The Era of Delhi Sultanate

The Delhi Sultanate was a 320-year-old Islamic dynasty centered in Delhi that ruled over wide swaths of South Asia. After the Ghurid Empire’s conquest of the continent, the Mamluk dynasty, the Khilji dynasty, the Tughlaq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty, as well as the Lodi dynasty governed the Delhi Sultanate in turn. It encompassed huge swaths of contemporary India, Pakistan, & Bangladesh, and also sections of southern Nepal. The sultanate is known for integrating the Indian subcontinent into worldwide cosmopolitan civilisation, for repelling Mongol incursions and enthroning Razia Sultana, among the few female monarchs in Islamic history, which ruled from 1236 until 1240.

Dynasties

Mamluk Dynasty

The first monarch of the Delhi Sultanate was Qutb al-Din Aibak, the former slave under Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori. This dynasty is termed as that of the Mamluk (Slave descent) dynasty because of his heritage. Aram Shah took control in 1210 after Aibak’s death, but he was killed in 1211 by Shams ud-Din Iltutmish, Aibak’s son-in-law,   Iltutmish’s position was tenuous, and a group of Muslim nobility opposed him since they had backed Qutb al-Din Aibak. Iltutmish strengthened his dominance through a succession of victories and cruel killings of opponents. After Iltutmish’s demise, the Delhi Sultanate had been ruled by a series of weak kings who fought over the Muslim aristocracy, were assassinated, and had brief reigns. Khalji took control by assassinating the last Mamluk monarch, Qaiqabad, and so ended the Mamluk dynasty & began the Khilji dynasty.

Khilji Dynasty

Jalal Ud-Din Firuz Khilji was the very first emperor of the Khilji dynasty. He ascended to authority during the Khilji renaissance, which saw authority shift from a dominance of Turkish nobility to a diverse Indo-Muslim aristocracy. Jalal-ud-Din Firuz reigned for six years until being assassinated by his nephew & son-in-law Juna Muhammad Khalji, afterwards known as Ala-ud-Din Khilji, in 1296. Ala-ud-Din Khalji was a dictator, according to historians. Ala-ud-Din executed anybody he thought posed a danger to his rule and their wives and children. He ultimately came to mistrust the bulk of his nobility, favouring only a few slaves & relatives. He’s also notorious for his ruthlessness towards kingdoms he’s beaten in combat. Ala-ud-Din Khalji’s 18-year-old child Qutb ud-Din Mubarak Shah Khalji, who reigned for four years until being slain by Khusro Khan, was the final Khilji ruler.

Tughlaq Dynasty

The Tughlaq dynasty reigned from 1320 to the 14th century’s end. Ghazi Malik, the very first king, changed his name to Ghiyath al-Din Tughlaq. Ghiyath al-Din reigned for five years and founded Tughlaqabad, a town near Delhi. Many historians believe he was assassinated under his child Juna Khan, who took control in 1325. Juna Khan changed his name to Muhammad bin Tughlaq & reigned for a total of 26 years. Throughout his reign, the Delhi Sultanate achieved its territorial apex throughout his reign, encompassing the majority of the Indian subcontinent. Afterwards, Firuz Shah Tughlaq’s death resulted in instability and the downfall of the monarchy.

Sayyid Dynasty

The Delhi Sultanate was in ruins after the Timurid invasion & looting, and nothing is recorded of the Sayyid dynasty’s reign. Khizr Khan, this dynasty’s first emperor, ascended to prominence by pretending to represent Timur. Many people in the vicinity of Delhi challenged his authority. Mubarak Khan, who called himself Mubarak Shah and sought unsuccessfully to reclaim lost Punjab areas against Khokhar warlords, became his heir. However, the Lodi dynasty overthrew the Sayyids in 1451, culminating in the rebirth of the Delhi Sultanate. 

Lodi Dynasty

Bahlul Khan Lodi established the Lodi dynasty, the very first Pashtun to govern the Delhi Sultanate. Bahlul Lodi started his rule by fighting the Muslim Jaunpur Kingdom to increase the Delhi Sultanate’s dominance, something he partially achieved thanks to a pact. Following it, the Delhi Sultanate reclaimed control over the region spanning Delhi to Varanasi. Upon Bahlul Lodi’s death, his son Nizam Khan took over and called himself Sikandar Lodi, ruling from 1489 until 1517. In 1517, Sikandar Lodi died naturally, while his son Ibrahim Lodi ascended to the throne. The Delhi Sultanate ended when Ibrahim Lodi died, and thus the Mughal Empire took its place.

Conclusion

From 1206 until 1526 CE, the Delhi Sultanate referred to five brief Muslim dynasties of Turkish & Pashtun (Afghan) provenance that dominated the area of Delhi. The Mughals overthrew the last of their family within the 16th century, establishing the Mughal Empire throughout India. Underneath the Delhi Sultanate, the merger of indigenous with Muslim practises and styles led directly to the origins of Indo-Islamic architecture and art, which subsequently achieved its pinnacle under the Mughal rulers. The Sultanate’s largest impact on India’s fine arts is its architectural advancements.