several canals.
 He set up hospitals for poor called – Dar-ul-shifa.
 Established towns of Hissar and Firozabad.

 Set up new departments in the Delhi Sultanate:

 Diwan -i-Khairat – to make provisions for marriages of poor
girls.
 Department for public work.
 Diwan -i-Bandagan – Department for slaves
 Introduced 2 new coins: Adha (50% Jital) and Bitch (23%
Jital).
 He led two unsuccessful expeditions to Bengal. Bengal
became free from the control of Delhi Sultanate.
 He developed royal factories called karkhanas in which
thousands of slaves were employed.
 Imposed four taxes sanctioned by Islamic kharaj (land
tax), khams (1/5 of the looted property during
wars), Jizya (religious tax on the Hindus), and Zakat (2½per
cent of the income of the Muslims which was spent for the
welfare of Muslim subjects and their religion).
 He was the first Sultan in the Delhi Sultanate to imposeh Hab-
I-sharb (irrigation tax).

Nasiruddin Muhammad (1390-1398):

 He was the last ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty.

 Taimur’s invasion (1398) during his reign weakened the
Delhi Sultanate.
 When Timur entered Delhi Sultanate there was no opposition.
He withdrew from India in 1399.
 Delhi sultanate disintegrated towards the beginning of
15th century and no independent states were set up. E.g.
Malwa and Gujarat etc.
 The Tughlaq empire came to an end in 1412.
4. SAIYYAD DYNASTY (1414-1450 AD)
Khizr Khan (1414-1421):

 Before his departure from India, Timur appointed Khizr Khan

as Governor of Multan.
 He captured the Delhi Sultanate and founded the Sayyid
dynasty in 1414.
 He died in 1421 and was succeeded by Mubarak Shah (1421-
1433 CE). Muhammad Shah (1434-1443 CE).
 Next ruler Alauddin Alam Shah (1445-1451) was the weakest
of the Sayyid princes. He handed over the throne to Bahlul
Lodi and retired to Badaun.

5. LODHI DYNASTY (1451-1526 AD)

 The Lodi dynasty was an Afghan dynasty
 It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and
was founded by Bahlol Khan Lodi. Sikandar Lodi succeeded
him.

Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517):

 He was a contemporary of Mahmud Begarha of Gujrat

and Rana Sanga of Mewar.
 He founded the city Agra and transferred the capital
from Delhi to Agra.
 He abolished the octroi duty on grains and established a new
measurement of the yard called the Gaz-i-Sikandari.
 Sikandar was orthodox and a bigot king. He reimposed the
Jizya on Hindus.
 He was a poet of repute, composed under the pen-name of
Gulruk.
 Sikandar Lodi was succeeded by his son Ibrahim Lodi.

Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526):

 He was the last Lodi Sultan of Delhi Sultanate.

 Ibrahim was defeated in 1526 at the Battle of Panipat.
 This marked the end of the Lodi Dynasty and the rise of the
Mughal Empire in India

IMPORTANT TERMS & MEANING

 Zimmi – Protected people under Muslim Rule.

 Zawabit – Sultan’s own regulations to supplement Muslim
law.
 Jahandari– Secular consideration
BOOKS

 Tughlaq Nama, Tarik-i-Alai, Ashiqa à Amir Khusro

 Git Govinda à Jaydeva
 Hammir Raso à Sarangdhara
 Fatwa-i-Jahandari à Barani
 Padmavat à Malik Muhammad Jaisi.

OVERVIEW OF DELHI SULTANATES

 Delhi sultanate was a powerful & highly
centralized state, for some time it was
extended till Madurai covering almost all
India.
 The Sultans considered themselves as
representatives of the Caliph at
Baghdad (lieutenant of the faithful).
 They included the name of the Caliph in
the khutba or prayer and inscribed it on
ADMINISTRATIO
their coins.
N
 The office of the Sultan was the most
important and supreme political, military
and legal authority.
 He was also the commander in chief of
the military forces.
 He was also responsible for the
maintenance of law & justice.
 There was no clear law of
succession during this period.
CENTRAL  Naib à most powerful, practically enjoyed
GOVERNMENT all the powers of the Sultan and exercised
general control over all the departments.
 Next to him à Wazir who was heading
the finance department called Diwani
Wizarat.
 The military department à Diwani Ariz.
Headed by à Ariz-i-mumalik.
Responsibility was to recruit the soldiers
and administer the military department.
 Diwani Rasalat àdepartment of religious
affairs. Headed by chief Sadr. Grants were
made by this department for the
construction and maintenance of
mosques, tombs and madrasas.
 The head of the judicial department was
the chief Qazi.
 Muslim personal law or sharia was
 followed in civil matters.
 The Hindus were governed by their own
personal law and their cases were
dispensed by the village panchayats.
 The criminal law was based on the rules
and regulations made by the Sultans.
 The department of correspondence à
called Diwani Insha. All the
correspondence between the ruler and
the officials was dealt with by this
department.
 Wakil-i-Dar – officer responsible for
maintenance of proper decorum at the
court.
 The provinces were called iqtas under
the control of muqtis or walis.
 Their duty was to maintain law and order
and collect the land revenue.
 The provinces were divided into shiqs
LOCAL and pargana.
ADMINISTRATIO  The shiq was under the control
N of shiqdar.
 The pargana comprising a number of
villages was headed by amil.
 The village headman was known
as muqaddam or chaudhri. The village
accountant was called patwari.
ECONOMY  The land was classified into three
categories:

1. Iqta land – lands assigned to officials as

iqtas instead of payment for their services.

2. Khalisa land – land under the direct control

of the Sultan and the revenues collected were
spent for the maintenance of royal court and
royal household.

3. Inam land – land assigned or granted to

religious leaders or religious institutions.

 The peasantry paid one third of their

produce as land revenue, and sometimes
even one half of the produce.
 Sarais or rest houses on the highways
were maintained for the convenience of
the travelers.
 Sericulture was introduced on a large
scale.
  Bengal and Gujrat were famous for fine
quality fabrics, Combay (Gujrat) was
famous for textile, gold & silver work.
Sonargao was famous for raw silk &
muslin.
 Indian textiles were exported to China.
 The royal karkhanas supplied the goods
needed to the Sultan and his household.
 Gold coins or dinars became popular
during the reign of Alauddin Khalji after
his South Indian conquests. Copper
coins were less in number and dateless.
 Turks introduced many new crafts
(manufacturing of paper) and
techniques ex- use of iron stirrup, amour.
It led to the growth of the
metallurgical industry.
 They also introduced spinning wheels.
 Postal system based on relays of horses
or fast-runners was developed.
 There was little change in the structure of
the Hindu society during this period.
 The practice of sati was widely prevalent.
 The seclusion of women and the
wearing of purdah became common
among the upper-class women.
 The Arabs and Turks brought the
purdah system into India and it became
widespread among the Hindu women in
the upper classes of north India.
 During the Delhi Sultanate period, the
SOCIAL LIFE
Muslim society remained divided into
several ethnic and racial groups. The
Turks, Iranians, Afghans and Indian
Muslims etc. There were no
intermarriages between these
groups.
 Very rarely the Hindu nobles were given
high positions in the government.
 The Hindus were considered zimmis or
protected people for which they were
forced to pay a tax called jiziya.
ART AND  The Turks introduced: arches, domes,
ARCHITECTURE lofty towers or minarets and
decorations using the Arabic script.
 Arch or dome was not a Turkish or Muslim
invention. They learned from Rome,
developed and conducted many
experiments in its use.
  Indians knew about Arch & Dome but they
didn’t use it on a large scale.
 Turks also used slab and Beam methods
in buildings. They also added color to
their buildings by using marbles, red
and yellow sand stones.
 They used geometrical & floral designs
with inscriptions containing verses of the
Quran. It was called Arabesque.
 They also freely borrowed Hindu
motifs such as Swastik.
 Converted temples and other structures
into mosques. The Quwwat-ul-
Islam mosque near Qutub Minar in Delhi
was built by using the materials obtained
from destroying many Hindu and Jain
temples.
 The palace complex called
Tughlaqabad with its beautiful lake was
built during the period of Ghiyasuddin
Tughlaq.
 Muhammad bin Tughlaq built the tomb of
Ghyasuddin on a high platform.
 The Kotla fort at Delhi was the creation
of Firoz Tughlaq.
 Imp features of Tughlaq
architecture – Sloping walls, combined
principles of arch, lintel and beam e.g. –
Hauz khas, use of grey sandstone and
minimum decoration.
 Lodi placed a building, especially tombs,
on a high platform.
 Some of the tombs are placed in the
midst of gardens. ex- The Lodi garden in
Delhi.
 Double dome was another feature of
Lodis architecture. E.g. Mothi ki Masjid
(built by Sikandar Lodi).
MUSIC  New musical instruments such as sarangi
and rabab were introduced during this
period.
 Amir Khusrau introduced many new ragas
such as ghora and sanam.
 He evolved a new style of light music
known as qwalis by blending the Hindu
and Iranian systems.
 The invention of sitar was also attributed
to him.
 The Indian classical work Ragadarpan
 was translated into Persian during the
reign of Firoz Tughlaq.
 Pir Bhodan, a Sufi saint was one of the
great musicians of this period. Raja Man
Singh of Gwalior was a great lover of
music.
 He encouraged the composition of a great
musical work called Man Kautuhal.
 The most famous historians of this period
were Hasan Nizami, Minhaj-us-Siraj,
Ziauddin Barani, and Shams-Siraj Afif.
 Barani’s Tarikhi- Firoz Shahi contains
the history of Tughlaq dynasty. Minhaj-us-
Siraj wrote Tabaqat-i-Nasari, a general
history of Muslim dynasties up to 1260.
 Sanskrit and Persian functioned as link
languages in the Delhi Sultanate.
 Zia Nakshabi was the first to translate
Sanskrit stories into Persian.
 The book Tutu Nama or Book of the
Parrot became popular and translated
into Turkish and later into many European
languages.
 The famous Rajatarangini written
LITERATURE
by Kalhana belonged to the period of
Zain-ul-Abidin, the ruler of Kashmir.
 Many Sanskrit works on medicine and
music were translated into Persian.
 Regional languages also developed
during this period.
 Maldhar Basu, compiler of Sri-Krishna
Vijaya was patronized by Bengali Sultans
and was granted the title of Gunaraja
Khan. His son was honored with the title
of Satyaraja Khan.
 Chand Baradi was the famous Hindi poet
of this period.
 Bengali literature had also developed
and Nusrat Shah patronized the
translation of Mahabharata into Bengali.

CAUSES OF DECLINE OF DELHI

SULTANATE
Financial instability + Degeneration of Delhi Sultanate +
Invasion of Timur + Greed and incompetence of nobles +
Defective military organisation + Vastness of empire +
Poor means of communication + War of succession +
Despotic and military type of government.

Mughal Empire and Later Mughals

 The Mughal Empire were descendants of two great

lineages of rulers.
 Babur: founder of the Mughal Empire in
India was related to Timur from his father’s side and
to Chengiz Khan through his mother.
 Babur succeeded his father as the ruler of Farghana
(Uzbekistan), but soon lost his kingdom.
 Financial difficulties, apprehension of the Uzbek
attack on Kabul and invitation of Rana Sanga to
invade India forced Babur to look towards India.

BABUR (1526-1530 AD)

 First Battle of Panipat (1526) – Babur decisively
defeated Ibrahim Lodhi. It Replaced the Lodhi and
established the Mughal Empire in India.
 Reasons for Babur’s victory: Alternatively resting
one wing of Army, Services of two ottoman master
gunners – Ustad Ali & Mustafa, Use of Gunpowder,
scientific use of cavalry & artillery tactics – Tulughma
and the araba, effective use of Cannons.
 Battle of Khanwa (1527) – Babur defeated Rana
Sangha and assumed title of Ghazi
 Battle of Chanderi (1528) – Medini Rai was
defeated and with this resistance across Rajputana
was completely shattered.
 Battle of Ghagra (1529) – Babur defeated Mahmud
Lodhi who aspired to the throne of Delhi.

SIGNIFICANCE OF BABUR’S ADVENT

INTO INDIA:
 Babur Introduced Char-Bags and symmetrically laid out
gardens.
 Built mosques at Panipat and Sambhat in Rohilkhand.
 Babur wrote Tuzuk-I-Baburi (Babarnama) & Masnavi.
  Kabul and Gandhar became integral parts of the
Mughal Empire.
 Babur popularized gunpowder, cavalry and
artillery in India. (Gunpowder used earlier in India,
but Babur popularized its use).
 Strengthened India’s foreign trade.
 Defeating Sangha & Lodi he smashed the balance of
power and laid the foundation for all India Mughal
Empire.
 He had assumed the title of Padshah.

HUMAYUN (1530-40 & 1555-56)

 Humayun succeeded Babur in 1530.
 He had to deal with the rapid growth of power of the
Afghans & and Bahadur shah of Gujrat.
 At the battle of Chausa (1539) & battle of Kanauj
(1540) Sher Shah defeated Humayun and forced
him to flee India.
 For sometimes he took shelter at the Iranian king. In
1555, following the breakup of Suri Empire he
recaptured Delhi but died next year.
 Humayun built a new city at Delhi which he named
“Dinpanah”.
 Mosques: Jamali mosque and mosque of Isa Khan at
Delhi.
 His widow Amida Benu Begum built Humayun’s
tomb (UNESCO site).
 Humayun’s sister, Gul Badan Begum,
wrote “Humayun-Nama”.
 The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid
by Humayun when he was staying in Persia.
 He brought with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and
Abdal Samad to India, who became famous during
Akbar’s reign.

SHER SHAH SURI (1540-45)

 Founder of Sur dynasty and second Afghan Empire
(after Lodhi).
 Sher Shah’s rule lasted for five years.
ADMINISTRATION:

 Purana Qila (Old Fort) and its mosque, Mausoleum at

Sasaram were constructed during this period.
 Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the famous Hindi work
“Padmavat” during his reign.
 He continued the central administration developed
during the Sultanate period.
 Imp officials –
 Diwan –i- Wizarat / Wazir – Revenue and Finance.
 Diwan-i-Ariz – in charge of the Army.
 Diwan-i-Risalat- Foreign Minister.
 Diwan-i-Insha- Minister for Communications.
 Barid – Intelligence
 Sher Shah’s empire was divided into “sarkars”.
 Introduced new silver coins called “Dam” and they
were in circulation till 1835.
 He built the Shahi (Royal) road from the Indus
Valley to the Sonar Valley in Bengal. This road was
renamed the Grand Trunk (GT) road during the
British period, connecting Calcutta and Peshawar.
 He also built Sarais (lodging) which also served as
post office. Many sarais developed into market
towns.
 Every Sarai was under the control of a Shahana
(custodian).
 He followed the branding of horses from Alauddin
Khalji and maintained his personal royal force
called Khasa Kail.

AKBAR (1556-1605)
 He succeeded the throne after his father Humayun’s
death.
 In 1556, in the second battle of Panipat, he
defeated Hemu (Sur’s wazir).
  Between 1556-60, Akbar ruled under Bairam Khan’s
regency. Bairam became the Wakil of the kingdom
with the title of Khan-i-Khanam.
 Battle of Haldighati (1576)- Akbar defeated Rana
Pratap following most of the Rajput rulers accepted
Akbar’s suzerainty.
 Akbar defeated Gujarat ruler Muzaffar Shah. To
commemorate this victory, he built Buland
Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri.
 Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to
include much of the Indian subcontinent.
 The Mughal Empire was divided
into subas (provinces), governed by
ADMINISTRATION: a subadar who carried out both political and
military functions. Each subha had officials –
diwan, bakshi, sadr, qazi etc.
 Fauzdar – Charge of law & order
& Amalguzar – land assessment and revenue
LOCAL GOVT collection were chief officers of Sarkar.
 With the help of Raja Todar Mal, Akbar
experimented on the land revenue
administration; it was the Zabti or Bandobast
LAND REVENUE system.
ADMINISTRATION:  Dahsala System – The revenue was fixed on
the average yield of land measured on the
basis of previous ten years. It was an
improved version of Zabti.
 Akbar introduced the Mansabdari
system in his administration. Under this
system every officer was assigned a rank
(mansab).
 The ranks were divided into two – zat and
sawar.
MANSABDARI
 Zat fixed the personal status & salary of a
SYSTEM
person.
 Sawar rank indicated the number of sawars
had to be maintained by person. Every sawar
had to maintain at least two horses.
 The mansab rank was not hereditary &
mansabdar were paid by assigning jagir.
RELIGIOUS POLICY  Abolished jizya, pilgrimage and forcible
conversion of prisoners of wars.
 He built ibadat khana (House of Worship)
at Fatehpur sikri for religious discussion.
 In 1582, he promulgated a new religion called
“Din-e-Ilahi” or Divine Faith. It believes in
one God. It contained good points of all
religions. It had only fifteen followers
including Birbal. Akbar did not compel anyone
to his new faith.
 Jharoka Darshan was introduced by Akbar
 with the objective of broadening the
acceptance of imperial authority as part of
popular faith.
 Introduced gold coins called asharafi
(mohurs).
 He also began dating his coins as per a new
‘Illahi era’, which replaced the earlier Hijri
COINAGE
era.
 Akbar introduced the practice of inscribing
Persian poetry praising the ruler on
coins.
1. Abul Fazl à wrote Ain-i-Akbari and “Akbar
Nama”.

2. Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana à Great poet,

Translated Baburnama into Turki

3. Birbal à Was a Hindu advisor and main

commander (mukhya senapati) of the army in
the court. Akbar gave him the title ’Raja
Birbal’.

4. Mirza Aziz Koka à also known as Kotaltash,

was the foster brother of Akbar built by Mirza
Aziz Koka as a mausoleum for himself, at the
time of Jahangir’s reign
AKBAR’S
NAVRATNAS 5. Faizi à Translated Lilavati into Persian &
under his supervision Mahabharata was
translated into Persian language.

6. Raja Man Singh à was a mansabdar.

7. Raja Todar Mal à Finance Minister. Akbar

bestowed on him the title of Diwan-i-Ashraf.

8. Fakir Azio-Din à one of the Chief advisors of

Akbar

9. Tansen à Musician, Hindu of Gwalior. He

served to King Ramachandra, who gave him
the title of “Tansen”. Akbar gave him the title
of “Mian”.
 Jaswant & Daswan were famous painters in
his court.
 Persian poets in his court: Abu Fazl and his
brother Abul Faizi, Tarikh Alfi, Utbi and Nazir.
ART
 Hindi poets in his court: Tulsidas- wrote
“Ramcharitmanas”.
 The Razmnama is the Persian translation
of the Mahabharata.
  Palace-cum- fort complex at Fatehpur Sikri
(City of Victory): Many buildings in Gujarati
and Bengali styles are found in this
complex. The Gujarathi style was probably
built for his Rajput wives.
 Akbar built Diwan -i-am (hall of public
audience), Diwan-i-Khas (private hall).
 The most magnificent building in it is
the Jama Masjid and the gateway to
it called Buland Darwaza or the Lofty
Gate, Shaik Saleem chisti dargah.
ARCHITECTURE  Other important buildings at Fatepur Sikri
are Jodha Bai’s palace and Panch
Mahal with five storeys.
 During Akbar’s reign, Humayun’s tomb was
built in Delhi and it had a massive dome of
marble. It may be considered the precursor of
the Taj Mahal.
 Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra near Agra was
completed by Jahangir.
 He built Agra Fort in red sandstone and
also Jahangiri Mahal in it according to Hindu
design.

JAHANGIR (1605-1627)
Art and Architecture
 Started decorating wall with floral designs made of
semi-precious stones (Pietra Dura) during his reign.
 Built Moti Masjid at Lahore. Laid Shalimar and Nishant
gardens in Kashmir.
 The use of Halo or Divine lights behind the king’s head
started under him.

 When Akbar died, Prince Salim succeeded with the

title Jahangir (Conqueror of World) in 1605.
 His son Khusrau revolted but was defeated and
imprisoned and his supporter Guru Arjun, the fifth
Sikh Guru, was beheaded.
 British Visited Machilipatnam during his
reign. Captain Hawkins and Thomas Roe visited
his court. Thomas Roe got the Farman for setting
up an English factory at Surat. Farman was
sealed by Shah Jahan.
 Jahangir erected Zanjr-i-adal at Agra fort for the
seekers of royal justice
  Autobiography: Tuzuk-i- Jahangiri in Persian

SHAHJAHAN (1628-1658)
 Succeeded Jahangir and ascended the throne in
1628.
 Three years after accession, his beloved
wife Mumtaj Mahal died in 1631.
 His court historian Abdul Hameed Lohiri wrote
“Badshahnama”.
 Built Taj Mahal in 1632-33 to
perpetuate memories of his wife,
Mumtaj Mahal.
 Moti Masjid (entirely of white
marble), Sheesh
Mahal and Musamman Burj at Agra.
 Red Fort with its Rang Mahal, Diwan-i-
ARCHITECTURE
Am and Diwan-i-Khas at Delhi.
 Jama Masjid in Delhi (red
stone), Shalimar Bagh in Lahore and
city of Shahjahanabad.
 The pietra dura method was used on
a large scale in the Taj Mahal by Shah
Jahan.

AURANGZEB (1658-1707)
 Masir – The Alamgiri book written by Mustaid Khan
throws light on Aurangzeb’s rule.
 He assumed the title Alamgir, World Conqueror. He
was also called Zinda Pir.
 During his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its
greatest extent, ruling over nearly the entire Indian
subcontinent.
Imp Officials During Mughal Empire
 Diwan-i-Ala/Wazir – Head of revenue department
 Mir Bakshi – Head of military department.
 Mir saman – in charge of the imperial households.
 Barids – Intelligence officers.
 Waqia Navis – Reporters
 Qazi – Head of judicial department.
 Sadr-ul-sadr – incharge of charitable & religious
 endowments.
 Mutasaddi – Governor of port
 Drinking was prohibited & cultivation and use of
bhang and other drugs were banned.
 Although he was proficient in playing Veena,
Aurangzeb forbade music in the court.
 He discontinued the practice of Jarokha
darshan.
 He also discontinued the celebration of Dasara
& Navroz and royal astronomers and astrologers
were also dismissed from service.
 Aurangzeb built Bibi Ka Maqbara (replica of Taj)
at Aurangabad, Moti Masjid (Near Red fort, Delhi).
 In 1679, he reimposed Jizya and pilgrim tax.
 He was also not tolerant of other Muslim sects. The
celebration of Muharram was stopped.
 He executed the ninth Sikh Guru Tej Bahadur.
 Aurangzeb appointed Rajputs to high positions, and
under him the Marathas accounted for a sizable
number within the body of officers.
 Miraz Mohammad Qasim wrote “Alamgirnama”.

JAGIRDARI SYSTEM:
 It is the system of assignment of revenue of a
particular territory to the nobles for their services to
the state.
 It was an integral part of the Mansabdari system.
 Zamindars had hereditary rights over
the produce of the land and claimed a
direct share in the peasants’ produce
which varied from 10% to 25% in
different parts of the country.
Zamindar
 They assisted the state and jagirdars in
s:
the collection of land revenue.
 Had their own armed forces and had to
render military duties.
 Zamindars were not the owners of all
lands comprising their zamindari.
  Tainat-i- Rakab -reserved force
 Taccavi – loans provided for
agriculture expansion.
 Merwars – Postal runners
 Banik Local Traders
 Bitikchis – Clerks
 Chehra – Descriptive roll of every
soldier
Important  Ahadis – the “gentlemen troopers,”
terms & who drew higher pay than ordinary
meaning servicemen under the mansabdari
system.
 Khudkasht – Peasants who owned
the land they tilled.
 Khasa Kail – Personal royal force
maintained by Sher Shah.
 Qabuliyat system – deed
agreement between the peasant
and the government.

LATER MUGHALS AND DECLINE OF

MUGHAL EMPIRE
A war of succession broke out among the sons when the Mughal Empire’s
father Aurangzeb died in 1701. Muazzam emerged victorious after
defeating Muhammad Azam Shah in the Battle of Jajau, marking a crucial
chapter in the history of the Mughal Empire.

SUCCESSORS OF AURANGZEB:

Important
Important Events
Rulers
More tolerant towards Hindu.
Muazzam
Never abolished Jizya but didn’t collect the tax strictly.
(Bahadur
Shah I)
Mughal Empire historians like Khafi khan gave him the title
of Shah-i-Bekhabar.
(1707-1712)
Jahandar  Introduced Ijarah (Revenue Farming)
Shah  Became emperor with help of Zulfikhar Khan (later
became PM)
(1712-1713)  Tried to establish friendly relations with Maratha and
Rajputs and hence abolished Jizya,
granted Sardeshmukhi and Chauth of Deccan to
Shahu and accorded title of Mirza Raja Sawai to
 Jai Singh of Ambar and title of Maharaja to Ajit
Singh.
 Abolished Jizya completely
Farruk Siyar  Puppet of Sayyed Brothers – Abdula Khan & Hussain
Ali (known as kingmakers)
(1713-1719) * Gave Farman to the British in 1717.
 Dethroned by Sayyed Brothers
Rafi-ud-  Ruled for the shortest period of time among the
Darajat Mughal Empire.

 Autonomous states emerged under his reign

1. Nizam-ul-Mulkà Deccan

Muhammad 2. Saadat Khanà Awadh

Shah
Rangeela 3. Murshid Quli Khanà Bengal, Bihar and Orissa

(1719-1748)  Nadir Shah invaded India and looted Delhi. He also

took away the famous Kohinoor Diamond.
 Became king with help of Sayyed Brothers later he
killed them with help of Nizam-ul-Mulk.
 Nadir Shah was defeated in the Battle of Karnal.
Ahmad
 Mohd. Shah Rangeela’s only son.
Shah
 Ahmad Shah Abdali also raided Delhi for the
many time during his reign.
(1748-1754)
Alamgir II
 Battle of Plassey (1757) was fought during his reign
(1754-1759)
 Third Battle of Panipat fought between Marathas
and Ahmad Shah Abdali during his reign.
 Participated in the Battle of Buxar (1764) along
Shah Alam
with Mir Qasim and Shuja-ud-Daula against the
II/Aligauhar
British East India Company. Was defeated and was
forced to sign the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) under
(1759-1806)
which Diwani of Bengal was granted to Company.
 Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
 Became pensioner of the English
 Gave Ram Mohan Roy the title of “Raja”.
Akbar II  Introduced Hindu-Muslim unity festival Phool Walon
ki Sair.

 Last Mughal Emperor

Bahadur  Was an Urdu Poet using Zafar as his pen name.
Shah II  Participated in the revolt of 1857 after which he
was deported to Rangoon and died.
(1837-1857)