The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India (1206–1290 A.D.)

Summary

‘The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India (1206–1290 A.D.)’ surveys the first decades of the Delhi Sultanate from the conquests of Qutb‑ud‑din Aibak through the reign of Balban. Synthesising Persian chronicles such as the Tabaqāt‑i‑Nāsiri with epigraphic evidence, the author charts the establishment of Turkish power after Muhammad Ghori’s campaigns. The article examines Aibak’s consolidation of the Punjab and Ganga–Yamuna doab, noting his policy of granting iqtaʿs to military commanders and building mosques like the Quwwat‑ul‑Islam in Delhi. It then follows Iltutmish’s achievements: suppressing rival claimants, repelling Mongol raids, reorganising the administrative structure and securing recognition from the Abbasid caliph, which gave legitimacy to the new sultanate. The challenges of succession after Iltutmish’s death are described, including the brief reign of Raziyya, whose deposition highlighted the power of Turkish amirs. The author analyses Balban’s stern measures to strengthen royal authority—his creation of an efficient spy system, imposition of Persian court etiquette and campaigns against the Rajputs and Mewatis. By contextualising these events in wider Islamic history, the article argues that the early sultans laid the institutional foundations—such as centralised revenue administration, slave‑soldier corps and a hierarchical nobility—that enabled later expansions under the Khaljis and Tughlaqs. The study also emphasises indigenous resistance and adaptation, noting how local chieftains were co‑opted into the sultanate’s framework.