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Chapter: 06. Life Under The Delhi Sultanate

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Warm Up!

Which famous Persian poet lived in the court of Alauddin Khilji?
Amir Khusrau
After the death of which sultan did the Mamluk dynasty collapse? Why?
The Mamluk dynasty collapsed after the death of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din Balban. This occurred because his successors (like his grandson Muiz-ud-din Qaiqabad) were weak, incompetent, and unable to manage the administration. This created political disorganization and internal conflict, allowing the Khalji chief (Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khalji) to depose the last Mamluk ruler in 1290 CE.
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Know Your Sources

What similarities do you notice between the two instruments (the sitar and the tanpura)?
Both instruments feature a long, narrow neck with multiple tuning pegs, a large rounded resonator at the base, and use strings to produce musical notes.
What does the Perso-Arabic and the Indian classical music styles tell us about the society during this time?
It tells us that the society was undergoing a process of deep cultural integration. Rather than existing in isolation, the Turkish rulers and the traditional Indian population harmoniously blended their artistic traditions, giving rise to a composite Indo-Islamic culture.
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Think and Answer

Which ruler of the Delhi Sultanate encouraged learned scholars to translate Hindu religious texts and books on music from Sanskrit to Persian? Why do you think he did this?
Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq encouraged the translation of Sanskrit texts into Persian. He did this to foster a better understanding between the ruling classes and the local population, bridge the cultural gap, and preserve and access the advanced Indian knowledge of music, medicine, and philosophy.
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HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills)

Different religions have a great impact on the culture of a region. Discuss what impact the Turkish and Persian rule had in your region. Give few examples to support your answer.
In North India, Turkish and Persian rule had a profound and lasting cultural impact:
Language: It led to the development of Urdu, a language combining Hindi, Persian, and Arabic.
Architecture: The construction of structures like tombs and mosques brought Persian features such as domes, arches, and minarets to local architecture.
Food: Cuisine was enriched with Persian-influenced dishes such as biryani, kebabs, and various types of baked bread (like naan).
Clothing: Traditional attire integrated new styles such as pyjama-kurtas and salwar-kameez, which remain popular today.
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Values and Life Skills

In this day and age, do you agree that a healthy interaction between people of different cultures can have a deep impact on our society? Give reasons for your answer.
Yes, healthy cultural interactions have a deep, positive impact because they promote tolerance, peace, and mutual respect. Engaging with different cultures broadens our perspectives, fosters creative innovation in arts, music, and food, and helps dismantle prejudices to build a harmonious and inclusive global society.
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Exercises

A. Fill in the blanks.
The rule of the Delhi sultans lasted for over __________ centuries.
three
Society during the Sultanate period was divided into __________ major groups.
four
The Turks introduced __________ and __________ architectural styles.
Arabic, Persian
New musical instruments such as the __________, __________ and __________ were developed during the Sultanate period.
tabla, sitar, sarangi
The establishment of Turkish rule in India led to the replacement of __________ by __________ as the official language in many regions.
Sanskrit, Persian
B. Match the following.
ulemas
(e) Muslim religious leaders
Alai Darwaza
(d) Indo-Islamic style
qawwali
(b) chorus singing
Kathak
© combines Hindu themes with Persian costumes
Yunani
(a) a system of medicine, which was a legacy of the Turkish rule
C. Choose the correct answer.
Under the Delhi Sultanate, the aristocrats/the priests/the peasants were the most powerful class in the society.
the aristocrats
The brahmanas/The ulemas/The merchants were the chief advisers to the sultans.
The ulemas
The life of the peasants/the nobles/the priests was one of drudgery and poverty.
the peasants
The caste system was followed strictly/sometimes followed/ignored by Hindus.
followed strictly
Amir Khusrau is believed to have invented the harmonium/sitar/veena.
sitar
D. State whether the following are true or false. Rewrite the false statements correctly.
The ruling class in the Delhi Sultanate enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.
True
The Delhi sultans always allowed the ulemas to influence their policies.
False. A few sultans did not allow the ulemas to control or influence their administrative policies.
During the rule of the sultans, the purdah system was strictly observed by Muslim women.
True
The Rajput style of miniature painting continued in the Sultanate period.
True
New types of food, such as bread and biryani, became a part of the Indian cuisine during the Sultanate period.
True
E. My mixed bag
Identify the odd one out. The aristocracy in the Sultanate period was composed of: (a) The Sultan (b) Hindu rajas (b) rich merchants (d) landlords
rich merchants (Rich merchants belonged to the ‘town dwellers’ group, whereas the aristocracy was the ruling class consisting of the sultan, nobles, Hindu rajas, and landlords.)
Read the statements given below and choose the correct option. (A) Assertion: The Hindu kings patronized Sanskrit but its days of glory were numbered. (B) Reason: The Delhi Sultans replaced Sanskrit with Persian as the official language in many regions of the Empire. (a) (A) is true but (B) is false. (b) (A) and (B) contradict each other. © (B) is the correct reason for (A). (d) There is no connection between (A) and (B).
© (B) is the correct reason for (A).
F. Answer the following questions in one or two words/sentences.
During whose reign did the life and conditions of the peasants improve?
Firoz Shah’s reign
What was the chief source of revenue for the government during the Sultanate period?
The land tax paid by the peasants
How do we know that women during the Sultanate period were oppressed?
We know this because regressive practices like child marriage, Sati, and the strict observance of the purdah system became widely prevalent.
What is the characteristic feature of Sultanate architecture?
It is characterized by a blend of classical Hindu and Arabic-Persian styles, featuring the extensive use of bricks, arches, domes, beams, balconies, red sandstone, and engravings of Koranic verses.
Which two styles of music influenced the development of Hindustani music?
Perso-Arabic and Indian classical music styles
By whom were qawwalis popularized?
Sufi saints
Which style of painting was patronized by the Lodi sultans?
The Persian style of miniature painting
How did the Turkish rulers gradually become Indianized?
They married Indian Muslims, assimilated local cultural traits, adopted local wedding and social customs, and gradually evolved a social pattern resembling a caste system.
G. Give reasons for the following.
Why was the aristocracy the most powerful social group during the Sultanate period?
Because they were the ruling class who possessed immense political authority, land, and wealth, which enabled them to enjoy a highly lavish lifestyle.
Why did some Hindus convert to Islam?
Many lower-class Hindus converted to Islam because they were attracted to its principles of equality, while some converted to escape the jizya tax, which was levied only on non-Muslims.
H. Answer the following questions briefly.
What effect did several centuries of interaction between traditional Indian culture and Islamic culture have on Indian society?
The three centuries of interaction between traditional Indian culture and the Turko-Afghan rulers led to a deep cultural synthesis. This fusion reshaped the political, social, and cultural fabric of India, resulting in the emergence of a rich, composite Indo-Islamic culture visible in architecture, music, language, clothing, and cuisine.
Describe the main features of the society during the Sultanate period with reference to (a) the aristocracy and (b) the peasants.
(a) Aristocracy: It was the most powerful and wealthy social class. Consisting of the sultan, nobles, Hindu rajas, princes, and landlords, members of this group lived highly luxurious lives.
(b) Peasants: Their lives were marked by poverty, hard work, and drudgery. They suffered under Muhammad bin Tughlaq but benefited from better conditions during Firoz Shah’s reign. Their land taxes served as the primary revenue source for the state.
Discuss the distinctive features of the Sultanate architecture.
Sultanate architecture (Indo-Islamic style) was a harmonious blend of Arabic, Persian, and traditional Hindu styles. Distinctive features included the extensive use of bricks, arches, domes, beams, and balconies. Red sandstone was widely used to add color to the plain Turkish structures, and walls were decorated with floral, geometric patterns, and engraved verses from the Koran.
Music and dance during the Sultanate period was the outcome of the fusion of Indo-Islamic culture. Explain.
Music and dance directly reflected this fusion: North Indian (Hindustani) music merged Perso-Arabic with Indian classical styles. New instruments like the sitar (a combination of the south Indian veena and Persian tanpura) and the tabla were created. Sufi saints introduced qawwali chorus singing, and the Kathak dance style emerged, combining classical Hindu themes with Persian costumes.
Explain how new customs and practices changed the traditional lifestyle of the Indians.
The interaction between the two cultures changed Indian lifestyles significantly. People adopted new clothing like pyjama-kurtas, kaftans, and salwar-kameez. New food items like biryani and bread entered the Indian diet, and the Yunani system of medicine was introduced. Additionally, Persian replaced Sanskrit as the official regional language, and Turkish social patterns gradually adapted to resemble a local caste system.
I. Source-based questions
Picture study: This is a picture of a musical instrument used in Hindustani classical music.
Identify the musical instrument.
Sitar
During which period in medieval Indian history was this instrument invented?
The Delhi Sultanate period
By whom and how was it invented?
It was invented by the Persian poet and musician Amir Khusrau, who combined the south Indian veena with the Persian tanpura (by taking out one string from a four-stringed veena).
Name two other musical instruments that were developed during this period.
Tabla and sarangi
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Do and Learn

A. Use your imagination
Imagine you were a peasant who lived during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Narrate in five sentences how Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s measures affected you.
As a peasant in the fertile Doab region, the sudden and steep increase in land taxes during a time of poor harvest completely ruined my livelihood. When a severe famine struck, the state officials showed no mercy and strictly demanded taxes, forcing my family and neighbors to abandon our fields and flee to the forests. The sudden shifting of the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad disrupted our local markets and trade networks completely. The introduction of cheap copper token currency caused massive inflation and devalued our hard-earned savings as counterfeit coins flooded the market. Ultimately, these erratic imperial measures plunged my household into deep debt and forced us to live a life of absolute drudgery and poverty.
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