life under delhi sultanate

1. LIFE UNDER
DELHI SULTANATE

2. INTRODUCTION
• The Delhi Sultanate were the Persian-speaking dynasties, of
Turkic and Afghan origin, which were controlling India
from 1210 to 1526. Many of these dynasties ruled from Delhi.
This includes the Slave dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji
dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413),
the Sayyid dynasty(1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-
1526).
• Later on, after India fell to the Mughals, there was again a brief
period when Humayun, son of the Mughal Babur and father
of Akbar the Great, was deposed by the Pathan Suri
dynasty who enjoyed a short rule then, before Humayun was
reinstated in 1555.

3. priests
This group was reserved for learned people like the Brahmanas,
Maulvis, Qazis and the Ulema. These citizens were considered
superior to the town dwellers and peasants and they used to
dedicate their lives to their respective religions studying holy
books and worshipping God. The brahmanas were greatly
honoured and many Turks like Al Beruni interacted with them
extremely closely. The Ulema became very powerful and were
very important in the court.In many cases like Firoze Shah’s, the
Ulema became so powerful that they became the virtual rulers
and the sultans became powerless.Therefore,many Sultans
adopted measures to keep the power of the Ulema under control.
Sometimes the Ulema did not accept a new measure or policy
which the Sultan had decided to implement.Most of Muhammad
Bin Tughlaq’s plans were dropped simply because the Ulema did
not agree with them.

4. ARISTOCRACY
This was the ruling class. It consisted of
the sultan, the nobles, the Hindu rajas and
princes, and the landlords. This was the
most powerful social group because they
had wealth & power. They enjoyed a lavish
lifestyle.

5. TOW N DW ELLERS
• Th e t o w n d w el l er s c o n sist ed
o f ar t isan s, c r af t speo pl e,
mer c h an t s, sl aves an d
d o mest ic ser van t s .
Oc c upat io n s w er e mo r e o r
l ess h er ed it ar y amo n g t h e
Hin d u an d Musl im
c r af t speo pl e. Th e Mer c h an t s
w er e Pr o sper o us

6. Peasan t s
• Th e l if e o f t h e peasan t s w as o n e o f
h ar d w o r k , dr udg er y an d po v er t y.
Th ey suf f er ed g r eat l y dur in g t h e
r eig n o f Muh ammad Bin Tug h l aq but
t h eir c o n dit io n impr o v ed an d t h ey
en j o yed man y ben ef it s dur in g
Fir o ze Sh ah ’s r eig n . Th e t ax paid by
t h e peasan t s w as t h e c h ief so ur c e
o f r ev en ue f o r t h e g o v er n men t

7. .The Sultanate period brought to India new styles of art and
architecture which were soon absorbed into the existing set
up. A number of factors were responsible for events to move in
such a direction. The existing Indian styles and the new ideas
had many common features, which allowed them to adapt to
one another. For instance both the temple and mosque had
large open courtyards. Also many temples were converted in
mosques by the foreign invaders, and this created a blend of
Indian as well as foreign styles.
ART & ARCHITECHTURE OF
DELHI SULTANATE

8. The Sultanate introduced two new architectural
ideas, the dome and the pointed arch. The dome was
an important decorative structure in Islamic
buildings, and soon was implemented in other
structures as well. The pointed or true arch that was
introduced during this period, was completely
different from the type of arches that were being
constructed within the country earlier. EXAMPLE
Like Alai darwaza,Qutub minar,Fort of tughlaqbad

9. new musical instrument
The history of musical instruments dates to the beginnings of human culture.
Early musical instruments may have used for ritual: such as a trumpet to signal
success on the hunt, or a drum in a religious ceremony. Cultures eventually
developed composition and performance of melodies for entertainment. Musical
instruments evolved in step with changing applications.
The oldest object that some scholars refer to as a musical instrument, a
simple flute, dates back as far as 67,000 years. Many early musical instruments
were made from animal skins, bone, wood, and other non-durable materials.
Instruments can be classified by their effective range, their material composition,
their size, etc.

10. AMIR KHUSRAU
Abul Hasan Yamin ud-Din Khusrau was a musician, great poet
and scholar. A polymath an iconic figure in the cultural history
of the Indian subcontinent. A mystic and a spiritual disciple
of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. Amir Khusrau was not only a
notable poet but also a prolific and seminal musician in the time
of the Delhi Sultanate, being reputed to have invented both
the Sitar and the Tabla. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian,
but also in Hindavi. A vocabulary in verse, the Ḳhāliq Bari,
containing Arabic, Persian, and Hindavi terms is often attributed
to him.He is regarded as the "father of Qawwali". Introduced
the Ghazal style of song into India. These traditions have been
kept very much alive in India and Pakistan to this day. He is
also credited with enriching Indian classical music by introducing
Persian, Arabic and Turkish elements into it and was the
originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music.

11. KATHAK DANCE OF THE DELHI
SULTANATE
Kathak is a dance form in which a storyteller narrates story. In Hindu
rules its proffession as a group of storytellers performing shringar
dance to a stuti in praise of the Almighty in the temples.
The characteristic pose of this dance is where right arm is raised
above the head ready to receive God’s beneficence and left arm
stretched out at chest level. Upon which his eyes are fastened is
turned towards the Earth .Kathak largely followed the Sambhanga
during Muslim rule.

12. From 11th century onwards that with the
establishment of muslim rule largely from
Delhi that the relationship and influences on
the kathak in all the four aspects of abhinaya
,the angika, the vacika,the aharya and the
sattvika.
By the 10th century yearning of the individual
soul for Almighty symbolised by Radha
yearning for Krishna became subject of
enactment in kathak.
A new set of mudras depicting the ghunghat
crept into the dance form . Modern kathak is a
combination of Hindu themes with Persian
costumes.

13. PAINTINGS
The Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate patronized
Architecture, Art, Dance and Music. However,
Painting did not receive a boost. The Sultans did not
take any interest in the wonderful North Indian
paintings. Painting came at its dead end but
fortunately, the Rajputs revived its legacy. The
Rajputs patronized and encouraged artists and soon
they let their style of miniature painting continue.

14. Miniatures were the preferred medium of Rajput painting,
but several manuscripts also contain Rajput paintings, and
paintings were even done on the walls of palaces, inner
chambers of the forts, havelies, particularly,
the havelis ofShekhawati.
The colours extracted from certain minerals, plant sources,
conch shells, and were even derived by processing precious
stones, gold and silver were used. The preparation of desired
colours was a lengthy process.
Miniatures

15. OTHER CULTURAL
CHANGES

16. FOOD
• New types of food such as biryani ,
bread and wine became a part of
Indian cuisine. Sultanate rulers were
very fond of food. Thy hired the best
chefs around the world.

17. DRESS
• Hindus and Muslims wore pyjamas-
kurtas , kaftans ,salwar- kameez and
continue doing so to this day .
• Materials like silk and brocade were
used to make dresses and were very
valuable.

18. REPLACEMENT OF SANSKRIT BY
PERSIAN
• The establishment of the Turkish rule in
India led to the replacement of Sanskrit
by Persian as the official language in
many regions.
• Although the Hindu kings patronized
Sanskrit ,its days of glory were
numbered. Verses from the Koran were
engraved on some buildings .