An easy, practical and in-sequence itinerary planner I have travelled the length and breadth of India, and am truly proud of its rich and varied heritage. I am amazed by the tradition and values, the people, festivals, celebrations and the changing landscape. Have you wondered if it's possible to travel across India completely? Most foreigners arriving in India, land in Delhi and then travel the Golden Triangle route first- which is a good decision incase you have limited time at hand and want to make the most of it. The Golden Triangle- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur includes the much hyped Taj Mahal which invariably is part of a tourist's bucket list. This blog on the other hand- is a sequential strategy and detailed 'been there done that' itinerary plan starting from Mumbai. I am sure as we go through this Journey you will understand India better. My experiences are based from the perspective of a - digital nomad, budget backpacker and from a local standpoint. Each Itinerar
DELHI SULTANATE under TUGHLAQ DYNASTY (1320 to 1414 CE)- simplified
The dynasty's name TUGHLAQ is taken from its founder GHIYATH AL-DIN TUGHLAQ. His ancestry is not clear, but since there is no credible proof that he arrived from a foreign land, it's most likely he is of mixed origin ie. a native of India from his mother's side- maybe he belonged to the KHOKHAR Punjabi tribe that helped him in the battle against KHUSRAU KHAN. Much of the source of information about TUGHLAQ is understood from the writings of Amir Khusro*
*Amir Khusro (1253-1325 CE) was a poet, scholar, Sufi singer and musician in Indo-Persian languages and lived during the reign of DELHI SULTANATE. He wrote primarily in Persian and also in Hindi-Urdu.
☀️ GHIYATH AL-DIN TUGHLAQ (r. 1321- 1325 CE
Ghazi Malik as he was known described himself as awara mard 'an unimportant man' according to Amir Khusro. He started from a humble background working as keeper of horses for a merchant. After searching for a job in Delhi, he finally got a break as an imperial guard for JALAL UD-DIN KHALJI. He shone mainly during ALA UD-DIN KHALJI'S reign when he served as a personal assistant to ULUGH KHAN (Ala ud-din's brother). Some of his successful campaigns were- Battle of Amroha (1305 CE) against the Mongols. Thereafter, he earned commendable trust from ALA UD-DIN who preferred to station him at the frontier regions of Delhi Sultanate ie. The route of the Mongols. And so he was appointed as governor of Multan and later he became governor of Dipalpur (present-day Punjab province of Pakistan).
He was a staunch enemy of the Mongols and fought them tooth and nail. According to Amir Khusro, TUGHLAQ faced 18 skirmishes from the Mongols and came victorious. This also speaks volumes about his experience on the battlefield.
TUGHLAQABAD FORT- The 4th city of Delhi
His legacy is the TUGHLAQABAD FORT- The Third city of Delhi which got built from 1321- 1325 CE to serve the dual purpose of defence as well as capital of the TUGHLAQ dynasty. This city was later abandoned in 1327. It was developed as a fortified city due to the threat of Mongol invasions, and is considered as an architectural gem of the Tughlaq period.
Location: Mehrauli- Badarpur road, Delhi
TUGHLAKABAD stands on a scarred outcrop of a rocky hill. It is roughly octogonal with a perimeter of 6.5 km. It's 10 to 15 m rubble walls are provided with bastions and gates at intervals.
The rampart walls are pierced with loop-holes and are crowned with a line of rude battlements of solid stone which are also provided with loop-holes. Presently the fort has 13 gates and there are 3 inner gates to the citadel.
The vast size, the great strength and the visible solidity of the whole gigantic structure, in proportion and strength - give to this fort an air of stern and massive grandeur.
Map of Delhi's Tughlaqabad fort
Tughluqabad was divided mainly into 3 portions to the east of this entrance, a rectangular area with high walls and bastions served as the citadel. A wider area immediately to its west, similarly bound by rubble walls and bastions, houses the palaces.
Beyond this to the north lay the city. Streets in the city, some of which are traceable even now pan in a grid pattern from gates on one side to those on the opposite side.
Inside the citadel enclosure are a tower known as BIJAI-MANDAL and remains of several halls, including a long underground passage.
The fort also contained 7 tanks amidst ruins of several large buildings to the south of the fort. Outside was a vast reservoir created by erecting bunds between hills.
Ghiyath-ud-din-Tughlaq died in 1324 due to an accident in which his pavilion collapsed under suspicious circumstances.
There is a causeway that connects the fort with the tomb of Ghiyath-ud-din-Tughlaq, while a wide embankment near it's south eastern corner gave access to the fortress of Adilabad, built a little later opposite it on another hill.
Below pic- glimpse of Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq from the fort, Tughlaqabad- Delhi
☀️ MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ (r. 1325- 1351 CE)
After the death of his father and predecessor GHIYATH AL-DIN TUGHLAQ, Prince FAKHR MALIK JANA KHAN took on the name MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ and ascended the throne of DELHI SULTANATE on 1 Feb 1325
Jahanpanah~ The 5th city of Delhi
In 1325 after building his father's tomb, Muhammad bin Tughlaq began building a fortified city called Jahanpanah. This new city connected the fortifications of Old Delhi, Siri and Tughlaqabad and had altogether 30 gates. He further built the Adilabad fort slightly down the road from Tughlaqabad.
Adilabad fort, Delhi
DELHI TO DAULATABAD- 1327 CE
MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ had gained considerable experience on the battlefield fighting alongside his father Ghiyatuddin. Now his ambition was to take all of India under his control. And to do so, he would have to move his capital city to a centrally located place. DAULATABAD their vassal kingdom, he decided was best-suited for this purpose.
THE HINDU RESISTANCE OF KULLU-KANGRA- 1333
The Qarachil expedition to KULLU-KANGRA Himalayan region was successfully resisted by the Hindu Rajput kingdom of KATOCH under king Prithvi Chand II. It resulted in TUGHLAQ losing nearly 100,000 soldiers who were clearly inexperienced in mountain warfare.
Ghiyath ud-din TUGHLAQ'S tomb, Delhi
Ghiyath ud-din TUGHLAQ'S self-built tomb, 1321-1325 CE is enclosed in a mausoleum within high battered pentagonal stone walls. Location: Mehrauli-Badarpur road
Tomb of Ghiyath ud-din Tughlaq, founder of TUGHLAQ dynasty (center), his wife's tomb (left), his son Muhammad bin Tughlaq's tomb (right)
Within the tomb complex also lies the tomb of Zafar Khan, a general of Allauddin KHALJI who fought many successful battles and died in battle.
Zafar Khan's mausoleum walls are surmounted under a domed roof and clad in white marble. Location - Ghiyath ud-din Tughlaq's tomb complex, Tughluqabad Delhi
THE TUGHLAQ EMPIRE CRUMBLES
VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE BREAKS THE SHACKLES OF MUSLIM RULE IN THE SOUTH
In 1335, JALAL UD-DIN AHSAN KHAN who was appointed as viceroy of Madurai- declared independence from the DELHI SULTANATE. In response MUHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ sent his army to reassert his control, but was defeated in the bargain. After years of cruelty and suffering, the Vijayanagara empire under Bukka Raya I uprooted the Madurai Sultanate muslim ruler from Southern India.
Zafar Khan was a general of the Delhi Sultanate and amongst the many nobles who resented moving to Daulatabad. He contributed to Muhammad bin Tughlaq's woes by rebelling and breaking free from DELHI.
☀️ FIRUZ SHAH TUGHLAQ (r. 1351- 1388 CE): the reliever of torture and suffering
Mohammed bin Tughlaq had no sons. He died in 1351 CE, leaving his legacy in the hands of his reluctant cousin Firuz Shah Tughlaq. It seemed like the glory of the Delhi Sultanate had faded and noone wished to take ownership. After being cajoled a great deal, Firuz ascended the throne on 23 March, 1351. Luckily, his responsibilities had reduced considerably since the Delhi Sultanate had now crumbled into multiple entities.
Despite retaining the Sharia system across his kingdom, Firuz was a learned man and still had the milk of human kindness in him. His predecessors had employed horrific punishment and torture methods on their enemies/ those who refused to convert to Islam among other things. Firuz completely abolished all this and instead rewarded new converts to Islam by ways of exempting taxes etc.
Firuz Shah Tughlaq was a renowned builder who is credited for improving the overall infrastructure by building canals, reservoirs, digging wells etc. New townships around Delhi were created at the time, namely;
Firozabad ~ the 6th city of Delhi [Kotla Firuz Shah]
This new city extended from Hauz-Khas to Pir Ghaib near Hindu Rao hospital.
Ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi
The citadel contained palaces, pillared halls, mosques, a pigeon tower and a baoli (step well).
The famed Ashokan pillar (lat) in Feroz Shah kotla fort, New Delhi
Ashokan pillar installed on the 3 tiered structure
The above 3 tiered rubble structure with arches entrances was built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in 1356 for the purpose of installing the Ashoka pillar on the top. This lat is one of the two Ashokan stone pillars (273 to 236 BCE). It was brought from Topra in Ambala. An inscription in Sanskrit records the conquests of the Chauhan prince Visala deva.
Madrasa-e-Feroz Shahi at Hauz Khas Delhi built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq was apparently a premier institute of learning and hosted students from far and wide.
Tughlaq tombs built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq
He was also an excellent strategist who knew the art of keeping both nobles and religious (ulema) content, thereby helping him to rule peacefully. However this Sultan also targeted destruction of temples and conversion of communities to Islam such as~ the Chauhan Rajputs.
His positive lenient attitude towards his nobles actually backfired and weakened the Sultanate even further.
The importance of Hauz-Khas village is evident from the fact that Firuz Shah chose this site to have his own tomb.
A war of succession
Firuz Shah TUGHLAQ had two son. Fateh Khan, his eldest son had died a year earlier ie.1387, so he appointed his grandson (Fateh Khan's son) ☀️GHIYATH AL-DIN TUGHLAQ II (r. 1388- 1389 CE. Ghiyath II however proved incapable in keeping the rebellious nobles in controls plus he now faced a war of succession with his uncle and also hjs cousin Abu Bakr Shah, son of Zafar Khan. As expected Abu Bakr got an upper hand with the help of some amirs that resulted in Ghiyath II's untimely death. ☀️Abu Bakr Shah (r. 1389 to 1390 CE) himself lasted for only a year before he was forced to relinquish his regency to his uncle ☀️Nasir ud-din Muhammad Shah III (r. 1390 to 1394). Not much is known about Muhammad Shah III's reign; but his eldest son ☀️Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shahbecame Sultan briefly (22 Jan to 8 March 1394 CE).
☀️Nasir ud-din Muhammad Shah (r. 1394 to 1413 CE)~ The last Sultan of the TUGHLAQ sultan
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Shah, the successor and brother of Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah faced the ordeal of deadly attacks from Timur another despot foreign muslim invader who was in a way related to Genghis Khan. Timur invaded Delhi, butchered it's population, ransacked the city's treasures and carried the wealth to his own city of Samarkand. The years of struggle for succession and now Timur invasion brought the TUGHLAQ dynasty to a grinding halt.
Many regional sultanates now broke free from what was left of the Delhi Sultanate. After Nasir ud-din Muhammad Shah's death in 1413 CE, his governor of Multan~ KHIZR KHAN took over the reigns of the administration giving birth to the new Sayyid and Lodi dynasties of the DELHI SULTANATE.
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