Cause of the Decline / Downfall of the Delhi
Sultanate
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| Cause of the Decline of the Delhi Sultanate |
Just as birth and
death are the processes of nature, in the same way rise and decline are natural
phenomena and it is beyond the power of man to avoid it. In the Delhi sultanate
five dynasties ruled and Iltutmish, Balban, Alauddin Khalji, Muhammad Tughluq,
Firoz Tughluq and Sikandar Lodi were the significant rulers of these dynasties.
They endeavored their best to organize and expand the territory, even the
decline of Sultanate seems to be an incident of surprise but if we exercise our
minx, it would not be impossible for us to find out the reasons of the downfall
of Delhi Sultanate. The process of decline started during the reign of Tughluqs
and it was completed in the regime of Sayyids and Lodis due to weaknesses of
the Sultans and noncooperation of the subjects and the nobles. The following
reasons chiefly led to the disintegration of the Sultanate in India.
Political Causes
The Sultanate of
Delhi was autocratic. The Sultans of Delhi acted as despots. They centered all the
power of the Sultanate in their own hands and the Amirs held the reins of
empire in their own hands. The people were deprived of taking part in the
affairs of the kingdom. Thus, there was a wide gulf between the Sultan and the
people which was widened all the more during the reigns of the latte
unsuccessful Sultans, hence went on disintegrating with the passage of time.
The ruler of Delhi Sultanate were neither
properly educated nor had they administrative virtues. Moreover, their rule was
based on the power of he army, but the organization of the army left much to be
desired. The Sultans did not have any permanent army. They had to depend on the
armies of the Governors at the time of war, which had no harmony amongst one
another. Only a powerful ruler could maintain his sway over them but under the
reign of weak and inefficient rulers, the unorganized army proved dangerous for
the Sultanate and rebelled off and on.
The ruler of
Delhi Sultanate did not pay the salaries in cash to their staff and awarded Jagirs
which made everybody wealthy. The excess of money proved detrimental to the
interest of the Sultanate and people often resorted to conspiracies. It harmed
the power and prestige of the Sultanate.
The weak rulers
of Sayyid and Lodi dynasties failed to exercise control over the political
situation of the country. They adopted the feudal system which enhanced the
power of the feudal lords to such an extent that it proved fatal for the
survival of the Sultanate itself. When Sikandar Lodi and his successor tried to
crush the power of these nobles they revolted. The unwise policy of IbrahimLodi annoyed them all the more. He imposed several restrictions over them and
did not permit them to be seated in the court. Thus the high-handed policy of
Ibrahim Lodi forced Alam Khan and Daulat Khan Lodi to invite Babur for an
invasion on the country. His invasion was the last nail in the political coffin
of the Sultanate.
Social Cause
The rulers of
Delhi Sultanate adopted the policy of religious intolerance which engendered
social distinctions and the Hindus and Muslims became staunch rivals of each
other. The partisan policies of the Muslim rulers harmed the interests of the
Hindu subjects which created jealousy and hatred between the two communities.
During this period
casteism, untouchability and ‘class’ feeling emerged in the society. The
Muslims used to call the Hindus ‘Kafirs’ whereas the Hindus named the Muslims
‘Mlechhas’. A feeling of mutual suspicion prevailed among the two communities,
all this proved fatal for the survival of the Sultanate.
Religious Causes
Delhi Sultanate
was a theocratic state and the administration was based on the principles of
Islam. The Ulema and orthodox Muslims held a privileged position in the
sultanate and they affected the policies of the Sultan. The majority of Hindus
were not granted any favour by the Muslim rulers, hence they never cooperated
with them.
The religious
intolerance of the Sultans of Delhi also annoyed the majority of Hindus. Their
act of demolishing Hindus temples and breaking idols of their gods and
goddesses annoyed them all the more. Imposition of Jaziya and pilgrimage tax
injured the tender feelings of the Hindus and their conversion on the points of
sword offended them so much that they opposed the Sultanate and contributed to
sit downfall.
Economic Caused
Economic
solidarity is the backbone of the empire but the financial position of the
rulers of Delhi Sultanate was not solid. No doubt, they amassed a lot of wealth
during their invasions and plundered the temples, but they also spent a lot of
money in the organization of the army and in checking the invasion of Mongols.
Moreover, the preposterous schemes of Muhammad Tughluq emptied the royal
treasury and no government could be stable without sound finance.
The sultanate of
Delhi spent a huge amount on the upkeep of slaves, and the nobles and Amirs
embezzled a greater part of the revenue of the Sultanate, thus the income of
the state fell short of the expenditure. The rulers of Delhi sultanate did not
try to improve their finances nor levied taxes properly. The Muslims were
either exempted from the taxes or they were granted concessions and the trade
and industry was underdeveloped. Hence economic weaknesses also contributed to
the downfall of the Delhi Sultanate.
The invasion of
Babur proved to be the last significant reason of the decline of the Sultanate
of Delhi. Ibrahim Lodi failed to measured swords with the Mughal army and lay
prostrate before it. The well-equipped and disciplined army of Babur uprooted
Delhi Sultanate completely.
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