TNPSC Free Notes History-The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320

இந்தக் கட்டுரையில், TNPSC குரூப் 1, குரூப் 2, குரூப் 2A, குரூப் 4 மாநிலப் போட்டித் தேர்வுகளான TNUSRB, TRB, TET, TNEB போன்றவற்றுக்கான முறைகள் இலவசக் குறிப்புகளைப் பெறுவீர்கள்.தேர்வுக்கு தயாராவோர் இங்குள்ள பாடக்குறிப்புகளை படித்து பயன்பெற வாழ்த்துகிறோம்.

The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320 – 1414)

Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (1320 – 1325):
 He was the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.
 Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq followed a policy of reconciliation with the nobles.
 Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq sent his son Jauna Khan to fight against Warangal.
 Jauna Khan defeated Pratabarudra of Warangal and returned with rich booty.
 Ghiyasuddin laid the foundation for Tughluqabad near Delhi.
 Juna Khan was said to have treacherously killed his father and ascended the throne with
the title Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq in 1325.

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (1325 – 1351):
 Muhammad Tughlaq was a learned, cultured and talented prince but gained a
reputation of being merciless, cruel and unjust.
 Muhammad was an innovator. But he, unlike Ala-ud-din, lacked the will to execute his
plans successfully.

Reforms
 Muhammad Tughlaq’s attempt to shift the capital from Delhi to Devagiri in
Maharashtra, which he named Daulatabad, was a bold initiative.
 However, the plan failed, and soon Muhammad realised that it was difficult to rule
North India from Daulatabad. He again ordered transfer of capital back to Delhi.
 The next important experiment of Muhammad was the introduction of token
currency. This currency system had already been experimented in China and Iran.
For India it was much ahead of its time, given that it was a time when coins were
based on silver content.
 When Muhammad issued bronze coins, fake coins were minted which could not be
prevented by the government. The new coins were devalued to such an extent that
the government had to withdraw the bronze coins and replace them with silver
coins, which told heavily on the resources of the empire.
 Equally innovative was Muhammad Tughlaq’s scheme to expand cultivation. But it
also failed miserably. It coincided with a prolonged and severe famine in the Doab.
The peasants who rebelled were harshly dealt with. The famine was linked to the
oppressive and arbitrary collection of land revenue.
 The Sultan established a separate department (Diwan-i-Amir Kohi) to take care of
agriculture. Loans were advanced to farmers for purchase of cattle, seeds and
digging of wells but to no avail.
 Officers appointed to monitor the crops were not efficient; the nobility and
important officials were of diverse background. Besides, the Sultan’s temperament
had also earned him a lot of enemies.
 Ala-ud-din Khalji had not annexed distant territories knowing full well that they
could not be effectively governed. He preferred to establish his suzerainty over
them. But Muhammad annexed all the lands he conquered.
 Therefore, at the end of his reign, while he faced a series of rebellions, his repressive
measures further alienated his subjects. Distant regions like Bengal, Madurai,
Warangal, Awadh, Gujarat and Sind hoisted the flags of rebellion and the Sultan
spent his last days fighting rebels.

 While he was frantically engaged in pursuing a rebel leader in Gujarat, he fell ill, and
died at the end of his 26 th regnal year (1351).

Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351 -1388)
 Firuz’s father, Rajab, was the younger brother of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.
 Muhammad bin Tughlaq died without naming his successor.
 The claim made by Muhammad’s sister to his son was not supported by the nobles.
 His son, recommended by Muhammad’s friend Khan-i Jahan, was a mere child. Under
such circumstances, Firuz ascended the throne.
 He appointed Khan-i-Jahan Maqbal, as wazir (prime minister) a Telugu Brahmin convert
to Islam. Originally known as Kannu, he was captured during the Sultanate campaigns in
Warangal (present-day Telangana).
 Firuz Tughlaq followed a conciliatory policy towards the nobles and the ologians. He
reintroduced the system of hereditary appointments to offices, a practice which was not
favoured by Ala-ud-din Khalji.
 The Sultan increased the salaries of government officials. While toning up the revenue
administration, he reduced several taxes.
 Firuz had a genuine concern for the slaves and established a separate government
department to attend to their welfare.
 The slave department took care of the wellbeing of 180,000 slaves. They were trained in
handicrafts and employed in the royal workshops.
 Firuz waged no wars of annexation, though he was not averse to putting down
rebellions challenging his authority. His Bengal campaign to put down a rebellion there,
however, was an exception.

Reforms
 Firuz favoured orthodox Islam. He proclaimed his state to be an Islamic state largely
to satisfy the theologians.
 He imposed jizya, a head tax on non-Muslims, which even the Brahmins were
compelled to pay
 In India, Qutb-ud-din Aibak imposed jizya on non-Muslims for the first time.
 Jizya was abolished by the Mughal ruler Akbar in 16th century but was re-introduced
by Aurangzeb in the 17th century.
 Yet Firuz did not prohibit the building of new Hindu temples and shrines.
 His cultural interest led to translation of many Sanskrit works relating to religion,
medicine and music.

 As an accomplished scholar himself, Firuz was a liberal patron of the learned
including non-Islamic scholars.
 Fond of music, he is credited with establishing several educational institutions and a
number of mosques, palaces and forts.
 Firuz undertook many irrigation projects. A canal he dug from Sutlej river to Hansi
and another canal in Jumna indicate his sound policy of public works development.
 Firuz died in 1388, after making his son Fath Khan and grandson Ghiyas-ud-din as
joint rulers of Delhi Sultanate.

Timur’s Invasion – 1398
 The last Tughlaq ruler was Nasir-ud-din Muhammad Shah (1394–1412), whose reign
witnessed the invasion of Timur from Central Asia.
 Turkish Timur, who could claim a blood relationship with the 12 th century great Mongol
Chengiz Khan.
 He ransacked Delhi virtually without any opposition.
 On hearing the news of arrival of Timur, Sultan Nasir-ud-din fled Delhi.
 Timur also took Indian artisans such as masons, stone cutters, carpenters whom he
engaged for raising buildings in his capital Samarkhand.
 Nasir-ud-din managed to rule up to 1412.

Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451)
 Timur appointed Khizr Khan as his deputy to oversee Timurid interests in the Punjab
marches.
 Khizr Khan (1414- 21) went on to seize Delhi and establish the Sayyid dynasty.
 The Sayyid dynasty established by Khizr Khan had four sultans ruling up to 1451.
 The early Sayyid Sultans ruled paying tribute to Timur’s son.
 Their rule is marked for the composing of Tarikh-i- Mubarak Shahi by Yahiya bin Ahmad
Sirhindi.
 In the entire history of the Delhi Sultanate there was only one Sultan who voluntarily
abdicated his throne and moved to a small town away from Delhi, where he lived for
three full decades in contentment and peace. He was Alam Shah of the Sayyid dynasty.
Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526)
 The Lodi Dynasty was established by Bahlul Lodi (1451–1489), whose reign witnessed
the conquest of Sharqi Kingdom (Bengal).
 It was his son Sikander Lodi(1489–1517) who shifted the capital from Delhi to Agra in
1504.
 He was a good administrator. Roads were laid and many irrigational facilities were
provided for the benefit of the peasantry.

 Despite certain laudable qualities, he was a bigot. He destroyed many Hindu temples
and imposed many restrictions on the Hindus.
 Sikandar Lodi was succeeded by his eldest son Ibrahim Lodi who was arrogant. He
insulted his nobles openly in court and humiliated them.
 Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Punjab, invited Babur to invade India.
 Babur marched against Delhi and defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of
Panipat (1526).

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