The Tughlaqs were Muslim family of Turkish origin. The Tughlaqs provided three competent rulers-Ghiyas-ud- din, Mohammed-bin- Tughlaq and Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The Tughlaqs belonged to the ‘Qarana Turk’ tribe, which was a mixed tribe of the Turk and Mongol stock.
GHIYAS-UD-DIN TUGHLAQ (1320-25 AD)
He was the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. He was the first Sultan of Delhi to add the word Ghazi after his name. When he ascended the throne, the Sultanate was undergoing a troubled period of political instability and unrest. The administrative machinery was in shambles and the royal treasury was facing depletion. Therefore, at first, f Ghiyas-ud-din addressed himself to the task of restoring the exchequer and the administration.
This led to the estrangement of his relations with Sheikh Nizamuddin H Auliya, the famous saint of the time, who had received money from Khusro Khan, but refused to return the exchequer. The statement Huzur Dilli dur Ast’ was made by the saint for the Sultan, when he was returning from Bengal to punish the saint.
Ghiyas-ud-din improved the system of communication, perfecting the Postal System. He was the first Sultan to be credited with digging canals for the improvement of irrigation and agriculture.
Ghiyas-ud-din strengthened the defense of North-Western frontier in order to check the Mongol invasion. He adopted a balanced policy known as Rasm-i-Miyana. He put down the revolt of Ghiyas-ud-din Bahadur in Bengal. On returning from Bengal, he died in 1325 due to the collapse of a wooden pavilion. Some historians opinion’s that the death was due to the conspiracy plan by his son Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq. Ghiyas-ud-din founded the city of Tughlaqabad and renamed Warangal as Sultanpur.
MUHAMMED-BIN-TUGHLAQ (1325-51 AD) OR JAUNA KHAN
Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq was earlier known as Prince Jauna. He received the title of Ulugh Khan from Ghiyas- ud-din for his meritorious work and his undying commitment to the state. Muhammed-bin- Tughlaq ascended the throne at Tughlaqabad in 1324 AD and his coronation was held after forty days in Delhi in 1325 AD, after which he adopted the name Muhammad.
He has been represented by contemporaries as one of the wonders of the age in which he lived. He tried to introduce many administrative reforms. He had five ambitious projects for which he had become particularly debatable. He was a great scholar of Persian and Arabic and was well versed in various branches of learning, such as astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, logic etc. He is said to have celebrated holi and also gave grants to Jain temple in Gujarat. He was the first Sultan who visited the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer.
TRANSFER OF CAPITAL (1326-27 AD)
He transferred the capital from Delhi to Devagiri or Daulatabad, as it had been a base for the expansion of Turkish rule in South India. It appears that the Sultan wanted to make Devagiri as his second capital, so that he might be able to control South India better. Devagiri was thus, named Daulatabad. After acouple of years, Muhammed Tughlaq decided to abandon Daulatabad because he was not able to govern the North India from Daulatabad effectively.
INTRODUCTION OF TOKEN CURRENCY (1329-30 AD)
Muhammed Tughlaq decided to introduce bronze coins, which were to have the same value as the silver ones. The global shortage of silver was the most important reason for this measure. Muhammed Tughlaq might have been successful if he could prevent people from forging the new coins.
He was not able to do so and soon the new coins began to be greatly devalued in markets. Finally, Muhammed Tughlaq decided to withdraw the token currency. He promised to exchange silver pieces for bronze coins.
PROPOSED KHURASAN EXPEDITION (1332-33 AD)
The sultan had a vision of Universal conquest. He decided to conquer Khurasan and mobilised a huge army for the purpose. He was encouraged to do so by Khurasani nobles, who had taken shelter in his court. Moreover, there was instability in Khurasan on account of the unpopular rule of Abu Sayyid. But, this plan never materialised.
QARACHIL EXPEDITION (1333-34 AD)
This expedition was launched in Kumaon hills of Himalayas, allegedly to counter Chinese attack. It also appears that the journey was directed against some stubborn tribes in Kumaon Garhwal Uttarakhand region with the object of bringing them under Delhi Sultanate.
The first was a success, but when rainy season set in the invaders suffered terribly.
TAXATION IN THE DOAB (1333-34 AD)
The Sultan increased the rate of taxation and revived and created some additional or Tax. Although, the share of the state remained half as in the time of Ala-ud-din, it was fixed arbitrarily, not on the basis of actual produce. Prices were also fixed artificially for converting the produce into money. The increase was twentyfold and to this were added the Ghari or the House tax and the Charai or pasture tax. The Sultan created a new department of agriculture called Diwan -i-Kohi
The main objective of this department was to bring more land under cultivation by giving direct help to peasants. Planed a famine law, got several wells dug for irrigation and introduced improved agricultural methods through rotation of crops. Sondhar (agricultural loans) were advanced to digwells and to buy seeds. and equipments. He created the post of Wali-ul-Kharaj for the collection of revenue at all provincial levels.
RELIGIOUS POLICY OF MUHAMMED-BIN-TUGHLAQ
Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq took his own decisions regarding religious matters. The Sultan did not even permit the Ulema class to interfere in his administration. During his reign, the Ulema class enjoyed monopoly over administration of justice. Muhammed- bin-Tughlaq broke up that monopoly and appointed Qazis outside this class of people.
During early period of his reign, he neither sought recognition of Khalifa nor did he desire to flout the principles of Islam, but he was not prepared to accept the interference of religion or that of any religious class in his administration. He used to change the decisions of Qazis, whenever he found them unjust and discriminating.
If a religious man was found guilty of corruption or rebellion, he was punished like any other ordinary person. Thus, nobody was above the law of the land. This is the reason why the Ulema class became unsympathetic. Muhammed-bin to Tughlaq and spread dissatisfaction against him. Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq was tolerant towards his Hindu subjects.
He was the first Sultan of Delhi who gave respectable offices to the Indian Muslims and the Hindus. In this field, he was ahead of his time. With his entire liberal attitude, Muhammed-bin- Tughlaq failed to get admiration and sympathy of his subjects. But the reason was not his attitude, but the failure of his schemes and oppressive measures of his policies. Muhammed- bin-Tughlaq in his last years, ran from pillar to post, in an attempt to contain: the rebellion, but was unsuccessful in doing so. It came as no surprise when he died in a war camp in Sindh.
Ibn-Battuta
Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq appointed Ibn-Battuta as the Cheif Qazi of Delhi. Ibn-Battuta was a Moroccan traveller who visited India during the reign of Muhammed-bin-Tughlaq
He wrote an account entitled Rihala. which throws immense light on Tughlaq’s reign. He led campaigns to Kalanaur and Peshawar, especially after the Mongol attack under Tarmashrin Khan in 1326-1327 AD
FIROZ SHAH TUGHLAQ (1351-88 AD)
Firoz succeeded the throne in September 1351. His father Malik Rajab was the younger brother of Ghiyas-ud-din, who had married a Hindu woman, daughter of Rao Ranamal Bhatti. After his accession, Firoz Shah Tughlaq faced the problem of preventing the imminent break up of Delhi Sultanate. He adopted the policy of appeasing the nobles, the army and theologians and asserted his authority over only such areas, which could be easily administered from the center.
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS
He made no attempt to reassert his authority over South India and Deccan. He decreed that whenever a noble died. his son should be allowed to succeed to
his position, including his Iqta and if he had no sons, his son-in-law and in his absence, his slave. Firoz extended the principle of heredity to the army.
Soldiers were allowed to rest in peace and to send in their sons. The soldiers were not paid in cash but by assignments on the land revenue of villages, which were known as Wajah. This novel technique of payment led to many abuses.
Firoz tried to win over the theologians proclaiming that he was a true muslim king and the state under him was truly Islamic. In order to keep the Ulema
satisfied, a number of them were appointed to high offices. He tried to ban practices, which the orthodox theologians considered non-Islamic. Thus, he prohibited the practice of Muslim women going out to worship at graves of saints. It was during the time of Firoz, that Jaziya became a separate tax. Firoz refused to exempt the Brahmins from payment of Jaziya since this was not provided in Shariat. In order to encourage agriculture, the Sultan paid a lot of attention to irrigation. Firoz repaired a number of canals. He was the first Sultan to impose irrigation tax (10%) known as Haq-i-Sharb. He imparted, four taxes kharaj, zakat, jeziah, khums. He established these new department in the administration
- Diwan-i-Khairat It was a new department to help poor girls for getting married. It department of charity. was a
- Diwan-i-Bandagani Another step which Firoz took, which was both economic and political in nature. He opened a new department for slaves known as Diwan-i-Bandagani (Department of Slaves).
- Dar-ul-Shafa The Sultan establi- shed at Delhi, a hospital described variously as Dar-ul-Shafa, to provide free treatment to all.
FALL OF THE TUGHLAQ DYNASTY
After the death of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, he was succeeded by Sultans who were weak and incompetent. His empire went rapidly on the path of decay.
He followed by Abu Bakr, was Mohammad Shah, Sikandar Shah and Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah. Timur invaded India in 1398 AD during the reign of Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah which ultimately led to the disintegration of the Tughlaq dynasty.
The raid into India was a plundering raid and its motive was to seize the wealth accumulated by the Sultans of Delhi, over the last 200 years. He plundered Delhi and Tughlaq empire could not recover from such a terrible blow, which came to an end in 1414 AD.