Sources of the Delhi Sultanate

🔍 Why Do We Need Sources in History?

Imagine trying to understand the Delhi Sultanate—a vast, complex political system that ruled much of India between the 13th and 16th centuries—without any evidence. It would be like trying to solve a murder mystery with no clues!

So, just like a detective needs fingerprints, a historian needs sources — clues from the past that help us reconstruct events, understand administration, and analyze society and culture.

🧭 Major Sources for the Study of Delhi Sultanate

We broadly classify these into:

1. Inscriptions – Often engraved on stone, coins, or metal plates; they record royal orders, donations, victories.
2. Coins – Tell us about economy, sovereignty, religion (based on what is inscribed), and even how rulers wanted to be remembered.
3. Architecture – Mosques, tombs, forts (like Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza) reveal technological skills, artistic influences, and political messages.
4. Tawarikh (Historical Chronicles) – This is our main focus here.

📜 What is Tarikh (plural: Tawarikh)?

Tarikh literally means history or a chronicle in Arabic and Persian.

During the Delhi Sultanate, many court historians wrote these tawarikh to document the reigns of rulers. But—and this is crucial—they didn’t write for the people.
They wrote to please the rulers, often glorifying their victories and presenting advice on ideal kingship.

Let’s understand the key characteristics of Tawarikh:

🧠 Who were the authors?

• Educated elites: secretaries, poets, administrators, and courtiers.
• They mostly lived in cities like Delhi, not in rural India, so their worldview was urban-centric.
• They often sought royal patronage and wrote with expectations of gifts or land.
• Many also advised the ruler, promoting the idea of a just king (aadil sultan) based on Islamic political philosophy.

🧩 Note: While these authors wrote about governance and social order, they advocated a hierarchical society—based on birth (nobility vs. commoners) and gender (men over women).
But it’s important to remember: these were elite perspectives, not the voice of common people.

✍️ Major Chroniclers and Their Works

Let’s now look at key authors and their contributions, categorized for better memory.

🧭 Al-Beruni

(Though he came before the Delhi Sultanate, his work gives us rich insights into pre-Sultanate India)

• Kitab-ul-Hind (Tarikh-al-Hind) – Written in Arabic
  A scientific and cultural study of India’s philosophy, religion, sciences, and social customs.
• Qanun-e-Masudi – Astronomical work
• Kitab-fi-Tahqiq – Study of Indian science
• Jawahar-fil-Jawahir – Book on mineralogy

🧭 Ibn Battuta – Moroccan traveller

• Rihla – Written in Arabic
  Provides first-hand accounts of social and cultural life during Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign (14th century).
  He observed the opulence of the court, the markets, the roles of women, Sufis, and even administrative practices.

🧭 Minhaj-i-Siraj

• Tabaqat-i-Nasiri – Written in Persian
  Covers Islamic history up to 1260 CE, including details of early Sultanate rulers and their conquests.

🧭 Amir Khusrau – The celebrated poet, scholar, and musician

A true polymath and cultural bridge between Persia and India.

• Mifta-ul-Futuh – Celebrates Jalal-ud-din Khalji’s victories
• Khazain-ul-Futuh – Glorifies Alauddin Khalji
• Tughlaq Nama – Covers the rise of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
• Other literary works:
  • Nuh-Siphir (Nine Skies)
  • Hasht Bihisht (Eight Paradises)
  • Shirin Khusrau, Multa-ul-Anwar, Ayina-i-Sikandari, Khamsah, Laila-Majnu, Ashiqa – Blending history with romantic and mystical themes

🧭 Ziauddin Barani – Political thinker and historian

• Fatawa-i-Jahandari – Discusses ideal governance and the moral responsibilities of a Muslim ruler
  (Note: Not to be confused with religious fatwas—it’s more like a political treatise)
• Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi – Covers events from Ghiyasuddin Balban to Muhammad bin Tughlaq

🧭 Shams-i-Siraj Afif

• Also wrote Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi, covering the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq
  So, the Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi has two parts:
  • Barani’s account (till Muhammad bin Tughlaq)
  • Afif’s account (during Firoz Shah Tughlaq)

🧭 Firoz Shah Tughlaq – A ruler who also issued his own chronicle

• Fatwa-i-Firoz Shahi – Royal ordinances, especially administrative reforms and public welfare schemes (like building canals, hospitals, rest houses)

🧭 Ghulam Yahya bin Ahmad

• Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi – Written in Persian during Mubarak Shah’s reign (Sayyid dynasty)

🧭 Muhammad Qasim Firishta (Firishtah)

• Tarikh-i-Firishtah – A comprehensive history of Muslim rule in India
  Special focus on Deccan sultanates, continues till Akbar’s reign

🧭 Other Notables

• Firdausi – Wrote the Shah Namah (epic Persian poem; not about India directly but influential in courtly culture)
• Hasan Nizami – Taj-ul-Maathir, one of the earliest Indo-Persian histories, started during Qutbuddin Aibak
• Ali bin Hamid Kufi – Chach Namah, history of Sindh (though earlier, it was important in medieval historiography)
• Bhukhari – Lubab-ul-Albab, a collection of biographies of poets and scholars

🧠 Takeaway for UPSC

The study of the Delhi Sultanate relies heavily on Persian and Arabic chronicles (tawarikh) written by elite authors who documented events, advised rulers, and shaped the image of the state. However, these works often reflected elite, urban, and hierarchical worldviews, not the realities of common people. Alongside, inscriptions, coins, and architecture help fill historical gaps and offer a more comprehensive picture.