Delhi Sultanate: BPSC Prelims Notes
BPSC Prelims Demand
Prepare dynasty order, rulers, administration, revenue terms, cities, monuments, Mongol pressure and the 1526 endpoint. Questions commonly test ruler–measure, monument–patron, term–meaning and chronology.
Overview
The Delhi Sultanate refers to the succession of ruling houses based at Delhi from 1206 until the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. The standard sequence is Mamluk (often called Slave), Khalji, Tughluq, Sayyid and Lodi. Persian was the language of administration, and contemporary Persian chronicles are called tarikh (plural tawarikh).
Dynasties and High-Value Rulers
| Dynasty | Key ruler / fact |
|---|---|
| Mamluk, 1206–1290 | Qutb al-Din Aibak; Iltutmish; Raziyya; Balban |
| Khalji, 1290–1320 | Alauddin Khalji: market regulations, revenue measures, Mongol defence |
| Tughluq, 1320–1414 | Muhammad bin Tughluq; Firoz Shah Tughluq |
| Sayyid, 1414–1451 | Khizr Khan founded the line |
| Lodi, 1451–1526 | Afghan dynasty; Ibrahim Lodi defeated by Babur in 1526 |
Chronology
Administration: Terms You Must Separate
| Term | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| Iqta | Territorial revenue assignment. |
| Muqti / Iqtadar | Holder of an iqta; led campaigns, maintained order and collected assigned revenue. |
| Tarikh / Tawarikh | Persian historical chronicle / chronicles. |
| Jizya | Tax levied on non-Muslims under the Sultanate; do not confuse it with land revenue. |
| Kharaj | Tax on cultivation/land revenue in the NCERT description. |
Rulers and Policies
Iltutmish consolidated the early Sultanate and favoured carefully trained military slaves for key positions. Raziyya, Iltutmish’s daughter, became Sultan in 1236; NCERT stresses that the nobility opposed her independent rule. Alauddin Khalji strengthened revenue collection, maintained a large army during Mongol pressure, and is associated with market regulations. Muhammad bin Tughluq is linked with the attempted transfer of the capital to Daulatabad and a token-currency experiment. Firoz Shah Tughluq is associated with public works and canals. Use cause and result, not just one-word facts.
Architecture and Monuments
| Monument | Safe association |
|---|---|
| Qutb Minar | Construction began under Qutb al-Din Aibak; later rulers also worked on the complex and the tower. |
| Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque | Early Delhi Sultanate mosque in the Qutb complex; enlarged by Iltutmish and later Alauddin Khalji. |
| Tomb of Iltutmish | Built in 1235; an early royal tomb tradition. |
| Alai Darwaza | Built in 1311 by Alauddin Khalji. |
| Alai Minar | Begun by Alauddin Khalji and left incomplete. |
Prelims Traps
- Raziyya was Sultan, not “Sultana” in her official political claim.
- Iqta is not a permanently hereditary estate in the NCERT description; holders could be transferred.
- Jizya is not the same as kharaj.
- Alai Darwaza is Alauddin Khalji’s, not Iltutmish’s.
- The Iron Pillar in the Qutb complex predates the Sultanate; it has a fourth-century Sanskrit inscription.
- Delhi Sultanate ended in 1526 with Ibrahim Lodi’s defeat, not in 1498.