Delhi Sultanate

Quick Facts: Who was Delhi Sultanate?

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Delhi Sultanate

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A late medieval empire in the Indian subcontinent, spanning from 1206 to 1526.

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Origins & Early Life

The Delhi Sultanate or the Sultanate of Delhi was a late medieval empire primarily based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for more than three centuries. The sultanate was established in 1206 in the former Ghurid territories in India. Its history is generally divided into five periods: Mamluk (1206–1290), Khalji (1290–1320), Tughlaq (1320–1414), Sayyid (1414–1451), and Lodi (1451–1526). It covered large swaths of territory in modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as some parts of southern Nepal. The foundation of the sultanate was laid by the Ghurid conqueror Muhammad Ghori, who routed the Rajput confederacy, led by Ajmer ruler Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1192 near Tarain, in a reversal of an earlier battle.

Career & Major Achievements

As a successor to the Ghurid dynasty, the Delhi Sultanate was originally one of several principalities ruled by the Turkic slave-generals of Muhammad Ghori, who had inherited and divided the Ghurid territories amongst themselves. Khalji and Tughlaq rule ushered a new wave of rapid and continual Muslim conquests deep into southern India. The sultanate reached its geographical zenith under the Tughlaq dynasty, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq. A major political transformation occurred across northern India, triggered by the Central Asian king Timur's devastating raid on Delhi in 1398, coinciding with the re-emergence of rival Hindu powers such as Vijayanagara Empire and Kingdom of Mewar, and new Muslim sultanates such as the Bengal and Bahmani sultanates asserting independence. In 1526, Timurid ruler Babur invaded northern India and conquered the sultanate, leading to its succession by the Mughal Empire.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The establishment of the sultanate drew the Indian subcontinent more closely into international and multicultural Islamic social and economic networks, as seen concretely in the development of the Hindustani language and Indo-Islamic architecture. It was also one of the few powers to repel attacks by the Mongols (from the Chagatai Khanate) and saw the enthronement of one of the few female rulers in Islamic history, Razia Sultana (r. The sultans generally accepted Hindu officials and vassals as well as native Muslims converted from Hinduism in the administration, and presented themselves as a paramount power instead of sovereigns, according to the Hindu political traditions. However, there were cases like Bakhtiyar Khalji's annexations, which involved a large-scale desecration of Hindu and Buddhist temples and the destruction of universities and libraries. Mongolian raids on West and Central Asia set the scene for centuries of migration of fleeing soldiers, intelligentsia, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from those regions into the subcontinent, thereby establishing Islamic culture there.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1192: 1192 Milestone — The foundation of the sultanate was laid by the Ghurid conqueror Muhammad Ghori, who routed the Rajput confederacy, led by Ajmer ruler Prithviraj Chauhan, in 1192 near Tarain, in a reversal of an earlier battle.
2. 1206: 1206 Milestone — The sultanate was established in 1206 in the former Ghurid territories in India.
3. 1398: 1398 Milestone — A major political transformation occurred across northern India, triggered by the Central Asian king Timur's devastating raid on Delhi in 1398, coinciding with the re-emergence of rival Hindu powers such as Vijayanagara Empire and Kingdom of Mewar, and new Muslim sultanates such as the Bengal and Bahmani sultanates asserting independence.
4. 1526: 1526 Milestone — In 1526, Timurid ruler Babur invaded northern India and conquered the sultanate, leading to its succession by the Mughal Empire.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Delhi Sultanate

True or False: “The Delhi Sultanate was established immediately after the defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan at Tarain in 1192.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While Muhammad Ghori routed Prithviraj Chauhan near Tarain in 1192, the formal establishment and rule of the Sultanate began later, following Ghor's assassination.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Delhi Sultanate