Medieval India: A Textbook for Class XI [First Reprint Edition, March 2003] 8174501711, 9788174501714

Table of contents :
Contents :

1. Reconstructing Medieval India
2. Struggle for Chakravartitva
3. The World of Islam
4. The Indian Kingdoms
5. North-Eastern and Eastern States
6. The Deccan and the South
7. Founding of the Delhi Sultanate
8. The Delhi Sultanate -II
9. The Vijayanagar and Bahamani Kingdoms
10. The Twilight Years
11. Economy in Sultanate Times
12. Cultural and Religious Trends
13. Foundation of Mughal Rule
14. India under Akbar
15. Consolidation of Mughal Rule
16. Climax and Disintegration
17. The Deccan Imbroglio
18. State of the Economy
19. Cultural and Religious Patterns

Citation preview

Medieval . | India

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

r e v o c e h t about

q t

o

.

‘ |

ay

g, in il ce ap nd Ma a bh Sa , hi sa Va la ma 1. Mount Abu, Vi A.D. 1031, Solanki period s a h K i n a w i D , ri lc Si r u p h 2. Fate a s s i r O , k a r a n o K , e l p m e T 3. Surya. Sun 4, The Golden Temple

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

;

»

«

‘ ,

4 '% -T

‘*

L LL»

,

]

a

‘ ‘

7

:

2” b

:

+i ‘

sm P

-

Gy

*

aa

»

i

wh waeiam

°

an

i

x 4

;

‘c

Ce

ae

-

.

7

Me

a

: wf

/

1G

‘

'

ve

' '

4

yt I at

:

:

.

Pre :

.

"

THE DECCAN AND THE SOUTH/59

E T A N A T L U S I H L E D E H T F O

eee

.

SULTANATE 3TH CENTURY

oe

DELHI

—— -

irony 3

-

5

i

SYS w

s +

. res

Se,

a

fae ta

=

od

tn

be

=

7

~

* Cie

a

CS ee

=

bas

Sa

.

ee Py

oe

eS

ado

~ >

—_

s >

7

:

ri

:

o-

ee

~a

wu

ha) a7 _ 2,"

.

a”

yj

* »!

“a

¥

4

“

2

a

:

.

——

an et. e

~

a

=

.

7

.

eer

.-

>

;

*

=

tal?

-

Rr > | eg

=

x

cr

ig.

pe

ae’ ,

male ey)

a"

be.

.

nad

_*

ee

o

“

7

*

ia

Ke

: b P

Guru Nanak undertook several journeys in and outside the subcontinent. He was a widely travelled saint of medieval India. One of his verses refers to his visits in the “nine regions of the

earth” (nau-khand). It is reasonably certain that he visited many important Buddhist and Muslim Hindu,

pilgrimage sites and held discourses with proponents of all major belief systems then current in the country.

\

the holy food. Guru Nanak passed away in 1539. 3 Guru Nanak preached the unity of God and the unity of mankind and advocated devotion to God in place of ritualism. Like Kabir, he believed that

devotion to one God could lead to salvation regardless of caste, creed or sect. He advocated a middle path-in which spiritual life could be combined with the duties of the householder.

Guru Nanak finally settled at. Kartarpur on the right bank of the Ravi

Angad, developed the Gurmukhi script

and gave instructions (sikhya) to all who

to preserve the founder’s compositions

came there. The Guru's Langar (Free

for future generations.

Kitchen

established centres for spreading Guru Nanak’s teachings. The next three Gurus were Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram

of the

Guru)

was

setup

and

everyone, irrespective of caste, creed and status was welcomed to partake of

, Guru Nanak’s first successor, Guru

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

He

also

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS TRENDS/ 127

s Da m a R ru Gu n. ju Ar ru Gu d Das an had a tank (sarovar) dug where it exists to this day at Amritsar. the tank was constructed Sahib (Temple of God) known as the Golden

In the midst of the Harmandir now popularly Temple. Guru

to t in sa fi Su a r, Mi an Mi d te vi in n Arju lay its foundation stone. Guru Arjun also n gu be n io at il mp co of rk wo e th d ue in cont d de ad he h ic wh to , ru Gu nd co se e by th im sl Mu d an u nd Hi l ra ve se of gs in it the wr

e th , th an Gr i Ad e th me ca be is Th . ts in sa Holy Scripture of the Sikhs. : i

Other Bhakti sects include the Dadupanthis founded by Dadu Dayal, a weaver from Ahmedabad, who composed d an a sh ha -b aj Br in es rs ve ny ma Rajasthani. His disciple Sundardas wrote the famous Sundar Vilas. The Satnami

sect was established by Bir Bhan. Scholars

are of the view that the

of s si he nt sy a d te en es pr re s nt sa of n io it ad tr e th d an ti ak bh a Vaishnav e os cl g in be e il wh s, gi yo th Na e it iv Sa e th in spirit to the heterodox religious traditions of India. The Bhagvata Purana, devoted to Lord Krishna and ranked among the’ me so to g in rd co ac s, wa s, na ra Pu great hnt te e th in ed os mp co , rs la scho eleventh centuries.

and

not

as a consequence

of its

interface with Hinduism. Sufism came

into contact with Hindu and Buddhist mystical ideas only after most of its

distinctive traits had already developed. The initial contacts between Sufism and Buddhism took place in north-west Persia and Central Asia. Buddhism seems to have influenced Sufism in Transoxiana at a later date. Certain Sufi exercises, specially the holding back of breath, appear lo be derived from yogic pranayam via Buddhism. Scholars have noted that some of the ziyarats (tombs or relics) of the Sufis in Central Asia are located on the ruins of Buddhist stupas. For instance, Balkh, a Buddhist monastic centre, became a Sufi stronghold. By the twelfth century, Sufism had been completely integrated into orthodox Islam as a result of the efforts of al-Ghazzali, al-Hallaj and Ibn alArabi.. In the Indian context, Sufis meticulously resolved their differences

with the ulema and emphasised the. need to follow the Sharia. Of the various Sufi orders in India, the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders (silsilas) were the most prominent. The Chishti order was founded in India by

Muinuddin Chishti, who arrived around A.D. 1192 and established his centre at Ajmer. Other important Sufi

en be n te of s ha a di In in sm fi Su of t ar rp te un co c mi la Is e th as perceived Hindu mysticism. While it is true that Sufism represents the mystical trend in e os ar at th nt me ve mo a is it m, Isla d, rl wo im sl Mu e th in th wi y tl en nd indepe

saints in India were Shaikh Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Shaikh Hamiduddin,

Shaikh Fariduddin Masud Ganj-iShakar,

and

the

famous

Shaikh

Nizamuddin Auliya. The Sufis adopted the local language of the region in which they lived. In Punjab, for instance, Baba

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

128/ MEDIEVAL INDIA

i ab nj Pu in es rs ve ed os mp co d ri Fa e th g on am e ag ss me s hi e at in em to diss people of the region. di ar aw hr Su e th of ts in sa t en in Prom kh ai Sh e ud cl in a di In in r de or

re we a il ls si si au rd Fi d an ri ta at Sh the e th in y tr un co e th to in ed uc od tr also in Sultanate period. In the sixteenth and di an hb qs Na e th s, ie ur nt ce h nt seventee sect also grew in importance. Among

t an rt po im an me ca be an lt Mu at pilgrimage centre. The Qadiri silsila was established in India in the fifteenth century, while

mentioned Khwaja Baqi Billah who st la e th in l bu Ka om fr a di In in d ve ri ar years of Akbar’s reign, and Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.

ah nq ha Ic e os wh , ya ri ka Za n di Bahaud

its

prominent

leaders

may

s wa at wh d an a tr sh ra ha Ma in s er ad le i let Bha Who were the important

SRS Pe

Describe the main features of a mosque. a? di In in re tu ec it ch ar im sl Mu of n io What were the stages in the evolut n? io it ad tr u nd Hi the in ti ak Bh of ce pla What was the ? ts in sa r na ya Na d an r va Al the of n io it os mp co What was the social y? wh d an a nd na ma Ra of s er ow ll fo st te ea gr the as Whom do you regard

So

s e s i c r e x E : e e e |

g,

g

. al ng Be in nt me ve mo ti ak Bh the of n io ut ol ev Briefly describe the

their political relevance? Explain how Sufism is rooted in Islam.

. sm hi dd Bu d an sm fi Su n ee tw be ts ac nt co the be ri Desc am. Isl ox od th or d an sm fi Su n ee tw be ip sh on ti la re the Describe

11, Give a brief account of the birth of Sikhism. . 12, Write short notes on: a) b)

Quwwat-al-Islam Alai Darwaza

mosque

Tughlaqabad c) Sayyid and Lodi tombs. d) 13, State whether the following Jayadeva composed the a) Chandbardai wrote the b) Jaisi was the author of c)

are true or false: Gita Govinda. Padmavat. Prithviraj Raso.

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

be

(

j

cual FOUNDATION

: {

:

‘ ®

Y

,

4

|

a

7

«Pp

.\—

.

«

ae

&

bw

'

a

BY

ry

b.

A

i

ae

’

ASS

LY

7

aw

[

RULE

1%

if

BARZ

™

|

"

way

Ee

{

re:

OF MUGHAL

i.

;

(

' '

E12

)s

Ree

'

af

4S

are ie

ree

\

me

ie ? = bs

“eet

rth BA 4

5

RS

hs

|

|

,

ne

.

'

; nS

=4

&

Vee LAL,

Dee

eee ye TM DATION

VaEeLICorF] RALLAL hy

{

Cen

. ee

®

ree

Fe

:

Ri :

“

\ hn aed

s

3

HAUNT P yA "HA

:+f

if

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

Fi

TP

r.§

ise

A

}

R a e bn ttf rey

7"

mwa :

=

TY

eye if

i

a

yh

_

("=

Bee) x 130 / MEDIEVAL INDIA

treasures. After the death of Timur, his vast kingdom stretching from the lower and to the river Indus Volga incorporating modern Turkey, Iran,

Transoxiana, Afghanistan and parts of Punjab had disintegrated, as it was periodically partitioned among his heirs in accordance with Turkish succession rules. | Babur ascended the throne of

Tue Mughal era is often perceived as marking a new beginning in the history the ke li Un ia. Ind in e rul im sl Mu of fractious Sultanate period when the state resembled a theatre of war, Mughal rule is regarded as a time when contentious issues of religion and politics were placed on the back-burner and the splendour of monarchy took

|

centre-stage.

The Mughal epoch indeed was the

age of royal grandeur, as evidenced in the larger-than-life

imagery

of the

tiny

a

Farghana,

principality

in

Transoxiana, in 1494, at the tender age of twelve. As he and other Timurid princes battled amongst themselves, a number of newly emerging powers sought to replace the fading lustre of Timur’s empire. Chief among them were the Uzbeks, a Mongol tribe that had converted to Islam but were looked down upon by Timurid princes as uncultured

barbarians,

and

the

Safavids who claimed descent from Prophet Muhammad. The fact that the Uzbeks were Sunni Muslims and the

Safavids, Shi‘is, often lent a sectarian tinge to their struggles. Another growing force was that of the Ottoman Turks

i: nn Su to ce an gi le al d se es of pr , too o, wh imperial personages, the brilliance of | am. Isl state durbars, the magnificence of royal his of d ou pr d an s ou ci ns Co buildings, and the ostentatious lifestyle e ur pt ca to en ke s wa r bu Ba , ry st ce an of the ruling class. Pomp and power of d an tl ar he al ur lt cu the d, an rg ma Sa were on public display as perhaps the city n wo He s. ar be re fo d ri mu Ti his ver before in India.

ne

twice,

Babur (1526 - 1530) d e by d n u o f s e a r w i p l m a e h g u M The Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, a fifth o h , w r u t m n i T a d of n e c n s o e i t d a r e n e g had ransacked Delhi towards the close

of the fourteenth century, massacred its

populace,

and

taken

away

untold

Uzbeks

but was and

checkmated

forced

to

by the

seek

the

assistance of the Safavids. Although he succeeded in retaking Samarqand with their help, Babur, a Sunni, was unwilling to function as a long-term

surrogate of the Shi'i Safavids. When out of him threw the Uzbeks

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

FOUNDATION OF MUGHAL RULE/131

Samarqand yet again, he abandoned his homeland and carved out fresh territory for himself in Kabul. Settled in this poor terrain, Babur’s gaze soon shifted to india, the fabled land of milk and honey that

had

enticed

countless

invaders.

The political situation in India favoured

Babur. Following the eclipse of the Tughlags, the Afghans had replaced the Turks as the most influential foreign Muslim group in the country. The endeavours of the reigning Lodi ruler, Sultan Ibrahim, to enhance the powers of the monarchy in contravention of deeply rooted egalitarian traditions, had aroused the ire of his fellow Afghan chiefs. Foremost among them was governor

retracted

resolved

Khan’s

to

army

Khan

Lodi,

of Punjab,

his

battle

support, with

him.

so

he

Daulat

retreated in the face of

advancing

force,

and

by

default, Babur found himself master of

Encounters

Daulat

had

-Babur’s

before him. Indian

invited him to dethrone Ibrahim Lodi. On his arrival at Peshawar, however, Babur was informed that Daulat Khan

the

whose

powerful!

uneven

relationship with his sovereign proved

to be the undoing of the Lodi empire. Daulat Khan’s efforts to extend his territories involved him in initial tussles with Babur, who was similarly engaged in an expansionist programme. These early clashes centred around a number of frontier tracts, which alternatively

changed hands between the two. In 1520-21, during one of his sorties across the Indus, Babur seized Sialkot and Lahore, thus paving the way for the eventual conquest of Hindustan. But further progress at this time was prevented by revolts back

home, which forced him to retreat. After ' setting his house in order, Babur once again focused on India. It was at this time that the disgruntled Daulat Khan

the Punjab.

Panipat This was

bound to lead to a confrontation with Ibrahim Lodi, the ruler of Delhi. In April 1526, the two sides met on the historic battlefield of Panipat, where two more equally critical

battles were subsequently fought. Babur’s

effective use of field cannon

and matchlockmen ensured the success of his much smaller force. Like several other rulers in India, the Lodi Sultan had failed to integrate firearms into his military machine, and thus proved unable to meet the Mughal challenge. [brahim Lodi along with over fifteen thousand soldiers, perished on the battlefield.

While the significance of the battle of Panipat cannot be underrated, it did not automatically ensure Babur mastery of Hindustan. The Afghans rernained entrenched in several parts of India, principally the east, and

continued to offer stiff resistance. In

addition. Babur also had to overpower

the Rajputs who had been the main challengers of the Afghans till his advent on the Indian scene. Further south, was the Vijayanagar empire, the mightiest in India at the time. It is, however, indisputable that the victory at Panipat

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

A I D N I L A V E I D E M / 2 13

r o f r e d n e t n o c s u o i r e s a r u b a B made power in India. e r e w n e m s ’ r u b a Yet many of B a i d n I n i y a t s r i e h t g n o l o r p o t t n a t c relu . d a e h a y a l t a h t s e l t t a b h g u o t e h t t h g to fi , l a i n e g n o c n u a i d n I d n u o f y The especially

during

the

oppressive

f o s s e n e v i s s e r g g a e h T . n o s a e s r e m sum r e h t o n a s a w e c a l u p o p l a c o l e th s a w f l e s m i h r u b a B . r o t c a f g n i g a r u o c dis e l b a k r a m e r “ e h t f o e t o n e k a t o t d e c r fo

hostility”

of

the

villagers,

homes

on

r i e h t d e n o d n a ab . y m r a s i h f o h c a appro , n e m s i h e k i l , r Indeed, Babu

who

the

was

s i h T . a i d n I t u o b a d e s u h t n e o o t t o n o als

s i h _ m o r f d e n r e c s i d e b can n i , i n u b a B i k u z u T e h t , y h p a r g o i autob a “ s a w n a t s u d n i H t which he notes tha s a w r u b a B t u B ” . s m r a h c w e f f o y r t coun t o n d i d y n i t s e d s i h t a h t n i a t r e c y l l a equ . l n u e b k a c K i r t s y t r e v o lie in p BRhanua

By

a mixture

and persuasion of

the coax to able firmness, Babur was their throw to soldiers his of majority the for prepare and him with lot leader, Mewar the with war momentous popularly Singh, Rana Sangram the of Aware known as Rana Sanga.

t a h t d e r a l c e d y Babur now solemnl , r a w s u o i g i l e r a n i d e g a g n e e r e w y e th

m a l s I f o r e n n a b e h t t a o l f a p e e k o t , d jiha

, e r u t s e g c i t a m a r d a n in a pagan land. I d e c n u o n e r d n a s l e s he broke wine ves . s p o o r t d e l b m e s s a e h drinking before t

) y t u d p m a t s ( a h g m a t He also abolished for Muslims.

e h t , r u o v r e f s u o i g i l e r Charged with

army

marched

to Khanua

in

1527

e h t y b g n i t h g i f e c r e i f e t i p s e d , e r e wh e h t d n a s n u g s ’ r u b a opposing forces, B n a i s A l a r t n e C e h t enveloping tactics of r u b a t s a h s i k r u T in n w o n k ( y r l a v a c s it m o r f t r a p A . y jangi) carried the da s a w e m o c t u o e h t , s n o political implicati . l l e w s a s n o s a e r r significant for othe d n a y r e l l i t r a f o e Babur’s effective us

mounted

archers

considerably

d e s a b t n a h p e l e undermined the in t n a n i m o d n e h t ll ti system of warfare | . a i d In s i h n i t n e v e e h t d e d r Babur reco r o F “ . n o i t a l e s u o diary with tremend in d e r e d n a w “I , e t o r w Islam’s sake,” he

s n a g a P h t i w r a w r o f d e the wilds, Prepar t e e m to f l e s y m d e v l o and Hindus, Res

! d o G to e b s k n a h T . h the martyr’s deat

a ghazi I became.” d n a a g n a S a n a R The death of , e t o n of s r e d a e l t u p j a R r e h t o l a r e v e s leaders Rajput ail high stakes, almost y t i l i b i s s o p e h t d e n e k a e w y l b a r e d i s n o c military extended had of stature . a i d n I h t r o n in e c n e g r u s e r t u p j a R a of the Indeed, support to the Rana. g n i k c a t t a y b s s e c c u s s i h d e w o l l o f r u b a B n i a m e h t e t u t i t s n o c to ‘ Rajputs were d l o h g n o r t s e h t n e h t , a w l a M in i r e d n a h C s ' r u b a B f o t n e m l l i f l u f obstacle to the e h T . a g n a S a n a R f o y l l a t u p j a R f o a of l u f e p o h , s n a h g f A l a r e v e S ambitions. d n a n a m t s a l e h t to t h g u o f s o t s u l p a j a R , i h l e D f o e n o r h t t s o l e h t g n i r recove w o N . r a h u a j d e m r o f r e p n e m o a w r i e h h c t u S . g n i k t u p j a R e h t ! t i w sided , n o i g e r a r g A i h l e D e h t in d e n o i t i s a o n p a l k l e w h t i w d e l p u o c , p u e n i l e l b a d i m r fo a f o t s e u q n o c e h t k o o a t r e s d a n u n r u o b i a t B a t u p e r e l b a i v n e s ' a Sang t s o m e r o f , a r g A of t s a e s t r o f of . r n e e b m m u n s ’ ' r u b a B d e v r e n i r u , r o i warr

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

sero.

FOUNDATION OF MUGHAL RULE/ 133

among

them

being

Gwalior

and

Dholyur.

Afghans

Again

Babur's advance, however, was halted by the Afghans of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Though they had professed allegiance to Babur, they resented Mughal rule and were eager to become

His memoirs contain surprisingly detailed accounts of the flora and fauna of India. The char baghs, the symmetrically laid out gardens with flowing waters and fountains, were Be |e)

ae ha A "1

ry

;

independent again. They were encouraged by the Bengal ruler, Nusrat

Shah, who had marvied a daughter of Ibrahim Lodi. The Afghans expelled Babur’s officers from the area and marched upto Kanauj. Mahmud Lodi, a brother of Ibrahim Lodi, reached Bihar and assumed the leadership of the movement.

At the beginning of 1529, Babur moved east to meet the Afghan challenge. He faced the combined armies of the Afghans and Nusrat Shah near Ghagra, but failed to decisively settle matters in his favour. Most of Bihar continued to remain with the

Afghan chiefs. Babur returned to Agra — and died shortly thereafter. He had left written instructions that he be buried in Kabul. For a while his body was entombed in the Aram Bagh in Agra, opposite the present site of the Taj Mahal. Sometime between 1539 and 1544, however, his remains were

transported to his final resting place in Kabul, at a site he himself had chosen.

Assessment In addition to being a talented soldier and strategician, Babur had wideranging interests and varied skills. He was a keen lover and observer of nature.

i”.

17

2a

ern

Se

ee ‘

eer 2

erry

Doll

.

2

!

aT

a

;

A Mughal painting. depicting Babur with guests in his palace

introduced into India by Babur. He was also a writer of great elegance, proficient in Persian, Arabic as well as his native Turkish. The Tuzuk-i-Baburi, besides

- being a refined piece of prose writing, is an

invaluable

source

material

for

understanding the times in which he lived.

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

ee

134 / MEDIEVAL INDIA

Another facet of Babur’s personality manifested itself in India. Some scholars have pointed out that before coming to India Babur had not displayed undue interest in matters of religion. Here, however, his notable acts

included the construction of mosques.

This was significant ‘because until he came

his

to India there is no evidence of

having

patronised

religious

architecture. The sites were carefully selected. While the mosque commissioned at Panipat celebrated Babur’s victory over the Lodis, two other mosques were sponsored at places sacred to Hindu tradition. Sambhal was where the tenth and last avatar of Vishnu was to appear at the end of the yuga (era), and Ayodhya was revered as the birthplace of Lord Rama. Babur died in 1530, after having lived for merely four years in India. He bequeathed his heirs an uncertain legacy, as his conquests could not be consolidated into a stable kingdom.

) 6 5 5 1 0 3 5 1 ( Humayun Upon the death of Babur, Humayun succeeded his father, but as per the

Apart from the rickety. administrative apparatus and the even more precarious financial situation, his kingdom was threatened by the unyielding Afghans who nursed. ambitions of reviving their lost empire. Humayun attained early successes over the Afghans in the east but failed to consolidate his gains.

‘Meanwhile, a new danger surfaced in Gujarat. The ruler, Sultan Bahadur Shah, sought to extend his hegemony by occupying Malwa, attacking Rajasthan, and entering into negotiations with the Afghans in the north-east in order to expel the

Mughals from India. Many Afghans had been granted refuge in the court of Bahadur Shah, who had considerably

augmented his army by equipping it with

cannon

and _

Portuguese gunners.

employing

Humayun exhibited considerable military skills and personal valour in the campaign against Bahadur Shah and even managed to defeat him. Yet the Mughal forces withdrew without either deposing the ruler or annexing

Timurid tradition, was forced to share power with his brothers. Thus, Mirza

the kingdom. | Meanwhile, in Bihar, the Afghans rallied around the rising new leader,

Sulaiman was given Badakshan, Mirza

Sher

Kamran inherited Kabul and Qandhar, while Askari and Hindal received territories to administer within India. In

violation of the agreed division, however, Mirza Kamran, forcibly occupied Punjab, further reducing Humayun’s already truncated legacy. Humayun’s position was unenviable on other counts as well.

Khan

Sur.

In

1537,

Sher

Khan

invaded Bengal and besieged the ruler, Mahmud

Shah,

at his capital,

Gaur.

Aware of the political implications of

these developments, Humayun marched to the aid of the Bengal ruler. But instead of relieving Gaur, he laid siege to the Chunar fort, which had recently come into Sher Khan's possession. This faulty strategy

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

©

\

»

FOUNDATION OF MUGHAL RULE/ 135 facilitated Sher Khan’s eventual takeover of Bengal. Sher Khan further enhanced his prestige and position in the AfghanMughal battle at Chausa in 1539, where Humayun’'s forces were completely routed and Humayun himself narrowly escaped alive. Sher Khan now assumed the title of Sher Shah. A final battle between the two forces near Kanauj in 1540 could not tilt the scales in favour of the Mughals. The Afghans had triumphed politically once again and Sher Shah emerged as the new ruler of north India. Humayun spent the next fifteen years in exile, in search of allies to reclaim his throne. Disillusioned, he finally left India in 1544 for the Safavid court in Persia, where further troubles awaited him. The ruler, Shah Tahmasp, forced him and his followers to recant Sunni Islam and accept the Shi'i faith as the price for shelter and help. The Afghan Interregnum Sher Shah (1540 - 1545)

The credit for founding the second Afghan kingdom goes to Sher Shah Sur, the son of a small jagirdar from Jaunpur. Following the death of [brahim Lodi, Sher Shah had by a series of deft moves gained possession of vast treasures which he utilised to heavily arm himself and emerge as one of the most powerful Afghan leaders. After ousting Humayun from the throne of Delhi, he became the supreme ruler of northern India, his dominions extending from Bengal to the Indus, excluding Kashmir.

Sher Shah did not belong to any of the leading Afghan tribes. Hence, at the Start of his career, he failed to elicit the support of the elite Afghan families such as the Lodis, Sarwanis, Nuhanis

and Farmulis that dominated the Lodi

era. He instead had to rely upon the Sur, Niazi, Sirbini and other Afghan groups and non-Afghan Muslims willing to join him. Gradually, however,: the surviving privileged members of the Lodi era felt compelled to come to terms

with him.

The

Rajput

Challenge

As in the past, Rajputs posed.a major threat. Sher Shah was particularly perturbed by the activities of Raja

Maldeo of Marwar. Sher Shah got the

better of him in the battle of Samel in 1544. As a consequence of this defeat.

the neighbouring Rana of Mewar felt constrained to surrender Chittor to Sher

Shah

who,

in the

course

of ten

months, had overrun large parts of Rajasthan. | In continuance of his war against

the Rajputs, Sher Shah settled Afghan

families in Gwalior and other troublesome areas with a view to colonising them. He also realised jaziya from the Hindus. Sher Shah has been censured by a number of modern historians for sanctioning the massacre of the Rajputs

of Raisin as well as for his dealings with Raja Maldeo to earn religious merit. Some scholars have, however, argued in defence of Sher Shah, stating that the Rajput chiefs constituted a force almost everywhere

in

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

India

and

were

too

136/ MEDIEVAL INpIA

e d e c n o c y e h T e. on al ft le powerful to be to k e e s d di h a h S r e h S that though d l u o c o h w fs ie ch t u p j a R e s o eliminate th he t ye , e l u r s hi to not reconcile to g in il wi e r e w o h w e s o h befriended t a y n i a j j U e th as h c u s , accept him Rajputs. A

A

tryst

ative Measures

‘ctrat

n a h g f A d an s in ig or t s e d o m ly ve His relati , g n i d n a t s h t i w t o ns n io it ad n tr ia ar it al eg ic ot sp de a as d e n o i t c n u f Sher Shah s hi to n o i t i s o p p o no d e k o ruler who bro l ro nt co t gh ti d e n i a t n i a m policies. He no g n i t a g e l e d , n o i t a r t s i n i m d over the a , rs ce fi of d an s er st ni mi s hi real powers to e g a n o i p s e t en ci fi ef an up and in fact set r ei th of d e m r o f n i f el ms hi ep ke system to s hi r e t s l o b r e h t r u f To . activities h a h S r e h S , s u t a t s d n a y t authori d n a m u r o c e d ct ri st d e h s establi ey th ed st si in d an t, ur co at s e procedur be meticulously observed. same the Towards

he end, ry ta li mi s hi d e n e h t g n e r t s y l b a r e consid

e re th to in y m r a e th d de vi di might. He , s t n a h p e l e e th , rs wa sa e th segments, s r a w a s e th th wi , n e and the footm re ti en e th of in hp nc li serving as the n w o n k e, rc fo al on rs pe s Hi organisation.

of d e t s i s n o c l, ai Kh a s a h K as the royal , s r a w a s d n a s u o h t y t one-lakh-fif d an rs ie ld so ot fo d n a s u o h t e twenty-fiv of m e t s y s e th d ve vi re so al He artillery. n i d d u a l A h c i h w a r h e h c d n a dagh d e c u d o r t n i y l l u f s s e c c u s d a h Khalji some centuries ago.

Sher

Shah

also

improved

He . re pi em s hi in th wi s n o i t a c i commun e th , ad Ro k n u r T d n a r G e th ed restor

n ra h c i h w s me ti t en ci an of Uitarapatha

r u p h s u r u P to l) ga en (B i t p i l a r m a from T

(modern Peshawar) and beyond. He built a road running

from Agra to

Jodhpur and Chittor and another from Lahore to Multan. In addition, he had t. il bu ) es us ho tes (r is ra sa of er mb nu a es at st i un da Ba n ia or st hi al ev di me The that Sher Shah issued a public proclamation that from Bengal to western Rohtas which was a fourmonth journey, as also from Agra to

Mandu, a sarai, a well, and a mosque an d an oh kr y er ev at d he is bl ta es be A d. te in po ap ) er ad le r ye ra (p am im Muslim and a Hindu were also to be

recruited to provide water to members of their respective communities. Land

Revenue

Under

Sher Shah

Land revenue constituted the principal er Sh r de un me co in e at st of ce ur so Shah, as in the Sultanate period. To enhance collections and streamline procedures, Sher Shah introduced a schedule of crop-rates (rai) for the first time in India. The produce per bigha from the good, middling and poor soils

e th e in rm te de to t un co ac to in n ke ta s wa average yield, one-third of which was fixed as the state demand. The state share could be converted into cash on the basis of the prevailing market rates. As before, the village (mauza) was the lowest unit of revenue. The re we es ag ll vi e th of fs ie ch ry ta di re he responsible for tax collection in their areas and functioned as intermediaries between the state and the peasants. A group of villages, varying between fifty and hundred or more than hundred, formed a pargana, which was headed by a shiqdar. The latter discharged both civil and military

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

FOUNDATION OF MUGHAL RULE/ 137

coinage then in circulation, he struck coins of uniform standard in gold, silver and copper. He also attempted to introduce uniform weights and measures throughout his kingdom.

duties, was accountable for law and order, and also helped revenue officers (amils) in the realisation of land revenue. If necessary, he provided them military assistance against rebellious zamindars who resisted paying government dues. The officers working under the shiqdar included the amils, amins, and

Successors

gazis. Besides revenue collection, the with entrusted were amils repair’ andconstruction

the of

embankments and the protection of cultivable land. The amins were to oversee the measurement of land under cultivation for determining the state share. Other officials at pargana level were the khazanadar (treasurer), the munsif-i-lchazana (treasury inspector), and the qanungo (in charge of

maintaining

revenue

of parganas

number sarkar.

records).

A

constituted

a

Currency Neforms Sher Shah made major reforms in the currency. In place of the debased

Sher Shah died in 1545 after a brief rule of five years. His successors proved unable to retain their hold on power. After the demise of his son and successor, Islam Shah, the Sur

domains were partitioned among the relatives of Sher Shah. The divisions mainly were the Punjab; Agra and Delhi; Bihar and the eastern region; and Bengal, each given to a Sur kin of Sher Shah. In 1555, just a decade after Sher Shah’s death, Humayun defeated Sikandar, the Sur ruler of Punjab, reoccupied Delhi and revived the moribund Mughal reign. Within seven months, however, he himself passed away after a fall from the steps of his library.

Exercises Which were the newly rising powers that sought to mee

the glory of

Timur’s empire’? How did the Afghan polity of Delhi favour Babur? Describe Babur’s encounter with Rajput power in India. Evaluate and assess Babur’'s position in Indian history. Briefly describe the military campaigns of Humayun. Mention the Afghan tribes that rose to prominence under Sher Shah. “Sher Shah

6

is best remembered

for his revenue

reforms.” Comment.

Describe Sher Shah's dealings with the Rajputs.

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

wee heehee ee

5,

Ct

Pe

fe

es

--

Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza

https: //telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

nobles. The most prominent of these were the five-tiered Panch Mahal; Jodha Bai’s palace which bore a pronounced Gujarati influence; and Raja Birbal’s home that appears to

I +.

forceful expressions Mughal, might.

°

Ae.

have been an administrative or cere. Sitial building. The imperial architectural style was carried to the various parts of the mpire by Akbar’s nobles, who erected similar structures that were as

oa

Sent.

x

eet

Te ott Lak

M

of the growing

a

Beas Mae's

:

eh

Jahangir’s Contribution Jahangir was a pat*on of painting

rather than architecture. The most well

known building of his reign was the mausoleum he built for his father at Sikandra, near Agra, which is said to

resemble the Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri.

Jahangir’s buildings at Agra fort vere later pulled down by Shah Jahan. We do know, however, that beneath the viewing balcony (jharoka) from which he gave darshan to the public, he had installed life-size marble statues of the defeated Rana of Mewar, Amar Singh and his son, @9>>> Karan, much as Akbar had placed statues of the Rajput heroes Jaimal and Fatha outside Agra Palace. Jahangir was immen- E; Oaks a EN os oe oie te sely interested in gardens; tne

2

ae

ae

ny

“J

Se =" re

-—

the most famous of those associated with him being in Srinagar. His queen, Nur Jahan’s most well known architectural project is the white marble mausoleum

she built near Agra for her

father, Itimad-ud-Daula. It is a magnificently carved monument, inlaid with

Fatehpur Sikri palace, Daulat Khana

https://telegram.me/UpscPdfDrive

214/ MEDIEVAL INDIA’

semi-precious

stones

technique’ known

in marble,

In 1639, Shah Jahan began the construction of a walled city and imperial capital on the banks of the Yamuna at Delhi. Two imposing gate, the Akbarabad gate (Delhi Gate) and ¢ 3e

a

as pietra dura. It

boasts of richly ornamented

ceilings

and finely.carved marble screens.

The Zeaith aader Shah Jahan

Lahore gate led to the important areas )

Mughal architecture reached its zenith under Shah Jahan, who has been

of the new city of Shahjahanabad. The buildings on the river front were ‘p ar ea a ,

ie, iw