The Delhi Sultans 

Q54. Write about the authors of tawarikh in brief.
Or
Discuss the circumstances under which the authors of the Tawarikh wrote their chronicles.

Ans. About the authors of tawarikh

                        i.        The authors of tawarikh lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and hardly ever in villages.

                       ii.        They often wrote their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.

                      iii.        These authors advised rulers on the need to preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright and gender distinctions.

                      iv.        Their ideas were not shared by everybody.

Q55. Describe the ways in which the chieftains arranged for their defence.

Ans. Chieftains sometimes fortified themselves in mountains, in rocky, uneven and rugged places as well as in bamboo groves. In India the bamboo is not hollow; it is big. Its several parts are so intertwined that even fire cannot affect them, and they are on the whole very strong. The chieftains live in these forests which serve them as ramparts, inside which are their cattle and their crops. There is also water for them within, that is, rain water which collects there. Hence they cannot be subdued except by powerful armies, who entering these forests, cut down the bamboos with specially prepared instruments.”

Q56. Why did large parts of the subcontinent remain outside the control of the Delhi Sultans? What were its effects?
Or
Describe the provincial administration under the rulers of Delhi sultanate.

Ans. It is important to remember that large parts of the subcontinent remained outside the control of the Delhi Sultans. It was difficult to control distant provinces like Bengal from Delhi and soon after annexing southern India, the entire region became independent. Even in the Gangetic plain there were forested areas that Sultanate forces could not penetrate. Local chieftains established their rule in these regions. Sometimes rulers like Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughluq could force their control in these areas but only for a short duration.

Q57. What were the steps taken to ensure that muqtis performed their duties? Why do you think they may have wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans?

Ans. Steps taken to ensure that muqtis performed their duties were:

                        i.        Their office was made inheritable and they were assigned iqtas for a short period of time before being shifted.

                       ii.        Accountants were appointed by the state to check the amount of revenue collected by the muqtis.

                      iii.        Care was taken that the muqti collected only the taxes prescribed by the state and that he kept the required number of soldiers.

The muqtis may have wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans because of harsh conditions of service imposed on them.

Q58. What did the Khaljis and Tughluqs help people of humble birth? How did this lead to political instability?

Ans. The Khaljis and Tughluqs raised people of humble birth, who were often their clients, to high political positions. They were appointed as generals and governors.

However, this also introduced an element of political instability.

Slaves and clients were loyal to their masters and patrons, but not to their heirs. New Sultans had their own servants. As a result the accession of a new monarch often saw conflict between the old and the new nobility. The patronage of these humble people by the Delhi Sultans also shocked many elites and the authors of Persian tawarikh criticised the Delhi Sultans for appointing the “low and base-born” to high offices.

Q59. Who was sher shah sur? What was remarkable about his administration?

Ans.  Sher Shah Sur (1540-1545) started his career as the manager of a small territory for his uncle in Bihar and eventually challenged and defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun (1530-1540, 1555-1556). Sher Shah captured Delhi and established his own dynasty. Although the Suri dynasty ruled for only fifteen years (1540-1555), it introduced an administration that borrowed elements from Alauddin Khalji and made them more efficient. Sher Shah’s administration became the model followed by the great emperor Akbar (1556-1605) when he consolidated the Mughal Empire.

Q60. Do you think the authors of tawarikh would provide information about the lives of ordinary men and women?

Ans. No, I don’t think because of the following reasons:

                       i.        The authors of tawarikh lived in cities (mainly Delhi) and hardly ever in villages.

                      ii.        They often wrote their histories for Sultans in the hope of rich rewards.    They had nothing to do with common people.

                      iii.        These authors advised rulers on the need to preserve an “ideal” social order based on birthright and gender distinctions. Their ideas were not shared by everybody.

Q61. Write a note on ‘internal frontier’ and ‘external frontier’.

Ans. The first set of campaigns along the “internal frontier” of the Sultanate aimed at consolidating the hinterlands of the garrison towns. During these campaigns forests were cleared in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and hunter gatherers and pastoralists expelled from their habitat. These lands were given to peasants and agriculture was encouraged. New fortresses and towns were established to protect trade routes and to promote regional trade.

The second expansion occurred along the “external frontier” of the Sultanate. Military expeditions into southern India started during the reign of Alauddin Khalji and culminated with Muhammad Tughluq. In their campaigns, Sultanate armies captured elephants, horses and slaves and carried away precious metals.