Muhammad Tughlaq’s Innovations

Muhammad Tughluq was the second sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty (reigned 1325–51), who shortly spread the rule of a Delhi sultanate of northern India over the whole subcontinent. He was born c. 1290 in Delhi, India, and died March 20, 1351, in Sonda. He soon lost his influence in the south due to mistaken administrative acts with unheard-of severity towards his opponents; by the conclusion of his reign, the sultanate had begun to fall in strength. Let’s discuss the Tughlaq dynasty in detail; for better understanding, please read the topic properly. 

Tughlaq Dynasty

During the Sultanate period, a Tughlaq dynasty controlled Delhi as just a Turko-Indian kingdom. Ghiyas ud din tughlaq, Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, and Firuz Shah Tughlaq were three notable Tughlaq monarchs. The dynasty’s reign began around 1321 when Ghazi Malik gained the throne of Delhi named Ghiyas-ud-din tughlaq. He spread his power to other parts of India after solidifying his decree there in the capital, with the support of the Khilji nobility that stood to him and went to war with the Hindu kingdoms of Deogir, Arangal, and Triang. In Bengal, he also tried his luck. At an occasion, when the stage was prepared to give them a reception following their win, collapsed, he and his beloved son Mahmud Khan were murdered. Several people believe this was a sabotage attempt, but they accuse his eldest son Ulugh Khan of building a massive timber structure without an appropriate foundation.

Ulugh Khan became ruler following his death but also took the name Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. For another twenty-six years, he governed India. He was well-known for his daring ideas. Several people feel he was born ahead of his time since most of his projects were built on new concepts which failed to produce due to people’s unwillingness to cooperate. Shifting of capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, adopting token currency, conquests of Khurasan and parts of China, and so forth were among his major undertakings.

The state’s revenue plummeted throughout his tenure. In 1351, he was replaced by his nephew Feroz Shah Tughlaq, who reigned successfully for the next 37 years. Almost all of the aristocrats who’ve been close to his predecessor were removed but even executed. His administrative and economic innovations have made him famous throughout history. The dynasty could not generate a competent ruler after his death in 1388. His favourite grandchild, which he had groomed to be his successors, died before him.

Civil war broke out during Feroz Shah’s latter years and persisted through his successors Ghiyath-ud-din Tughluq Shah, Abu Bakr Shah, Muhammad Shah, Mahmud Tughlaq, then Nusrat Shah. With Amir Taimur’s invasion in 1398, the dynasty’s reign ended. However, the dynasty came to a close in 1413, when Khizar Khan, the previous ruler of Multan, became Sultan of Delhi, thus beginning the Sayyid Dynasty.

Token Currency

According to historian Ishwari Prasad, his mints created several coins of various forms and sizes but lacked artistic elegance in design or texture. After his disastrous mission to Deogiri in 1330, he introduced token currency, which consisted of brass or copper coins with the same values as gold and silver coins. Tughluq, according to historian Ziauddin Barani, took this action because he planned to acquire all of the world’s populated territories, whereby a treasury would be required to pay the army. Barani also claimed that its sultan’s coffers had been depleted due to his gold-based incentives and gifts. Officials in rural areas, such as muqaddams, paid taxes with brass or copper coins, which they sometimes used to buy weaponry and horses.

Consequently, the value of coinage fell, and they were “as worthless as stones,” as Satish Chandra put it. Trade and commerce were also interrupted as a result of this. The public couldn’t tell the official from the forged coins because the token currency included inscriptions in Persian and Arabic signifying its use of new coins rather than the royal seal. In 1333, the use of token currency was seized, according to records, since Ibn Battuta, who arrived in Delhi in 1334, kept a journal that made no mention of it.

Conclusion

Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq is well known for performing risky trials, including a keen interest in agriculture. He was well-versed in religion and reasoning and had a discriminating and responsive mindset. He was enthralled with logic, space science, reasoning, and mathematics. He spoke with Muslim spiritualists, Hindu yogis, and other Jain holy figures such as Jinaprabha Suri.