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History is not a web woven with innocent hands. Among all the
causes which degrade and demoralize men, power is the most
constant and the most active. • Lord Acton (1834–1902)

their value was kept at par with gold and silver coins. India’s greatest Persian-language poets, was Amir Khus-
These experiments brought misery to his subjects. rau (1253–1325). Credit goes to him for introducing
The Mongol chief Timur (1336–1405) invaded Delhi several forms of singing and new ragas. Linguistically,
in 1398, leaving a trail of devastation and weakening the amalgamation of dialects of Hindi and Persian resulted
sultanate.The Delhi sultanate was finally overthrown by in beginning of the Urdu language. The contemporary
Babur (1483–1530), founder of India’s Mughal dynasty historical writings of Minhaj-us-Siraj, Amir Khusrau,
(1526–1857), at the first battle of Panipat in 1526. Ziauddin Barani, Shams Siraj Afif, and Yahya bin Ahmad
Sirhindi are important source materials for studying dif-
Administration ferent aspects of the Delhi sultanate.
and Culture The Sufi (Islamic) and bhakti (Hindu devotional) saints
In the beginning, the Delhi sultanate was divided into of the period dedicated themselves to the cause of
units called iqtas.The owner (iqatadar) of each iqta col- humanity and emphasized the cooperation between the
lected revenue and supplied army contingents to the two religious communities. Both preached equality and
sultan. The iqatadars became hereditary owners and were against rituals and a caste-based social system.
afterward, abuses crept into the system. Later, a different Bhakti saints such as Kabir (1440–1518) and Caitanya
administrative set-up came into being, with the sultan at (1485–1533) stressed the union of the individual with
its head. The sultan was head of the state enjoying God through acts of devotion. This period also saw the
absolute power.The sultan’s vizier was the prime minis- establishment of a new religion, Sikhism, formalized by
ter, and there were several different ministries. Religious Guru Nanak (1469–1539). The Sufi religious mystics
scholars enjoyed special privileges, and Hindus, as non- offered a common meeting ground for Muslims and
Muslims, had to pay a special tax. Despite that burden, non-Muslims. Striving for Hindu-Muslim unity, they cre-
the Hindu upper classes led a comfortable life. Although ated a liberal atmosphere.Their tombs still attract people
there were conflicts between the Hindu and Muslim rul- of both religions.
ing elites, common people of both religions lived in har- In sum, the period of the Delhi sultanate was impor-
mony, and the aristocracy enjoyed a life of luxury.There tant for Indian history, culture, and society.The new, com-
was growth of urban centers, and the volume of trade posite culture that began to emerge laid the groundwork
with western Asia, Southeast Asia, and China increased. for the cultural achievements of the Mughal period.
The sultanate was very much a part of international
Patit Paban Mishra
trade, and Muslim traders from the region helped spread
a liberal brand of Islam to Southeast Asia.
The Delhi sultanate oversaw the flourishing of a new Further Reading
cultural era. A new style of architecture emerged that Chandra, S. (1998). Medieval India: From sultanate to the Mughals.
incorporated both Hindu and Muslim motifs. Notable Delhi, India: Har Anand.
Chattopadhyaya, B. (1998). The making of early medieval India. Delhi,
contribution of the Delhi sultans to architecture include India: Oxford University Press.
the Quwat-ul-Islam mosque, the Qutab Minar, the Siri Islam, R. (1999). Sufism and its impact on Muslim society in South Asia.
Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press.
fort, Alai Darwaza, the cities of Tughluqabad and Firuz-
Kulke, H., & Rothermund, D. (1994). History of India. Calcutta, India:
abad, and the tomb of Firuz Shah Tughluq (reigned Rupa.
1351–1388). Nor did the art of painting die out; it was Majumdar, R. C. (Ed.). (1989). The Delhi sultanate. Bombay (Mumbai),
India: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
at home in the murals, painted textiles, and manuscripts Mishra, P. P. (2002). India—medieval period. In D. Levinson & K. Chris-
of the period. Music was patronized by some sultans and tensen (Eds.), Encyclopedia of modern Asia (Vol. 3, pp. 22–25). New
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
provincial rulers; the most important figure in Indian
Mujeeb, M. (1967). The Indian Muslims. London: George Allen &
music during this period, who is also considered one of Unwin.