The Delhi sultanate
The Mamluk (slave) dynasty
Also known as the slave dynasty
Founded by Qutub ud Din Aibak a slave general
He defeated the ruler of Multan and Ghazni and made Lahore his capital
He built the Quwwatul Islam mosque and the Qutub minar which were the earliest Muslim architecture in India
Died while playing polo
The dynasty insluded 10 rulers in all including the controversial Razia Sultan
The last ruler was Muiz ud Din who ruled for only 3 years before succumbing to disease and assassination
The Khilji dynasty
The first ruler of the Khilji dynasty was Jalal ud Din Firoze Khilji
He was succeeded by his son in law and nephew Allaudin Khilji
Allaudin was the most enigmatic of all the Khilji sultans and ruled from 1296-1316
It was during his reign that the famous Kohinoor diamond was given to him by on=e of his generals who had taken it from Hindu kingdom he had raided
The latter two rulers of the Khilji Dynasty were weak and the dynasty collapsed in 1320
Tughlaq Dynasty
The Tughlaq dynasty followed the Khilji
Started by Ghiasuddin Tughlaq
This dynasty conquered and controlled vast areas of the Indian subcontinent
The famous traveller Ibne Battuta also came to India during this dynasty and reported witnessing much blood shed and torture
The other famous rulers were Firoze Tughlaq and Muhammad Tughlaq
Sayyid Dynasty
Dynasty founded by Khizr Khan who had been appointed the governor of Multan by Timur
He captured Delhi and started the sultanate.
This dynasty lasted only 38 years
It had four rulers
The last ruler Allaudin Alam shah surrendered and abdicated to Bahlul Lodhi
Lodhi Dynasty
This dynasty was the last in the line
Founded by Bahlul Lodhi who spent most of his reign fighting and adding territory to his kingdom
His son Sikandar Lodhi refounded Agra and had several mosques built there
As a king who loved scholars and learning he had several Sanskrit books translated in Persian
The last king was Ibrahim Lodhi
His rule was turbulent and marked with rebellions and battles of succession
Finally defeated and beheaded in the battle of Panipat in 1526 by Babur
The Mughal dynasty
Babur
Ruler of a small state of Ferghana in central Asia
Had his eye on India and thought of it as his domain as his ancestor Timur had conquered it over a century ago
Invited by the governor of Punjab Daulat khan Lodhi to come and invade Delhi
Babur met the army of Ibrahim Lodhi on the field of Panipat and defeated him with his superior battle strategy and use of firearms although he was outnumbered
Set up the mughal empire and immediatley set about expading his new empire
Died in 1530 after supposedly offering his own life to God in return for his favorite son Humayun’s who was seriously ill
Humayun
Inherited the kingdom from his father
Was a scholar but to kind hearted for a king so was ousted by Sher Shah Suri
After spending several years on the run Humayun finally got his throne back but only after Sher Shah had died and his weak son was on the throne
His rule did not last long as he fell form the stairs of his library
Akbar
Perhaps the greatest mughal emperor and the architect of the strong empire
Crowned shortly after the death of his father
Inherited a violent throne and was forced to battle the hindu rebel Hemu soon after
Guided by Bairam Khan who became his tutor and mentor
Akbar is famous for his policies he appeased the Hindus and brought them under his control by marrying their daughters and abolishing the Jizya Tax
He built Fateh pur Sikri and shifted his capital there
His most controversial move was the new religion Din I Illahi but he reverted back to convential Islam towards the end of his reign
Jehangir
Akbar’s favorite son troubled his father in the beginning by rebelling against him bu later reconciled with his father
He was obsessed with justice and had a gold chain with bells strung up outside his palace which could be pulled by anyone seeking justice and the king would see it done
His marriage to Nur Jehan is an important part of his reign
His wife had a lot of control over him and advised him in many of his policies and decisions
Shahjehan
Shahjahan was the favorite son and heir of Jehangir
He faced some issues after his father died but he quelled them and became emperor
His reign was peaceful and he followed the policies set up by his father and grandfather
His great love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal made him construct the Taj Mehal as her mausoleum
He was fond of buildings and gardens and built them all over his empire
Shalamar Bagh was also built during his reign
Aurangzeb
The youngest son of shahjehan was the most ambitious and came to the throne after his father fell ill
He defeated and assassinated his brothers Shahshujah Murad and Dara Shikoh to become the king
He was fascinated with increasing the size of the empire and succeeded in including all the areas from Kashmir to Deccan and from Bengal to Peshawar
He was constantly at war with the Marathas
His constant wars emptied the treasury towards the end
He left the Mughal empire large but exceptionally weak and susceptible to collapse
The later Mughals
The rulers who followed were inconsequential
They lacked the strength of character to rule and keep control of such a large empire
The only ruler who managed to rule for some time was Muhammad Shah who allowed people to do as they wished as long as they allowed him to remain the emperor
The Mughal empire continued to drag on until Bahadur Shah Zafar was finally ousted by the British and exiled to Burma
The British
They had come to India as traders
They established trading posts and traded with the locals
They first started to come into power after the collapse of the Mughal empire
The defeated the nawab of Bengal and Oudh and controlled their territory
The put ‘advisors’ in the court of every kingdom in India
They used the policy of divide and rule first helping one kingdom conquer its neighbor and then taking over themselves
They controlled India completely and exploited its people and its resources for their own benefits
1857 mutiny. A cry for freedom
This war was the result of the British atrocities
The doctrine of lapse
The Christian missionaries
Treatment of Indians as second rate citizens
The cartridge issue
Soldiers rebelled and went to Delhi
The British army retaliated swiftly and ruthlessly
The Punjab and Bengal regiments had remained loyal to the British and helped them put down the rebellion
The British queen dissolved the east India company and became the queen of India herself
The Mamluk (slave) dynasty
Also known as the slave dynasty
Founded by Qutub ud Din Aibak a slave general
He defeated the ruler of Multan and Ghazni and made Lahore his capital
He built the Quwwatul Islam mosque and the Qutub minar which were the earliest Muslim architecture in India
Died while playing polo
The dynasty insluded 10 rulers in all including the controversial Razia Sultan
The last ruler was Muiz ud Din who ruled for only 3 years before succumbing to disease and assassination
The Khilji dynasty
The first ruler of the Khilji dynasty was Jalal ud Din Firoze Khilji
He was succeeded by his son in law and nephew Allaudin Khilji
Allaudin was the most enigmatic of all the Khilji sultans and ruled from 1296-1316
It was during his reign that the famous Kohinoor diamond was given to him by on=e of his generals who had taken it from Hindu kingdom he had raided
The latter two rulers of the Khilji Dynasty were weak and the dynasty collapsed in 1320
Tughlaq Dynasty
The Tughlaq dynasty followed the Khilji
Started by Ghiasuddin Tughlaq
This dynasty conquered and controlled vast areas of the Indian subcontinent
The famous traveller Ibne Battuta also came to India during this dynasty and reported witnessing much blood shed and torture
The other famous rulers were Firoze Tughlaq and Muhammad Tughlaq
Sayyid Dynasty
Dynasty founded by Khizr Khan who had been appointed the governor of Multan by Timur
He captured Delhi and started the sultanate.
This dynasty lasted only 38 years
It had four rulers
The last ruler Allaudin Alam shah surrendered and abdicated to Bahlul Lodhi
Lodhi Dynasty
This dynasty was the last in the line
Founded by Bahlul Lodhi who spent most of his reign fighting and adding territory to his kingdom
His son Sikandar Lodhi refounded Agra and had several mosques built there
As a king who loved scholars and learning he had several Sanskrit books translated in Persian
The last king was Ibrahim Lodhi
His rule was turbulent and marked with rebellions and battles of succession
Finally defeated and beheaded in the battle of Panipat in 1526 by Babur
The Mughal dynasty
Babur
Ruler of a small state of Ferghana in central Asia
Had his eye on India and thought of it as his domain as his ancestor Timur had conquered it over a century ago
Invited by the governor of Punjab Daulat khan Lodhi to come and invade Delhi
Babur met the army of Ibrahim Lodhi on the field of Panipat and defeated him with his superior battle strategy and use of firearms although he was outnumbered
Set up the mughal empire and immediatley set about expading his new empire
Died in 1530 after supposedly offering his own life to God in return for his favorite son Humayun’s who was seriously ill
Humayun
Inherited the kingdom from his father
Was a scholar but to kind hearted for a king so was ousted by Sher Shah Suri
After spending several years on the run Humayun finally got his throne back but only after Sher Shah had died and his weak son was on the throne
His rule did not last long as he fell form the stairs of his library
Akbar
Perhaps the greatest mughal emperor and the architect of the strong empire
Crowned shortly after the death of his father
Inherited a violent throne and was forced to battle the hindu rebel Hemu soon after
Guided by Bairam Khan who became his tutor and mentor
Akbar is famous for his policies he appeased the Hindus and brought them under his control by marrying their daughters and abolishing the Jizya Tax
He built Fateh pur Sikri and shifted his capital there
His most controversial move was the new religion Din I Illahi but he reverted back to convential Islam towards the end of his reign
Jehangir
Akbar’s favorite son troubled his father in the beginning by rebelling against him bu later reconciled with his father
He was obsessed with justice and had a gold chain with bells strung up outside his palace which could be pulled by anyone seeking justice and the king would see it done
His marriage to Nur Jehan is an important part of his reign
His wife had a lot of control over him and advised him in many of his policies and decisions
Shahjehan
Shahjahan was the favorite son and heir of Jehangir
He faced some issues after his father died but he quelled them and became emperor
His reign was peaceful and he followed the policies set up by his father and grandfather
His great love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal made him construct the Taj Mehal as her mausoleum
He was fond of buildings and gardens and built them all over his empire
Shalamar Bagh was also built during his reign
Aurangzeb
The youngest son of shahjehan was the most ambitious and came to the throne after his father fell ill
He defeated and assassinated his brothers Shahshujah Murad and Dara Shikoh to become the king
He was fascinated with increasing the size of the empire and succeeded in including all the areas from Kashmir to Deccan and from Bengal to Peshawar
He was constantly at war with the Marathas
His constant wars emptied the treasury towards the end
He left the Mughal empire large but exceptionally weak and susceptible to collapse
The later Mughals
The rulers who followed were inconsequential
They lacked the strength of character to rule and keep control of such a large empire
The only ruler who managed to rule for some time was Muhammad Shah who allowed people to do as they wished as long as they allowed him to remain the emperor
The Mughal empire continued to drag on until Bahadur Shah Zafar was finally ousted by the British and exiled to Burma
The British
They had come to India as traders
They established trading posts and traded with the locals
They first started to come into power after the collapse of the Mughal empire
The defeated the nawab of Bengal and Oudh and controlled their territory
The put ‘advisors’ in the court of every kingdom in India
They used the policy of divide and rule first helping one kingdom conquer its neighbor and then taking over themselves
They controlled India completely and exploited its people and its resources for their own benefits
1857 mutiny. A cry for freedom
This war was the result of the British atrocities
The doctrine of lapse
The Christian missionaries
Treatment of Indians as second rate citizens
The cartridge issue
Soldiers rebelled and went to Delhi
The British army retaliated swiftly and ruthlessly
The Punjab and Bengal regiments had remained loyal to the British and helped them put down the rebellion
The British queen dissolved the east India company and became the queen of India herself