Tughlaq Dynasty: Governance, Legacy and Impact on Medieval India

The Tughlaq Dynasty, spanning from 1320 to 1413 AD, witnessed significant events in the history of medieval India. It was characterized by a series of rulers who left a lasting impact on governance, administration, and culture. From the ambitious conquests of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq to the administrative reforms of Mohammad Bin Tughlaq and the architectural legacies of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, each ruler contributed uniquely to the dynasty’s narrative.

The Tughlaq Dynasty: Rise, Administration, and Legacy

1. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325 AD): 

• Introduction: He belonged to the Qarauna tribe of Turks and was the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.
  • Before becoming Sultan, he defended the Sultanate from the Mongols and was Alauddin’s Muqta (Governor; person-in-charge of an Iqta) in Dipalpur (Pakistan).
• Conquest: To reinforce Sultanate control in the Deccan, he dispatched expeditions against the Kakatiya ruler in Warangal, led by his son Mohammad Bin Tughlaq.
  • In 1324, he himself led a successful campaign to annex eastern and southern Bengal.
• Administration: Followed a policy of reconciliation with the nobles.
  • He was the first Sultan to construct canals.
  • Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq tried to win over the peasants and village headmen by providing relief measures (exemption from additional levies, tax on cattle, etc.).
• Architecture: Tughlakabad  Fort was built by Ghiyasudddin Tughlaq (1321) in Delhi.
• Literature: Amir Khusrau’s “Tughlaq Nama” is a biography of Ghiyasuddin along with other Tughlaq rulers.
• Death: His son, Ulugh Khan/Mohammad Bin Tughlaq, succeeded him after his death.

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2. Mohammad Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 AD): 

• Introduction: His reign marked both the zenith and the onset of decline for the Delhi Sultanate. Moroccan traveller Ibn-Batuta served as his envoy to China. 
• Administration: Reversal of the policy of Alauddin Khalji to diminish the roles of khuts and muqaddams (village headmen). He aimed to ensure that the state received a significant portion of the land revenue.
  • Revenue Share and Price Fixation: The state’s share of revenue remained at 50%, but it was set arbitrarily. 
    • Prices for the conversion of produce to money were also artificially determined.
  • Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi: He established the Diwan-i-Amir-Kohi, a separate department promoting agriculture by providing loans (known as ‘Taccavi loans’) to induce them to cultivate superior crops. This initiative failed due to incompetent and corrupt officials.
  • Appointment of Nobles Based on Merit: He appointed nobles from diverse backgrounds based on merit and competence.
• Religious Policy: Patronised Hindus and Jain scholars, notably Jinaprabha Suri (Jain), who visited his Delhi court in 1328; 
  • ordered the construction of a new Basadi upasraya, a rest-house for Jain monks;  First Sultan to have participated in the festival of Holi.
• Experiments Undertaken: Enhanced taxation and cesses in 1336 in the Ganga-Yamuna doab region.
  • Capital  Shift: He first shifted the capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatadab) for improved control over south India but the transfer proved disastrous.
  • Introduction of Token Currency: He launched a token currency, with bronze coins equated to silver tanka coins value. Though he also introduced a copper currency, both were eventually retracted(1329) as it resulted in counterfeiting and inflation.
  • Proposed Khurasan Expedition (1329): to conquer Khurasan and Iraq, which was later abandoned.
  • Qarachil expedition(1333): was initiated in the Kumaon hills to check Chinese incursions.
• Mohammad bin Tughlaq died in 1351 when he was marching towards Sindh on which Badauni commented “The king was freed from his people and they from their King.”

3. Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 AD)

• Conquest: Firuz waged no wars of annexation but maintained his authority by quelling rebellions. 
  • Two Mongol invasions were repelled during his reign. 
  • He refrained from asserting dominance over South India and the Deccan.
• Administration:
• Establishment of Administrative Offices
• Agricultural Improvement Initiatives
• Establishment of Hospitals
  • Implementation of Hereditary Succession
  • Implementation of Hereditary Succession: Applied hereditary principles to the army and nobility (including Iqtas), permitting succession by their sons or sons-in-law or slaves, ensuring their loyalty and preventing rebellions.
  • Payment of Soldiers and Revenue Assignment: Soldiers were not paid in cash but by assignments of the land revenue of villages(reversal of Mohammad bin Tughlaq’s policy).
  • Establishment of Administrative Offices: Established Wakil-i-Dar – Responsible for court decorum and noble precedence. 
  • Infrastructure Development: Created a public works department responsible for constructions in the towns of Fatehabad, Hissar, Firozpur, Jaunpur, and Firuzabad, and
  • Constructed five canals, including one from the Sutlej River to Hansi and another in Yamuna.
  • Acquisition of Ashoka Pillars: Two pillars of Ashoka were brought to Delhi, one from Meerut and the other from Topara. 
  • Reforms in Provincial Governance: Muqtis (provincial governors) faced harsh audits under previous rulers, but Firuz eased these measures.
  • Agricultural Improvement Initiatives: Prioritised improvement in fruit quality in India and established 1,200 orchards near Delhi.
  • Management of Slaves: Amassed a huge number of slaves and established a department for slaves (Diwan-i-Bandagan) to work in handicrafts and  as his bodyguards and providing personal services. 
  • He established hospitals for the poor known as “Dar-ul-shafa”.
  • Establishment of Hospitals: Diwan-i-Khairat for providing for the marriages of poor girls.
  • Introduction of New Coins: He introduced two new coins:
    • The Adha (equivalent to 50% of a Jital) and the Bikh (equivalent to 25% of a Jital).
• Religion: 
  • Religious Patronage and Influence: To appease theologians, many were appointed to high positions. They retained control over the judiciary and educational system.
  • Jizyah Imposed:  was imposed as a separate tax by Firoz Shah Tughlaq which was previously collected in conjunction with land revenue.
• Taxation Policy
  • Islamic Taxation Policies: He imposed four taxes sanctioned by Islamic law: Kharaj (land tax); Khams (1/5 of the looted property during wars); Jizya (religious tax on Hindus); Zakat (2½ per cent of the income of Muslims, used for the welfare of Muslim subjects and their religion).
  • Irrigation Tax: He became the first Sultan to impose a Sharb (irrigation tax).
• Architecture and Literature
  • Autobiography: He wrote his autobiography titled ‘Fatuhat-i-Firozshahi’(Persian).
  • Zia-ud-Din Barani wrote ‘Fatawa-i-Jahandari’  and ‘Tarikh-i-Firozshahi’.
  • Translation Works: Firuz Tughlaq was the first ruler who  initiated translation of Hindu religious works from Sanskrit into Persian.
  • Jaunpur Established: Firoz Shah Tughlaq founded the city of Jaunpur in memory of his cousin Mohammed bin Tughlaq, also known as Jauna Khan.
  • Firoz Tughlaq built the Kotla Fort in Delhi. 
• Death: Firoz Shah Tughlaq died in 1388. The tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq is situated in the Hauz Khas complex in New Delhi. 
• Decline of the Tughlaq Dynasty: After Firoz Shah Tughlaq, the rulers were weak. Timur’s (Mongol chieftain) invasion in 1398 plundered northern India. 
  • While leaving India, he appointed Khizar Khan as the governor of Multan, Lahore, and Dipalpur.

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Conclusion

The Tughlaq Dynasty marked a period of both grandeur and challenges in Indian history. Despite facing setbacks such as Mongol invasions and internal rebellions, the dynasty made notable strides in administration, architecture, and literature. The legacy of the Tughlaqs continues to be studied and remembered today for its multifaceted contributions to the medieval Indian landscape.

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