The Delhi Sultanate ICSE Class 9: Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq

What The Delhi Sultanate is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage and no question-paper layout for ICSE Class 9 History and Civics. Class IX is examined by your school: one 80-mark paper of 2 hours plus 20 marks of internal assessment. The Delhi Sultanate is History topic 7(b), Medieval India, of the 2028 syllabus.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 History and Civics syllabus, Class IX

Key concepts

Sources: inscriptions and the Qutab Minar

Inscriptions: Sultanate inscriptions in Arabic and Persian appear on mosques, tombs, forts, step-wells and coins. They record the names and titles of Sultans, dates of construction and repairs, and religious verses. Coins tell us about titles, the extent of rule, and experiments such as Muhammad bin Tughlaq's token currency.

Qutab Minar (Delhi): a tall tapering tower of red and buff sandstone with some marble, about 73 metres high, with five storeys separated by projecting balconies. It was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak around 1199 and completed by his successor Iltutmish; after lightning damaged the top in the 14th century, Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired it and added storeys. It stands in the complex of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.
Significance: its inscriptions record the builders and repairs; it marks the establishment of the Sultans' power in Delhi; it shows the arrival of Indo-Islamic architecture, with features such as calligraphy and decorative bands. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Worked example

(3 marks) Who began and who completed the Qutab Minar? State two reasons for its importance as a source.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, completed by Iltutmish (repaired later by Firoz Shah Tughlaq) - 1 mark.
2. Its inscriptions record the builders and repairs - 1 mark.
3. It shows the beginnings of Indo-Islamic architecture and the Sultans' power - 1 mark.

Answer: Qutbuddin Aibak began it and Iltutmish completed it; Firoz Shah Tughlaq later repaired it. Its inscriptions record who built and repaired it, and its design, with calligraphy and decorative bands, shows the beginning of Indo-Islamic architecture and the assertion of the Sultans' authority in Delhi.

Dynasties in chronological order

1. Slave (Mamluk) dynasty, 1206-1290: Qutbuddin Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia Sultan, Balban.
2. Khilji dynasty, 1290-1320: Jalaluddin Khilji, Alauddin Khilji.
3. Tughlaq dynasty, 1320-1414: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
4. Sayyid dynasty, 1414-1451.
5. Lodi dynasty, 1451-1526: Bahlul Lodi, Sikandar Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi.
The Sultanate ended when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526.

Worked example

(2 marks) Name the five dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate in order.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Slave (Mamluk), Khilji, Tughlaq - 1 mark.
2. Sayyid, Lodi - 1 mark.

Answer: Slave (Mamluk), Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi.

Alauddin Khilji: market regulations

Aim: Alauddin (ruled 1296-1316) wanted a large standing army to resist Mongol invasions and to conquer new lands. To pay soldiers low salaries that they could live on, he fixed the prices of goods.

Measures:

• prices were fixed for grain, cloth, sugar, horses, cattle, slaves and other goods;
• separate markets were set up: a grain market (mandi), a market for cloth and costly goods (Sarai-i-Adl), and markets for horses, cattle and slaves;
• an officer called the Shahna-i-Mandi supervised markets; merchants were registered;
• grain was collected as revenue and stored in royal granaries, to be released during scarcity; rationing was used in famine;
• spies reported on the markets; cheating and short weighing were punished severely.

Result: prices stayed low and stable in Delhi during his reign, and the army was maintained. The measures were strictly enforced but did not outlast him.

Worked example

(4 marks) Why did Alauddin Khilji introduce market regulations? Describe three of them.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Aim: to maintain a large army on low salaries to face the Mongols - 1 mark.
2. Fixed prices of all goods - 1 mark.
3. Separate markets under the Shahna-i-Mandi; registration of merchants - 1 mark.
4. Royal granaries, rationing; spies and severe punishment for cheating - 1 mark.

Answer: He needed a large army against the Mongols and wanted to pay soldiers low salaries, so he controlled prices. He fixed the prices of grain, cloth, horses and other goods; set up separate markets under an officer, the Shahna-i-Mandi, with registered merchants; and stored grain in royal granaries for times of scarcity, using spies and harsh punishments to stop cheating.

Alauddin Khilji: Deccan expedition and measures against the nobility

Deccan expedition: Alauddin's general Malik Kafur led campaigns into the Deccan and the far south. He defeated the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiyas of Warangal, the Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra and raided the Pandya kingdom of Madurai. Alauddin's aim was mainly wealth and tribute: the defeated rulers were generally allowed to keep their kingdoms if they accepted his overlordship and paid tribute. Huge wealth flowed to Delhi.

Measures against the nobility: Alauddin faced several revolts early in his reign. He identified their causes as: an ineffective spy system; drinking parties where nobles plotted; marriage alliances among noble families; and excessive wealth. He therefore:

• confiscated land grants and much of the nobles' wealth;
• set up a strong spy network to report on nobles;
• banned drinking and gambling in Delhi;
• forbade nobles to hold gatherings or arrange marriages among themselves without his permission.

These measures stopped revolts, but made the nobles resentful.

Worked example

(4 marks) What did Alauddin Khilji identify as the causes of revolts by nobles? State the measures he took.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Causes: poor spy system, drinking parties, marriage alliances, excess wealth - 1 mark.
2. Confiscated land grants and wealth of nobles - 1 mark.
3. Organised a strong spy system - 1 mark.
4. Banned liquor and gambling; social gatherings and marriages of nobles needed his permission - 1 mark.

Answer: He blamed an inefficient spy system, drinking parties, marriage alliances among nobles and their excessive wealth. So he confiscated their land grants and wealth, set up a network of spies, banned drinking and gambling, and required his permission for nobles' gatherings and marriage alliances.

Alauddin Khilji: military and revenue reforms

Military reforms:

• a large standing army directly recruited and paid in cash by the Sultan, instead of troops supplied by nobles;
• dagh: branding of horses, so that a soldier could not bring a poor horse to the inspection in place of a good one;
• huliya (chehra): a descriptive roll of each soldier, to stop false or substitute soldiers;
• old forts on the north-western frontier were repaired and new ones built, with garrisons to check Mongol raids.

Revenue reforms:

• land was measured, and revenue was fixed on the basis of the measured area;
• in the Doab and nearby regions, revenue was fixed at half the produce;
• the special privileges of village intermediaries (khuts, muqaddams, chaudharis) were taken away; they had to pay taxes like others;
• new taxes on houses (ghari) and grazing (charai);
• revenue officials were checked strictly and their accounts audited.

The aim was to increase income for the army and to weaken local intermediaries.

Worked example

(3 marks) Explain three military reforms of Alauddin Khilji.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Standing army recruited and paid in cash by the Sultan - 1 mark.
2. Dagh: branding of horses - 1 mark.
3. Huliya: descriptive roll of soldiers / frontier forts against the Mongols - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) He kept a permanent army recruited and paid in cash by the state. (2) He introduced dagh, the branding of horses, to prevent substitution of poor horses. (3) He kept a huliya (descriptive roll) of each soldier to prevent proxy soldiers, and strengthened frontier forts against the Mongols.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq's experiments

Muhammad bin Tughlaq (ruled 1325-1351) was learned and imaginative, but several of his plans failed.

1. Transfer of capital (1327): he moved the capital from Delhi to Devagiri, renamed Daulatabad. Reasons: a central position to control the south; distance from Mongol attacks on Delhi. Failure: much of Delhi's population was made to move over a long distance; many suffered and died on the way; Daulatabad was far from the north-west frontier; the court later returned to Delhi.

2. Token currency (about 1329-30): he issued copper or brass coins to be accepted at the same value as silver tankas. Possible reasons: a shortage of silver, and examples of token money in China and Persia. Failure: the coins were easy to copy; people forged them at home and paid taxes in them; trade suffered; the Sultan withdrew them and exchanged them for gold and silver coins, causing huge loss to the treasury.

3. Taxation in the Doab: he increased land revenue in the fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab at a time of famine. Peasants fled their lands and revolted; harsh collection made things worse. Relief measures, such as loans (taccavi) for seed and wells, came too late.

4. Plans of conquest: he planned to conquer Khurasan (in Central Asia) and raised a very large army, which was paid for a year and then disbanded without fighting, wasting money. An expedition to Qarachil in the Kumaon hills ended in disaster as the army was destroyed by difficult terrain and weather.

Worked example

(4 marks) Why did Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduce token currency? Why did it fail?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Reason: shortage of silver; examples of token money in China and Persia - 1 mark.
2. Copper/brass coins were to have the value of silver tankas - 1 mark.
3. Failure: coins were easily forged; people paid taxes and bought goods with fake coins - 1 mark.
4. The Sultan withdrew them, exchanging them for gold and silver coins, at great loss - 1 mark.

Answer: Facing a shortage of silver, and inspired by token money in China and Persia, he issued copper or brass coins with the value of silver tankas. Because the state could not stop forgery, people made copies at home and used them for taxes and trade, so the system collapsed. He withdrew the coins and exchanged them, even the forged ones, for gold and silver, causing a huge loss to the treasury.

The Delhi Sultanate in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Alauddin Khilji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq: Reforms and Experiments

The Delhi Sultanate: key facts

Delhi Sultanate

1206-1526

Ended at the First Battle of Panipat (Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi).

Dynasties

Slave 1206-1290; Khilji 1290-1320; Tughlaq 1320-1414; Sayyid 1414-1451; Lodi 1451-1526

Qutab Minar

Begun by Aibak (about 1199), completed by Iltutmish; about 73 m; 5 storeys

Repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

Alauddin Khilji

1296-1316

Market control, dagh, huliya, half produce in the Doab, Malik Kafur in the Deccan.

Muhammad bin Tughlaq

1325-1351

Capital to Daulatabad 1327; token currency about 1329-30.

Deccan kingdoms raided by Malik Kafur

Devagiri (Yadavas), Warangal (Kakatiyas), Dwarasamudra (Hoysalas), Madurai (Pandyas)

Tribute rather than annexation.

How the school exam asks The Delhi Sultanate

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember The Delhi Sultanate

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Sultans Kept Their Swords Long

  Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.

  Use it when: Order of dynasties.

• Alauddin's four Ms

  Market, Military, Money (revenue), Muzzling nobles: plus the Deccan march.

  Use it when: Listing his measures.

• Tughlaq's C-C-D-C

  Capital, Currency, Doab, Conquests.

  Use it when: His four experiments.

The Delhi Sultanate: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 10-mark question split into 3 + 3 + 4 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in The Delhi Sultanate

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Mixing the two Sultans' measures

  Both are studied together.

  Wrong working

  Alauddin Khilji shifted the capital to Daulatabad.

  Right working

  Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted the capital; Alauddin introduced market control.

  ✓Do this: Alauddin = control and enforcement; Tughlaq = experiments.

  Usually costs: Up to 4 marks.

• ✗Mistake: Explaining market control without its aim

  Students list measures only.

  ✓Do this: Begin with the army and the Mongol threat.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the Qutab Minar was built entirely by Qutbuddin Aibak

  The name suggests it.

  ✓Do this: Begun by Aibak, completed by Iltutmish, repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Writing one-sided ridicule of Muhammad bin Tughlaq

  Popular stories call him mad.

  ✓Do this: Give the reasons behind each plan, then the causes of failure.

  Usually costs: 1-2 marks in evaluative questions.

Practice questions on The Delhi Sultanate

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   The Qutab Minar was completed by:
   (a) Qutbuddin Aibak
   (b) Iltutmish
   (c) Balban
   (d) Alauddin Khilji

   Hint

   Aibak's successor.

   Answer

   (b) Iltutmish.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   Which of these was NOT a measure of Alauddin Khilji?
   (a) Dagh
   (b) Huliya
   (c) Token currency
   (d) Price control

   Hint

   Belongs to a Tughlaq.

   Answer

   (c) Token currency.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Which general led Alauddin Khilji's Deccan campaigns?

   Hint

   Malik...

   Answer

   Malik Kafur.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   What new name did Muhammad bin Tughlaq give to Devagiri?

   Hint

   City of wealth.

   Answer

   Daulatabad.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Why did Alauddin Khilji not annex most of the southern kingdoms he defeated?

   Hint

   Distance; aim of wealth.

   Answer

   His aim was wealth and tribute rather than direct rule; the southern kingdoms were far from Delhi and hard to govern, so he let rulers keep their thrones as tributaries.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   What was the Sarai-i-Adl?

   Hint

   Not grain.

   Answer

   A market set up by Alauddin Khilji for cloth and costly goods (such as sugar, dry fruits and other manufactured items), where prices were controlled.

7. Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerExam level

   Describe Muhammad bin Tughlaq's plans of conquest and their results.

   Hint

   Khurasan and Qarachil.

   Answer

   He planned to conquer Khurasan and raised a very large army, paid for a year and then disbanded without fighting, wasting huge sums. His Qarachil expedition into the Kumaon hills ended in disaster as the army was destroyed by terrain and weather.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   How did the measures against the nobility strengthen Alauddin but also create a danger for his dynasty?

   Hint

   Short-term vs long-term.

   Answer

   In the short term confiscation, spies and bans on gatherings stopped revolts and made him secure. But nobles became resentful and fearful, and depended entirely on the Sultan's personal strength; after his death there was no loyal, settled nobility to support his weak successors, and the dynasty soon fell.

9. Q9 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   Mention the role of inscriptions as a source for the Delhi Sultanate.

   Hint

   Monuments and coins.

   Answer

   Inscriptions on monuments and coins record Sultans' names and titles, dates of building and repairs, and policies such as the token currency, helping to date and explain events.

10. Q10 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    A historian argues that the token currency was 'a good idea badly executed'. Assess this view.

    Hint

    Silver shortage, precedents, forgery, state control.

    Answer

    Good idea: silver was scarce and token money had worked in China and Persia, so substituting base-metal coins was reasonable. Bad execution: the coins were made of common metal with no special design or state monopoly over the metal, so they were easily forged; the state could not distinguish real from fake and had to redeem all of them, ruining the treasury. The view is largely fair.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.First Sultan of Delhi?Show answer

   Qutbuddin Aibak (1206).

2. 2.Last Sultan of Delhi?Show answer

   Ibrahim Lodi.

3. 3.What was dagh?Show answer

   Branding of horses.

4. 4.What was huliya?Show answer

   A descriptive roll of soldiers.

5. 5.Rate of revenue in the Doab under Alauddin?Show answer

   Half the produce.

6. 6.In which year did Tughlaq move his capital?Show answer

   1327.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Sources: Arabic/Persian inscriptions on buildings and coins; Qutab Minar (Aibak, Iltutmish, Firoz Shah; about 73 m).
• ☐Dynasties: Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi (1206-1526).
• ☐Alauddin markets: fixed prices, mandi, Sarai-i-Adl, Shahna-i-Mandi, granaries, spies.
• ☐Deccan: Malik Kafur; Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarasamudra, Madurai; tribute.
• ☐Nobles: confiscation, spies, liquor ban, permission for gatherings and marriages.
• ☐Military: standing cash-paid army, dagh, huliya, forts. Revenue: measurement, half produce, end of intermediaries' privileges.
• ☐Tughlaq: Daulatabad 1327; token currency; Doab tax in famine; Khurasan and Qarachil failures.

The Delhi Sultanate: frequently asked questions