Master10
Indian History15 Concepts & Facts

Delhi Sultanate GK Questions & Answers

Reviewed by the Master10 Editorial Board for accuracy, clarity and competitive-exam relevance.Editorial Policy
The Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 CE) established centralized Turko-Afghan governance over northern India, initiated when Qutb-ud-din Aibak founded the Mamluk dynasty following Muhammad Ghori's campaigns. Institutional consolidation was achieved by Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (1211–1236 CE), who secured formal investiture from the Abbasid Caliph, established Delhi as the imperial seat, introduced standardized silver Tankas and copper Jitals, and organized administration through the Iqta revenue-assignment system and the Turkan-i-Chahalgani (the council of forty nobles). Mamluk authority was reinforced by Ghiyas-ud-din Balban, who dismantled the Chahalgani, asserted divine monarchical authority as the shadow of God (Zill-i-Ilahi), enforced Persian court protocols of Sijda and Paibos, and suppressed rebellion through an uncompromising blood-and-iron policy recorded by Minhaj-i-Siraj in the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri.

Administrative statecraft evolved under the Khilji and Tughlaq rulers to address external Mongol threats and agrarian taxation. Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316 CE) reorganized the army through direct cash salaries, horse-branding (Dagh), and descriptive troop rolls (Chehra). He overhauled revenue by demanding fifty percent of gross agricultural output based on land measurement (Masahat), eliminating local intermediaries while enforcing market controls (Shahna-i-Mandi) that fixed commodity prices across Delhi. Under the Tughlaqs, Muhammad bin Tughlaq (1325–1351 CE) introduced bold administrative measures: transferring the capital to Daulatabad, circulating a token brass and copper currency, and establishing an agricultural development department (Diwan-i-Kohi) providing farm loans (Sondhar). His successor, Firoz Shah Tughlaq, reversed centralizing rigor, made Iqtas hereditary, founded the charity bureau Diwan-i-Khairat, and constructed major canal networks from the Yamuna and Sutlej rivers funded by the Haqq-i-Sharb water tax.

The institutional innovations of the Sultanate—from the finance ministry (Diwan-i-Wizarat) to the military department (Diwan-i-Arz)—provided administrative frameworks later adapted by the Sur Empire and the Mughals before the dynasty ended at Panipat in 1526 CE. Across medieval Indian historiography assessments, Sultanate administrative mechanisms receive rigorous scholarly attention. Questions repeatedly test Alauddin Khilji’s market control mechanisms and agrarian assessment, the structural evolution of the Iqta system, Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s currency experiments and revenue registers, Firoz Shah Tughlaq’s public works and irrigation taxation, and contemporary historical chronicles compiled by Ziauddin Barani, Amir Khusrau, and Ibn Battuta.

Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts

Review key Delhi Sultanate: Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid & Lodi Dynasties exam facts and rate your mastery to track revision.

Progress: 0/15 Rated 0 Mastered 0 Review Later
#1
Iltutmish consolidated Mamluk rule by organizing the Turkan-i-Chahalgani, standardizing currency (Tanka and Jital), and establishing the Iqta system.
#2
Balban reinforced royal prestige and centralized monarchy through strict court ceremonialism (Sijda and Paibos) and a blood-and-iron policy.
#3
Alauddin Khilji instituted direct market controls (Shahna-i-Mandi), Dagh (horse branding), Chehra (soldier rolls), and agrarian measurement reforms.
#4
Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced token brass-copper currency, shifted the imperial capital to Daulatabad, and founded Diwan-i-Kohi.
#5
The Delhi Sultanate ended in 1526 CE following Babur's victory over Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat.
#6
Qutb-ud-din Aibak founded the Mamluk dynasty in 1206 CE, ruled from Lahore, earned the epithet Lakhbaksh for generosity, and died playing Chaugan (polo) in 1210.
#7
Raziya Sultan, ascending the throne in 1236 CE as the daughter of Iltutmish, became the first and only woman sovereign to rule the Delhi Sultanate.
#8
Alauddin Khilji's southern military expeditions were commanded by Malik Kafur, who defeated the Yadavas of Devagiri, Kakatiyas of Warangal, and Hoysalas of Dvarasamudra.
#9
Alauddin Khilji introduced the Diwan-i-Mustakhraj to recover tax arrears and levied Gharai (house tax) and Charai (grazing tax) on agrarian households.
#10
Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq founded the Tughlaq dynasty in 1320 CE, constructed the fortified city of Tughlaqabad, and launched canal irrigation infrastructure.
#11
Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta visited India during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign (1333–1342 CE), serving as the Chief Qazi of Delhi and authoring the Rihla.
#12
Firoz Shah Tughlaq established charitable hospitals (Dar-ul-Shafa), an employment bureau, the Diwan-i-Khairat for poor relief, and the slave department Diwan-i-Bandagan.
#13
Firoz Shah Tughlaq levied Haq-i-Sharb (irrigation tax at 10% of produce) on lands served by royal canals and imposed Jizya as an independent tax on non-Muslims.
#14
Timur invaded Delhi in 1398 CE during the reign of Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughlaq, sacking the capital and paving the way for Khizr Khan to establish the Sayyid Dynasty.
#15
Bahlul Lodi established the first Afghan dynasty in Delhi in 1451 CE, maintaining an egalitarian relationship with Afghan nobles who sat on carpets together.

Subject Specialist Commentary

Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board

Educator's Insight
From 1206 to 1526, five successive dynasties ruled northern India from Delhi, introducing fresh administrative and military methods. Iltutmish organized land grants under the Iqta system and introduced standard silver Tankas. Later, Alauddin Khilji fixed market prices to sustain a massive standing army, while Muhammad bin Tughlaq experimented boldly with copper token money and agricultural loans. This era transformed regional trade and urban culture before Babur's arrival at Panipat.
When preparing for SSC and State PSC papers, direct factual match questions are extremely common. Memorize departmental names: Diwan-i-Kohi was Muhammad bin Tughlaq's agricultural department, Diwan-i-Mustakhraj was Alauddin Khilji's revenue arrears bureau, and Diwan-i-Bandagan was Firoz Shah Tughlaq's slave wing. A regular prelims trap tests ruler chronologies or coins: remember that Iltutmish introduced the silver Tanka and copper Jital, whereas Muhammad bin Tughlaq introduced the failed brass and copper token currency.

Related Knowledge Topics to Discover

Indian Polity & Constitution
Indian Constitution & Fundamental Rights

Comprehensive Indian Constitution and Fundamental Rights GK questions. Study Articles 12 to 35, Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Writ jurisdictions (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus), and landmark Supreme Court rulings.

Explore Topic
Indian Polity & Constitution
Supreme Court & Indian Judicial System

Explore Supreme Court of India GK questions and answers. Learn Articles 124 to 147, original and appellate jurisdictions, advisory powers (Article 143), writ powers (Article 32), and landmark constitutional rulings.

Explore Topic
Indian Economy
National Income Accounting: GDP, GNP, NNP & GVA

Master National Income Accounting GK questions and answers. Study Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross National Product (GNP), Net National Product (NNP), Gross Value Added (GVA), factor cost vs market price, and CSO/NSO methodology.

Explore Topic

Looking for more GK practice?

Explore 52,789+ questions across 65 General Knowledge categories.

Open Interactive Search