The transformation of Delhi as capital had started way before 1931. This transformation came into action after the Delhi Sultanate. But what was the Delhi Sultanate? Who all were the part of this Sultanate? Let us travel back in time and find out more about the Delhi Sultanate.
The Delhi Sultanate was a major Muslim Sultanate from the 13th to the 16th Century in India. It began with the campaigns of Muʿizz al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Sām (Muḥammad of Ghūr; brother of Sultan Ghiyās̄ al-Dīn of Ghūr) and his lieutenant Quṭb al-Dīn Aibak primarily between 1175 and 1206.
It was the victory against the Rajputs that began the established the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. Until the end of the 12th Century, it was Prithviraj Chauhan who ruled on the Indian land. During his reign, Prithviraj Chauhan fought many battles out of which both the battles of Tarain fought in the late 12th Century were crucial. In both battles, he fought Muhammad of Ghur of the Ghuride dynasty of Afghanistan.
In the first battle of Tarain between Muhammad of Ghur and Prithviraj Chauhan and other Indian rulers that was fought in 1191 A.D. Muhammad of Ghur faced a harsh defeat and had to retreat. And in the second battle that was fought in 1192 A.D., he returned and fought with more reinforcements and a stronger army with an intention to defeat the Rajputs and succeeded in doing so. This defeat ended the Rajputs’ supremacy in North India and gave way for Turkish emperors to establish themselves in the sub-continent.
“The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi. After Mohammad Ghor’s conquest, his governors succeed in establishing Muslim empire. Qutub ud din Aibak was the Founder of Delhi Sultanates. Indraprastha was the old name of Delhi during the period of Mahabharata and it later came to be known as Purana Khela. From 1206 to 1526 A.D. for about 320 years, five dynasties ruled over Delhi namely Slave, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi Dynasty. They ruled major territory of modern day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh as well as Nepal. The famous sultans of Delhi are Qutub ud din Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia Begum, Balban, Ala-ud-din Khilji, Mohammad bin Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Sikandar Lodi. In the year 1526 A.D. first battle of Panipat between Ibrahim Lodi and Babur led to the decline of Delhi Sultanates and emergence of Mughals in Indian History. With the establishment of the Sultanates a new language and literary style was introduced. Persian became the official language and many scholars received patronge by the Sultans. Amir Khusrau, Zia ud din Barani, Minaj us Siraj etc are the many poets producedd many literary works in Persian language. The growth of regional languages like Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali was one of the very significant developments. Delhi Sultans also developed Indo Islamic Style of architecture. Qutub Minar, Quwat Ul Islam mosque, Balban Tomb, Alai Darwaza, New city Firozabad, Tughalqbad, Jami masjid in Delhi, and new city Agra are the important Islamic architecture that were built during their period. The Sultans ushered in a period of Indian Culture Renaissance and fusion of Indo Muslim architecture. The greatest contribution of Sultanates also is of protecting India from Mongol invasions from Central Asia. The Sultanates also provided the foundation for the Mughals to expand their empire and cultural legacy in India,” said Dr. Sanmathi Kumar, HOD & Assistant Professor, Department of History, SDM College (Autonomous), Ujire.
Sources of the Delhi Sultanate
The important sources of information available about the Delhi Sultanate are:
• Inscriptions: They are found on old coins, historical monuments, milestones, and tombstones.
• Monuments: The Sultans of Delhi built many monuments that reveal not only the cultural traditions of that period but also the living conditions, faiths and beliefs and the socio-cultural outlook of the rulers. One such monument is the Qutub Minar.
Famous Kings of Delhi Sultans:
Qutubuddin Aibak
Iltutmish
Razia Sultan
Balban Reign
Ala-ud-din Khilji
Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Sikandar Lodhi
Ibrahim Lodhi
Art and Architecture of Delhi Sultanate
Between the 13th Century to the 15th Century, the Delhi Sultanate governed (1206 to 1526). The Delhi Sultanate era saw a shift in the field of architecture and art, which combined Arabic and Indian styles. From what was decorative exuberance, the style of Indian art and architecture of Delhi Sultanate was toned down by combining geometrical patterns, calligraphy, inscriptional artwork, etc. It portrays the advancement and evolution of Indo-Islamic architecture.
The architecture of the Sultanate is known for three architectural styles. Delhi style, provincial style, and Hindu style.
Many of the major buildings featured Arabic scripts of Quran verses for religious and decorative purposes. A few mosques also keep architectural features of this style. Listed below are some examples.
These are the most significant Delhi sultanate architectures.
Qutb Minar
Double Dome
Tughlaqabad Fort
Alai Minar
Alai Darwaza/Darwaja
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
Tomb of Iltutmish
Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah