2012 Maharaj Mukherjee

A Comprehensive History of India

Lecture 9
February 26, 2012
Sultanates of Delhi
Beginning of the Medieval Age
Maharaj Mukherjee
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Different Eras of History
Pre historic Ages Time before the recorded history (15000 BC
700 BC)
Hunter Gatherer, Indus Valley, Aryans, Time of the Epics
Ancient Ages Time of initial recorded history (700 BC 900 AD)
Buddha, Alexander, Ashoka, Gupta, Harsha, Pala
We just finished studying the ancient ages
Middle Ages (900 AD 1750 AD)
We will start from here today
Modern Ages (1750 AD 2012 AD)
Time we are living in now
What happened in or around 1750??
Think about it and I will ask the question again in next class.
(HW for next class 03/03/12)
Hint: There is no single answer.


2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Map of the Known World
(Around 900 AD)
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Around 900 AD
(View of the Eurasia)
America-s (North and South) were not known
Australia was yet to be discovered
Most of Africa was not known
Rest of the World was well populated and
divided into small and big empires, kingdoms,
principalities and duchies, sultanates etc.
And they were all fighting with each other
This lasted for almost 500 years.
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Map of the Known World
(Around 900 AD)
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Why were they fighting
The same reason people migrate
Basic Needs for Survival
Food and Water
Climate and Weather
Population pressure and Competition
Freedom
Pursuit of Happiness Fight over an Idea
We can be happier in the future
But there were no more places left to migrate so they would fight
And that would happen for almost 500 years
We will study Medieval history in two parts
900 AD 1400 AD
1400 AD 1850 AD
Please remember as in any periods of history the transitions do not
happen over night.
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Fight for Ideological Reasons
Fight over an Idea
Religion Our religion is better than yours
Race Our race is superior to yours
Social Norms or Structure Our form of government is better
than yours
Why do people fight over an idea?
Because ideas define how the future is going to be
If the present is not good enough you can at least hope that
future will be good
Ideas can move larger groups of people than the basic needs
alone.
Medieval Time is the first time when many wars started
over Ideas only without the basic need for foods etc.
In the present times most wars are essentially fought
over ideas
Even in a democracy an election is fought over idea-s
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
The Instruments of Wars
Horses Cavalry Used for Offensive or
Attack purposes
Forts and Castles Used for Defensive or
Protection Purposes
They both remained important instruments
of war until 1920-s (after World War 1)
The advent of Tanks, Airplanes as well as
rockets made both cavalry and forts obsolete
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
War Horses
Arabian Horses do not come from Arabia
They are a breed of horse originally came from Iraq
by the valley of Tigris and Euphrates
Iraq if you remember was part of the original
civilization of mankind that extended from the Fertile
Crescent to Indus Valley
Though horses were used in warfare for a long time
(Remember Aryans) there came a improved variety of
horses around 700 AD
Increasingly they decided the results of war because
of their speed, strength, size and intelligence
They were used in every wars since 900 through
1900 in every continent including Americas
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Arabian Horses
From the latest movie War Horse.
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Castles and Forts
In many city states castles/forts were built
to protect the peasants and farmers and
all the people around it.
They were the primary instruments of
defense in a war in Medieval Ages
Why Forts have become obsolete in modern
warfare?
What do people use as defense in modern
warfare?
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Medieval Forts and Castles
A Medieval Fort with Moat
Agra Fort
Jodhpur Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan
The work of angels, fairies and
giants... built by Titans and coloured
by the morning sun... he who walks
through it loses sense of being among
buildings. It is as though he walked
through mountain gorges...
By Rudyard Kipling
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Rise of Islam
Most of the Rulers of India during the Medieval times
were followers of Islam
Islam is the newest major World Religion
It is one of the three major religions coming from the
Middle East
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
All three religions are based on teachings of prophets
Similar to Avatars in Hinduism
Tirthankaras in Jainism

2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
About Islam
JUDAISM:
Prophets: Abraham, Issac,
Jacob, Moses, Jonah et al
CHRISTIANITY: JESUS CHRIST
NEW TESTAMENT:
Teachings and stories by Jesus
Christ
Recorded by 4 of his followers
OLD TESTAMENT
ISLAM: MUHAMMED
Sacred Text: QUORAN
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Influence of Islam in Medieval Time
Islam rejects human, plant or animal forms
of symbolisms
Gave rise to Geometry and Algebra
Islamic arts are the first form of abstract arts
based on purely geometric design
The most beautiful palaces were built
during the Islamic periods
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Alhambra Palace, Spain
Typical Islamic Art
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Islamic Empires in India
Empires of India
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
-500 0 500 1000 1500 2000
Common Era
%

o
f

I
n
d
i
a

R
u
l
e
d
Nanda
Maurya
SaatVahana
Kushana
Gupta
Harsha
Pala
Rashtrakuta
Chola
Sultaan
Mughal
British
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Sultanate of Delhi
Most of the Islamic Rulers
came either from Afghanistan
or Iran
Some of them have originally
come from Turkey
There had been several wars
between 900 1100 AD
between Afgan/Iran Sultans
and Hindu Indian kingdoms
Mohammed Ghori of
Afghanistan established the
Sultanate of Delhi in 1191

2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Different Dynasties of Delhi Sultanate
Qutbuddin Aibak: 1206 1210
Iltutmish: 1211 1236
Balban: 1266-1287
Alauddin Khilji: 1294 1316
Muhammud Bin Tughlak 1325 1351
Tughlaq and Sayyid Dynasty 1352 -1451
Lodhi Dynasty 1460 - 1527
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Qutub Minar
Constructed during
the rule of Qutub Ud
Din Aibak
He was a slave of
Muhammad Ghori
Then he became his
personal body guard
2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Further Reading
Parents Please help here:
Prithwi Raj Chowhan and Muhammad Ghori
Alauddin Khilji and Rani Padmini
Razia Sultana: The empress of India
Qutubuddin Aibak, Iltutmishand: the Slave
Dynasty
Bakhtiar Khilji and Sen Dynasty in Bengal
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq The crazy emperor

2012 Maharaj Mukherjee
Quiz
What are the three major religions came from
the Middle East?
Islam, Christianity, Judaism
What is the Sacred Text of Islam?
Quoran
What are the major war instruments of the
Medieval Time?
Forts and Horses
Name a major architecture of the Medieval Time
in India
The Taj Mahal and the Qutab Minar