Muhammad Tughlaq's Failed Project

Introduction
Muhammad Tughlaq was the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He is known for his ambitious and innovative administrative reforms, but his most notable project, the transfer of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, turned out to be a failure.

Reasons for the Transfer
Muhammad Tughlaq had several reasons for wanting to transfer the capital. Firstly, he believed that Daulatabad, located in the Deccan region, was strategically better positioned to defend against Mongol invasions from the north. Secondly, he wanted to weaken the power of the nobles in Delhi and establish his authority in the south. Lastly, he aimed to boost the economy of Daulatabad by shifting the capital there.

Process of Transfer
In 1327, Muhammad Tughlaq ordered the mass migration of the entire population of Delhi to Daulatabad. This ambitious project involved relocating millions of people, including the nobility, merchants, and commoners. The journey was long and arduous, resulting in the deaths of thousands due to exhaustion, hunger, and disease.

Challenges and Failures

- The transfer of the capital resulted in the loss of revenue for the Sultanate as Delhi was the main economic center.
- The administration faced difficulties in governing such a vast empire from a new location.
- The nobles and bureaucrats were reluctant to move, which led to a decline in the efficiency of the administration.


- The economy of Daulatabad was not as prosperous as Muhammad Tughlaq had anticipated. The city lacked the necessary infrastructure and resources to sustain the population.
- The Sultan's decision to introduce a new currency with copper and silver coins led to economic chaos and a loss of confidence in the currency.


- The transfer of the capital was met with resistance and rebellion from various regions, including Delhi.
- The local population in Daulatabad resented the influx of people, leading to social tensions and conflicts.

Abandonment of the Project
Due to the various challenges and failures, Muhammad Tughlaq was forced to abandon his project of transferring the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad. The Sultan eventually moved back to Delhi, but the damage had already been done. The failed project not only resulted in the loss of lives and resources but also weakened the authority and stability of the Delhi Sultanate.

Conclusion
Muhammad Tughlaq's ambitious project to transfer the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad ultimately failed due to administrative challenges, economic consequences, rebellion, and uprisings. The project had a negative impact on the empire, resulting in a decline in revenue, loss of lives, and weakened authority. It serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of hasty and ill-planned decisions in governance.

Several projects of Muhammad bin Tughlaq were failures. The most notable among these were:


#Transfer of capital from Delhi to Devagiri. This failed as he tried to get the entire population of Delhi to shift to Devagiri, instead of shifting just his government.


#Taxation in Doab. He wanted to increase taxes in Doab, an area lying between rivers Ganga and Yamuna. It was met with resistance, as taxes were already high there and the rains failed that year, resulting in crop failure.


#Token currency. To fill his depleted coffers, he ordered that token copper coins should be treated like gold and silver currency. Very soon the kingdom was flooded with fake copper coins.