Medieval India
Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Bhakti and Sufi Movements
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Overview
Medieval India spans roughly from 1206 CE (establishment of the Delhi Sultanate) to 1707 CE (death of Aurangzeb), covering over five centuries of political transformation, cultural synthesis and religious reform. This period is critical for JKTET Paper II Social Studies because it forms the bridge between ancient and modern India and carries significant weightage in questions on political history, administration, art, architecture and socio-religious movements.
Students must master the succession of dynasties, key rulers and their contributions, administrative systems and the parallel growth of Bhakti and Sufi movements that shaped the composite culture of the subcontinent. For J&K specifically, the Sultanate period (1339–1561) in Kashmir overlapped with Delhi Sultanate and early Mughal rule, making this topic doubly relevant for understanding regional history.
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Key Concepts
- **Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526):** Five successive dynasties — Slave (Mamluk), Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi — ruled from Delhi before the Mughals arrived.
- **Iqta System:** Land-grant system under the Sultanate where military commanders (iqtadars) collected revenue in lieu of salary; not hereditary.
- **Mughal Administration:** Centralised system with mansabdari (rank-based hierarchy), jagirdari (revenue assignments) and efficient land-revenue collection under Akbar's minister Todar Mal.
- **Akbar's Policies:** Sulh-i-kul (peace with all), abolition of jizya, Din-i-Ilahi (syncretic faith), and patronage of arts created a tolerant, composite culture.
- **Bhakti Movement:** Devotional movement emphasising personal relationship with God, rejection of rituals and caste hierarchy; spread through vernacular poetry.
- **Sufi Movement:** Islamic mysticism stressing love, tolerance and union with the divine; silsilahs (orders) like Chishti, Suhrawardi, Qadiri and Naqshbandi spread across India.
- **Composite Culture:** Medieval India witnessed fusion in architecture (Indo-Islamic style), music (Hindustani classical), language (Urdu emergence) and literature.
- **Decline Factors:** Aurangzeb's prolonged Deccan campaigns, religious policies, Maratha resistance and weak successors led to Mughal decline post-1707.
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Key Facts
| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | **Slave Dynasty (1206–1290)** | Founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak; Iltutmish stabilised the Sultanate; Razia Sultana was the first woman ruler of Delhi. | | **Khalji Dynasty (1290–1320)** | Alauddin Khalji introduced market control, price regulation and maintained a large standing army; repelled Mongol invasions. | | **Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414)** | Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted capital to Daulatabad and introduced token currency; Firoz Shah Tughlaq built canals and cities. | | **Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526)** | Last Sultanate dynasty; Ibrahim Lodi defeated by Babur at the First Battle of Panipat (1526). | | **Babur (1526–1530)** | Founded the Mughal Empire; introduced gunpowder warfare; wrote Baburnama in Chagatai Turkish. | | **Akbar (1556–1605)** | Expanded empire through diplomacy and conquest; introduced mansabdari system; built Fatehpur Sikri. | | **Shah Jahan (1628–1658)** | Golden age of Mughal architecture — Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid. | | **Aurangzeb (1658–1707)** | Largest territorial extent of the empire; re-imposed jizya; prolonged Deccan wars weakened the empire. |