1206 – 1526 Events
The Delhi Sultanate
1206 – 1290
Slave Dynasty
The concept of equality in Islam and Muslim traditions reached its climax in the history of South Asia when slaves ...
1290 – 1316
Khalji Dynasty
The founder of the Khalji Dynasty in South Asia, Malik Firuz, was originally the Ariz-i-Mumalik appointed by Kaiqubad during the ...
1320 – 1414
Tughluq Dynasty
During his rule, Khusraw replaced Muslim officers by Hindu officers in all key positions of the country. These Hindu officers ...
1414 – 1451
Saiyid Dynasty
Khizar Khan, the founder of the Saiyids Dynasty, claimed to be a descendent of the Prophet of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad ...
1451 – 1526
Lodhi Dynasty
The Lodhi Dynasty was the first and last Afghan dynasty to rule in South Asia, with the exception of Sher ...
Features Of The Delhi Sultanate
Cultural Developments
During the Sultanate era an exotic Indo-Muslim culture came into being which was the blend of Arabic, Turkish, Afghan, Persian, ...
Literature
Sultanate era witnessed the rise of Persian as the court language. The real credit of important developments that took place ...
Major Achievements
The Sultanate era was a unique epoch of Muslim achievements. Firstly, because a small minority which was just the ratio ...
Judicial System
Judiciary comprised four types of courts: diwan-i-mazalim (Court of complaints and justice), presided by the rulers or his representative known ...
Military System
The army was administered by ariz-ul-mumalik. He was not the commander-in-chief but the controller-general. He exercised great influence over the ...
Revenue System
The revenue system was in accordance with the Islamic theory and duly inherited from the Ghaznavids. It was, however, compatible ...
Administrative System
Sultan: The sultan was the head of the Muslim state. He owed nominal allegiance to the Abbasid caliph, although from ...
Religion
Muslim dynasties rose and fell but Islam as a unifying force sustained the Muslims throughout these centuries. The ulema and ...
Economy
The village during the Sultanate period remained as in the ancient period a self-contained unit of economic life. The cities ...
Architecture
The Muslims brought with them strongly developed traditions of architecture expressing artistic genius of the Muslim rulers. Their architecture was ...
Art
The Muslims during the Sultanate period developed decorative arts like calligraphy and arabesque. Their floral and geometrical patterns enhanced the ...
Games
Among the games and pastimes chaugan (polo), riding, racing, hunting and archery were popular among the Muslim nobility and the ...
Ceremonies and Festivals
Among the ceremonies the most important were those associated with ‘aqiqah, bismillah, circumcision, marriage and funeral. These were Muslim and ...
Food
The Muslim food in Sultanate era was predominantly Central-Asian. It has still endured for centuries in Muslim culture of sub-continent ...
Music
Before Muslims Indian music was devotional and mostly confined to particular events, festivals and places of worship. Muslims, however, secularized ...
Medicine
Muslims practiced and patronized the Indo-Muslim medicine popularly known as Yunani Tibb. Zia-ud-din Barani in his historical accounts mentions the ...
Education
Knowledge was highly advanced and endorsed in Sultanate era. The government took keen interest in the establishment of necessary institutions ...
Administration Under the Sultans of Delhi
Though five dynasties ruled during the era that is considered as the Sultanate Period, yet the administrative set up during ...