NCERT Textbook: Delhi 12th To 15th Century | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


30
I
n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta  
 became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice 
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi                
as its capital? That was because Delhi became an 
important city only in the twelfth century.  
of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were 
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the 
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer.  
It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi 
became an important commercial centre. Many rich  
several temples. Coins minted 
here, called , had a  
wide circulation. 
The transformation of Delhi 
into a capital that controlled vast 
areas of the subcontinent started 
with the foundation of the Delhi 
thirteenth century. Take a look at 
dynasties that together made the 
cities in the area that we now            
DELHI: 12
th
 TO 15
th
 CENTURY
Map 1 
Selected Sultanate 
cities of Delhi, 
thirteenth-fourteenth 
centuries.
-
-
Page 2


30
I
n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta  
 became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice 
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi                
as its capital? That was because Delhi became an 
important city only in the twelfth century.  
of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were 
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the 
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer.  
It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi 
became an important commercial centre. Many rich  
several temples. Coins minted 
here, called , had a  
wide circulation. 
The transformation of Delhi 
into a capital that controlled vast 
areas of the subcontinent started 
with the foundation of the Delhi 
thirteenth century. Take a look at 
dynasties that together made the 
cities in the area that we now            
DELHI: 12
th
 TO 15
th
 CENTURY
Map 1 
Selected Sultanate 
cities of Delhi, 
thirteenth-fourteenth 
centuries.
-
-
31
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
RAJPUT DYNASTIES
Tomaras Early twelfth century 1165
Chauhans 1165 1192
EARLY TURKISH RULERS 
Qutbuddin Aybak 1206 –1210 
KHALJI DYNASTY 
TUGHLUQ DYNASTY 
SAYYID DYNASTY 
Khizr Khan 1414 –1421 
LODI DYNASTY 
 
The rulers of Delhi 
Table 1 
Page 3


30
I
n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta  
 became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice 
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi                
as its capital? That was because Delhi became an 
important city only in the twelfth century.  
of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were 
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the 
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer.  
It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi 
became an important commercial centre. Many rich  
several temples. Coins minted 
here, called , had a  
wide circulation. 
The transformation of Delhi 
into a capital that controlled vast 
areas of the subcontinent started 
with the foundation of the Delhi 
thirteenth century. Take a look at 
dynasties that together made the 
cities in the area that we now            
DELHI: 12
th
 TO 15
th
 CENTURY
Map 1 
Selected Sultanate 
cities of Delhi, 
thirteenth-fourteenth 
centuries.
-
-
31
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
RAJPUT DYNASTIES
Tomaras Early twelfth century 1165
Chauhans 1165 1192
EARLY TURKISH RULERS 
Qutbuddin Aybak 1206 –1210 
KHALJI DYNASTY 
TUGHLUQ DYNASTY 
SAYYID DYNASTY 
Khizr Khan 1414 –1421 
LODI DYNASTY 
 
The rulers of Delhi 
Table 1 
32
OUR PASTS – II
?
Understanding Delhi under the Sultans
Histories are known as  (singular)/ 
(plural), in Persian, the language of administration 
under the Delhi Sultans.
The authors of  were learned men: 
secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers, 
who both recounted events and advised rulers on 
governance, emphasising the importance of just rule. 
The circle of justice 
Fakhr-i Mudabbir wrote in the thirteenth century:   
 A king cannot survive without soldiers. And soldiers cannot 
live without salaries. Salaries come from the revenue collected 
from peasants. But peasants can pay revenue only when 
they are prosperous and happy. This happens when the king 
promotes justice and honest governance.
Do you think the 
circle of justice 
is an appropriate 
term to describe 
the relationship 
between the king 
and his subjects? 
Birthright
Privileges claimed 
on account of 
birth. For example, 
people believed 
that nobles 
inherited their 
rights to govern, 
because they were 
born in certain 
families.
Gender 
distinctions
Social and 
biological 
differences 
between women 
and men. Usually, 
these differences 
are used to argue 
that men are 
superior to women. 
Keep the following additional details in mind:  
(1) the authors of  lived in cities (mainly 
Delhi) and hardly ever in villages. (2) They often wrote 
their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.  
(3) These authors advised rulers on the need to 
preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright 
and gender distinctions. Their ideas were not shared 
by everybody.
 In 1236 Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter, Raziyya, 
became Sultan. The chronicler of the age,  
Minhaj-us-Siraj, recognised that she was more able 
comfortable at having a queen as ruler. Nor were the 
nobles happy at her attempts to rule independently. 
She was removed from the throne in 1240.
Page 4


30
I
n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta  
 became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice 
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi                
as its capital? That was because Delhi became an 
important city only in the twelfth century.  
of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were 
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the 
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer.  
It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi 
became an important commercial centre. Many rich  
several temples. Coins minted 
here, called , had a  
wide circulation. 
The transformation of Delhi 
into a capital that controlled vast 
areas of the subcontinent started 
with the foundation of the Delhi 
thirteenth century. Take a look at 
dynasties that together made the 
cities in the area that we now            
DELHI: 12
th
 TO 15
th
 CENTURY
Map 1 
Selected Sultanate 
cities of Delhi, 
thirteenth-fourteenth 
centuries.
-
-
31
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
RAJPUT DYNASTIES
Tomaras Early twelfth century 1165
Chauhans 1165 1192
EARLY TURKISH RULERS 
Qutbuddin Aybak 1206 –1210 
KHALJI DYNASTY 
TUGHLUQ DYNASTY 
SAYYID DYNASTY 
Khizr Khan 1414 –1421 
LODI DYNASTY 
 
The rulers of Delhi 
Table 1 
32
OUR PASTS – II
?
Understanding Delhi under the Sultans
Histories are known as  (singular)/ 
(plural), in Persian, the language of administration 
under the Delhi Sultans.
The authors of  were learned men: 
secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers, 
who both recounted events and advised rulers on 
governance, emphasising the importance of just rule. 
The circle of justice 
Fakhr-i Mudabbir wrote in the thirteenth century:   
 A king cannot survive without soldiers. And soldiers cannot 
live without salaries. Salaries come from the revenue collected 
from peasants. But peasants can pay revenue only when 
they are prosperous and happy. This happens when the king 
promotes justice and honest governance.
Do you think the 
circle of justice 
is an appropriate 
term to describe 
the relationship 
between the king 
and his subjects? 
Birthright
Privileges claimed 
on account of 
birth. For example, 
people believed 
that nobles 
inherited their 
rights to govern, 
because they were 
born in certain 
families.
Gender 
distinctions
Social and 
biological 
differences 
between women 
and men. Usually, 
these differences 
are used to argue 
that men are 
superior to women. 
Keep the following additional details in mind:  
(1) the authors of  lived in cities (mainly 
Delhi) and hardly ever in villages. (2) They often wrote 
their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.  
(3) These authors advised rulers on the need to 
preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright 
and gender distinctions. Their ideas were not shared 
by everybody.
 In 1236 Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter, Raziyya, 
became Sultan. The chronicler of the age,  
Minhaj-us-Siraj, recognised that she was more able 
comfortable at having a queen as ruler. Nor were the 
nobles happy at her attempts to rule independently. 
She was removed from the throne in 1240.
33
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
What Minhaj-us-Siraj thought about  
Raziyya: What other important  
female rulers of India did?
Minhaj-us-Siraj thought that the queen’s rule went 
against the ideal social order created by God, in which 
women were supposed to be subordinate to men. He 
therefore asked: “In the register of God’s creation, since 
her account did not fall under the column of men, how 
did she gain from all of her excellent qualities?” 
On her inscriptions and coins Raziyya mentioned 
that she was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish. 
This was in contrast to the queen Rudramadevi  
(1262–1289), of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, 
part of modern Andhra Pradesh. Rudramadevi 
changed her name on her inscriptions and pretended 
she was a man. Another queen, Didda, ruled in 
Kashmir (980–1003). Her title is interesting: it comes 
from “didi” or “elder sister”, an obviously affectionate 
term given to a loved ruler by her subjects. 
Express Minhaj’s ideas in your own words. Do you 
think Raziyya shared these ideas? Why do you 
think it was so difficult for a woman to be a ruler? 
?
A Closer Look: Administration under 
the Khaljis and Tughluqs
The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as the                     
Delhi Sultanate needed reliable governors and 
administrators. Rather than appointing aristocrats 
and landed chieftains as governors, the early Delhi 
Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special 
slaves purchased for military service, called  
in Persian. They were carefully trained to man some 
Since they were totally dependent upon their master, 
the Sultan could trust and rely upon them. 
Page 5


30
I
n Chapter 2 we saw that regions like the Kaveri delta  
 became the centre of large kingdoms. Did you notice 
that there was no mention of a kingdom with Delhi                
as its capital? That was because Delhi became an 
important city only in the twelfth century.  
of a kingdom under the Tomara Rajputs, who were 
defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the 
Chauhans (also referred to as Chahamanas) of Ajmer.  
It was under the Tomaras and Chauhans that Delhi 
became an important commercial centre. Many rich  
several temples. Coins minted 
here, called , had a  
wide circulation. 
The transformation of Delhi 
into a capital that controlled vast 
areas of the subcontinent started 
with the foundation of the Delhi 
thirteenth century. Take a look at 
dynasties that together made the 
cities in the area that we now            
DELHI: 12
th
 TO 15
th
 CENTURY
Map 1 
Selected Sultanate 
cities of Delhi, 
thirteenth-fourteenth 
centuries.
-
-
31
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
RAJPUT DYNASTIES
Tomaras Early twelfth century 1165
Chauhans 1165 1192
EARLY TURKISH RULERS 
Qutbuddin Aybak 1206 –1210 
KHALJI DYNASTY 
TUGHLUQ DYNASTY 
SAYYID DYNASTY 
Khizr Khan 1414 –1421 
LODI DYNASTY 
 
The rulers of Delhi 
Table 1 
32
OUR PASTS – II
?
Understanding Delhi under the Sultans
Histories are known as  (singular)/ 
(plural), in Persian, the language of administration 
under the Delhi Sultans.
The authors of  were learned men: 
secretaries, administrators, poets and courtiers, 
who both recounted events and advised rulers on 
governance, emphasising the importance of just rule. 
The circle of justice 
Fakhr-i Mudabbir wrote in the thirteenth century:   
 A king cannot survive without soldiers. And soldiers cannot 
live without salaries. Salaries come from the revenue collected 
from peasants. But peasants can pay revenue only when 
they are prosperous and happy. This happens when the king 
promotes justice and honest governance.
Do you think the 
circle of justice 
is an appropriate 
term to describe 
the relationship 
between the king 
and his subjects? 
Birthright
Privileges claimed 
on account of 
birth. For example, 
people believed 
that nobles 
inherited their 
rights to govern, 
because they were 
born in certain 
families.
Gender 
distinctions
Social and 
biological 
differences 
between women 
and men. Usually, 
these differences 
are used to argue 
that men are 
superior to women. 
Keep the following additional details in mind:  
(1) the authors of  lived in cities (mainly 
Delhi) and hardly ever in villages. (2) They often wrote 
their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.  
(3) These authors advised rulers on the need to 
preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright 
and gender distinctions. Their ideas were not shared 
by everybody.
 In 1236 Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter, Raziyya, 
became Sultan. The chronicler of the age,  
Minhaj-us-Siraj, recognised that she was more able 
comfortable at having a queen as ruler. Nor were the 
nobles happy at her attempts to rule independently. 
She was removed from the throne in 1240.
33
DELHI: 12
TH
 TO 15
TH
... 
What Minhaj-us-Siraj thought about  
Raziyya: What other important  
female rulers of India did?
Minhaj-us-Siraj thought that the queen’s rule went 
against the ideal social order created by God, in which 
women were supposed to be subordinate to men. He 
therefore asked: “In the register of God’s creation, since 
her account did not fall under the column of men, how 
did she gain from all of her excellent qualities?” 
On her inscriptions and coins Raziyya mentioned 
that she was the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish. 
This was in contrast to the queen Rudramadevi  
(1262–1289), of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal, 
part of modern Andhra Pradesh. Rudramadevi 
changed her name on her inscriptions and pretended 
she was a man. Another queen, Didda, ruled in 
Kashmir (980–1003). Her title is interesting: it comes 
from “didi” or “elder sister”, an obviously affectionate 
term given to a loved ruler by her subjects. 
Express Minhaj’s ideas in your own words. Do you 
think Raziyya shared these ideas? Why do you 
think it was so difficult for a woman to be a ruler? 
?
A Closer Look: Administration under 
the Khaljis and Tughluqs
The consolidation of a kingdom as vast as the                     
Delhi Sultanate needed reliable governors and 
administrators. Rather than appointing aristocrats 
and landed chieftains as governors, the early Delhi 
Sultans, especially Iltutmish, favoured their special 
slaves purchased for military service, called  
in Persian. They were carefully trained to man some 
Since they were totally dependent upon their master, 
the Sultan could trust and rely upon them. 
34
OUR PASTS – II
?
?
Client 
Someone who 
is under the 
protection of 
another; a 
dependent or 
hanger-on. 
Slaves rather than sons
The Sultans were advised:
 A slave, whom one has brought up and promoted, must be 
looked after for it needs a whole lifetime and good luck to 
Can you think of any reason why a slave would 
be better than a son?
The Khaljis and Tughluqs continued to use  
and also raised people of humble birth, who were often 
their clients, to high political positions. They were 
appointed as generals and governors. However, this 
also introduced an element of political instability. 
Slaves and clients were loyal to their masters and 
patrons, but not to their heirs. Sultans had their own 
servants. As a result the accession of a new monarch 
The patronage of these humble people by the Delhi 
Sultans also shocked many elites and the authors 
of Persian  criticised the Delhi Sultans for 
Officials of Sultan Muhammad Tughluq 
Sultan Muhammad Tughluq appointed Aziz Khummar, 
a wine distiller, Firuz Hajjam, a barber, Manka 
Tabbakh, a cook, and two gardeners, Ladha and 
Pira, to high administrative posts. Ziyauddin Barani, 
a mid-fourteenth-century chronicler, reported their 
appointments as a sign of the Sultan’s loss of political 
judgement and his incapacity to rule. 
Why do you think Barani criticised the Sultan?