⚔️ Chapter 9: Medieval India

Delhi Sultanate & Vijayanagara Empire • Surgical Strike Notes

Delhi Sultanate: Dynasty Timeline (1206-1526 AD)

Dynasty	Period	Key Info
1. Slave/Mamluk	1206-1290	Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Balban
2. Khalji	1290-1320	Alauddin Khalji (market reforms!)
3. Tughluq	1320-1412	Longest ruling! Muhammad-bin-Tughluq
4. Sayyid	1414-1451	Established by Khizr Khan after Timur's invasion
5. Lodi	1451-1526	Sikandar Lodi founded Agra!

Alauddin Khalji (1296-1316 AD) - The Reformer

⚡ Major Reforms

                    1. Market Reforms Super PYQ!

                    • Price control system

                    • 4 separate markets in Delhi

                    • First "Public Distribution System"!

                    • Officials: Shahna-i-Mandi (superintendent)

                    • Spies: Barids & Munhiyans

                    2. Revenue Reforms

                    • Land revenue: 1/2 (50%) of produce!

                    • First to measure land

                    • Dept: Diwan-i-Mustakhraj

                    • Expanded Khalisa land

                    3. New Taxes

                    • Ghari: House tax

                    • Grazing tax: On cattle

                    4. Military Reforms

                    • Maintained huge standing army

                    • Cash salary system

                    • Defeated Mongols repeatedly

🎯 Conquests

South India: Sent Malik Kafur (1000 Dinar Kafur)
• Conquered Devagiri (Ramachandra Dev)
• Warangal (defeated Kakatiya in 1310, after failed attempt in 1303)
• Purpose: Wealth, NOT annexation!
Chittor: Famous story of Padmini (wife of Rana Ratan Singh) - mentioned in "Padmavat" by Malik Muhammad Jayasi
Title: "Sikandar-i-Sani" (Second Alexander)

🌊 Military Commanders

Zafar Khan: Died fighting Mongols (brave commander!)
Malik Kafur: Led southern expeditions

                💡 Boundary after 1306: Ravi River became boundary between Delhi
                Sultanate & Mongols
            

Tughluq Dynasty (1320-1412) - The Longest

1. Ghiyasuddin Tughluq (1320-1325)

Original name: Ghazi Malik.
Commander under Alauddin, defeated Mongols 29 times!
Title: "Malik-ul-Ghazi"
Land revenue: Reduced to 1/10 to 1/3 (from Alauddin's harsh 1/2)

2. Muhammad-bin-Tughluq (1325-1351) - The Educated Eccentric

                🎓 Most Learned Sultan! Expert in astronomy, mathematics, medicine PYQ Repeat!
            

⚡ 5 Major Experiments (All Failed!)

#	Experiment	Result
1	Increased Doab Tax (50%)	Famine + rebellion
2	Capital shift Delhi → Daulatabad	Failed! Had to return
3	Token Currency (copper = silver value)	Counterfeiting! Massive failure PYQ Favorite!
4	Khurasan Invasion	Abandoned
5	Qarachil Expedition	Failed

🌾 New Department

Diwan-i-Amir-i-Kohi: Agriculture department Super PYQ!
• 60 square miles selected
• Crop rotation plan
• Support to farmers

👥 Unique Features

First Sultan to celebrate Holi publicly!
Appointed non-Turks & Indian Muslims to high posts.
Coins inscribed: "Al Sultan Zil li Allah" (Sultan is shadow of God)

                📖 Ibn Battuta (1333-1347):

                • African (Moroccan) traveller

                • Appointed Qazi of Delhi by Muhammad-bin-Tughluq

                • Sent as ambassador to China (1342)

                • Book: "Kitab-al-Rihla" (describes postal system!)

                • On MbT's death (1351): "Sultan was freed from his people, and people from their
                    Sultan" - Badayuni

3. Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388) - The Builder

🏗️ Massive Construction

Built 300 new cities! (Fatehabad, Hisar, Jaunpur, Firozabad)
40 mosques, 30 schools, 100 hospitals, 150 bridges
Chief Architect: Malik Ghazi Shahana

🌊 Canal Network (Largest in India!)

5 major canals for irrigation
First to impose irrigation tax: "Haqq-e-Sharb" (1/10th of produce)

⚡ Other Reforms

Diwan-i-Khairat: Charity department (for poor Muslims, orphans, widows)
Diwan-i-Bandagan: Department for slaves (had 1,80,000 slaves!)
Employment Office: To solve unemployment
First to arrange Hajj at state expense!
Dar-ul-Shafa: Free hospital
Translation Department: Sanskrit texts → Persian
Jizya on Brahmins: First to impose (previously exempt)

                🏛️ Brought 2 Ashokan Pillars to Delhi:

                • From Meerut & Topra (Ambala)

                • Re-installed in Delhi

4. End of Tughluqs

Nasiruddin Mahmud (1394-1412): Last Tughluq ruler
Timur's invasion 1398: Destroyed Delhi & Tughluq dynasty
Famous saying: "Sultanate extends from Delhi to Palam" (tiny kingdom!)

Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526) - Afghan Rule

Rulers

1. Bahlul Lodi (1451-1489): Founder
2. Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517): Greatest Lodi ruler!
• Founded AGRA city (1504)! Super PYQ!
• Made it capital
• Pen name: "Gulrukhi" (poet)
• Abolished grain taxes
• Introduced "Gaz-i-Sikandari" (measurement for land)
3. Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526): Last Lodi ruler
• Defeated by Babur in First Battle of Panipat (1526)
• Earlier defeated by Rana Sanga in Battle of Khatoli (1518)

Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1650 AD)

🏛️ Foundation

Founded by: Harihara & Bukka (1336 AD) PYQ Repeat!
Dynasty name: Sangama (after their father Sangam)
Story:
• Were ministers in Kampili
• Captured by Muhammad Tughluq, converted to Islam
• Sent south as commanders
• Reconverted to Hinduism under Saint Vidyaranya
• Founded Vijayanagara

📜 Four Dynasties

Dynasty	Period	Capital
1. Sangama	1336-1485	Anegondi, Vijayanagara
2. Saluva	1485-1505	-
3. Tuluva	1505-1570	-
4. Aravidu	1570-1650	Chandragiri

⭐ Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529) - The Greatest!

🌟 Golden Age of Telugu Literature!

Title: "Andhra Bhoja"
Ashtadiggajas: 8 Telugu poets in his court (8 pillars of literary assembly)
His work: "Amuktamalyada" (one of 5 top Telugu epics)
Military: Fought Battle of Golconda vs Quli Qutb Shah (won!)
Construction:
• Built Nagalpur city
• Vittala Temple (Hampi)
• Hazara Temple
Foreign visitor: Portuguese traveller Domingo Paes
Babur called him "most powerful ruler of India" in his autobiography

⚔️ Battle of Talikota (1565 AD)

Vijayanagara defeated by combined forces of Bahamani states
Ruler: Sadashiva Raya (real power: minister Rama Raya)
Hussain Nizam Shah killed Rama Raya
Result: Empire declined, Aravidu dynasty established

📖 Other Notable Facts

"Madhura Vijayam": Book by Ganga Devi (wife of Kumara Kampana) - describes husband's victories
Revenue department: "Athavane"
Land tax: Called "Shisht" (Rai-rekha) - 1/6 to 1/3 of produce
Persian ambassador: Abdur Razzaq (visited during Devaraya II)
Translation: Mahabharata translated to Telugu by Kavitrayi (Nannayan, Tikkan, Yerrann)

🏛️ Architecture

Hampi: Capital ruins (UNESCO World Heritage)
Virupaksha Temple at Hampi
Hoysaleshwar Temple at Halebid (12-13th century)
Chennakeshava Temple at Belur (by Vishnuvardhana)

🎯 PYQ "Sniper" Shots

Q: Who started "Public Distribution System"?
A: Alauddin Khalji (market reforms).

Q: Which Sultan raised land revenue to 50%?
A: Alauddin Khalji & Muhammad-bin-Tughluq.

Q: First to introduce token currency?
A: Muhammad-bin-Tughluq (copper = silver). Failed due to counterfeiting!

Q: Which Sultan was most learned (astronomy, maths, medicine)?
A: Muhammad-bin-Tughluq.

Q: "Diwan-i-Amir-i-Kohi" dealt with?
A: Agriculture (Muhammad-bin-Tughluq).

Q: Ibn Battuta visited India during?
A: Muhammad-bin-Tughluq (1333-1347). Book: Kitab-al-Rihla.

Q: Who founded Agra city?
A: Sikandar Lodi (1504 AD). Super Hit!

Q: Which dynasty ruled longest in Delhi Sultanate?
A: Tughluq (1320-1412 = 92 years).

Q: Vijayanagara founded by?
A: Harihara & Bukka (1336). Dynasty: Sangama.

Q: "Ashtadiggajas" were?
A: 8 Telugu poets in court of Krishnadeva Raya.

Q: Who brought 2 Ashokan pillars to Delhi?
A: Firuz Shah Tughluq (from Meerut & Topra).

UPPCS Preparation