Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq was the founder of the Tughlaq Dynasty. He founded this dynasty in 1320. The Tughlaq Dynasty ended the Khilji Dynasty in Delhi. He was a brave ruler. He was known for defending the Mongol invasion. His reign was from 1320 to 1325. After that, he was succeeded by Muhammad bin Tughluq (his eldest son).
Background
- Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq had a mixed bloodline.
- His father was a Turk. His mother was Jat from Punjab.
- He belonged to the Karana Turkic race according to Ibn Battuta.
- Due to his mixed background, he was unique.
- His genealogy was from The Sasanian Empire or Neo-Persian Empire.
- He was also known as Ghazi Malik.
- Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq came from a humble background. His previous Sultans were mostly from the royal family.
- Ghiyasuddin traveled to Delhi from the Khorasan region during Alauddin’s reign. (According to Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi written by Shams-i Siraj Afif).
- He came to Delhi with his brothers Rajab and Abu Bakr.
- He started his career as a soldier.
- He served for the Khalji dynasty before becoming king.
- As a soldier, he fought against the Mongols who invaded from northwestern frontiers.
- He earned huge respect for defending the Mongols.
- He was a trusted high-ranking general of Alauddin Khalji (and successors).
- Ghiyasuddin became powerful and ambitious during the reign of Mubarak Khalji.
- When the Khalji dynasty became weak, Ghiyasuddin got the opportunity to seize power.
- His predecessor was Khusro Khan.
- According to Amir Khusrau’s Tughluq Nama, Ghysuddin referred to himself in his early career as an ‘unimportant man’.
Under Alauddin Khilji:
- He was the ruler of Punjab during the reign of Alauddin Khalji. He later ascended the throne with the name Ghazi.
- Ghiyasuddin Tughluq looked for work in Delhi for a long time before joining Jalaluddin Khilji’s imperial guard.
- As Ulugh Khan’s personal attendant and Alauddin’s brother, Ghiyasuddin served in the Khilji army.
- 1305: Battle of Amroha: In this battle, the Khilji army defeated the Mongols.
- Alauddin initially appointed Ghiyasuddin Tughluq as governor of Multan and then as governor of Dipalpur.
Info: Tughlaq was a humble servant who kept horses for a merchant before getting into the Khilji service.
Rise of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- 1320: General Khusrau Khan killed Mubarak Shah (by plotting a conspiracy). As a result, Khusrau Khan became king. This time he was a governor of Dipalpur.
- Ghiyasuddindid not like and recognize Khusrau Khan (among the governors) as a king. He had a weaker force at Dipalpur at that time. So initially he did not take any action against Khusrau.
- Ghiyasuddin increased his military power by including various communities.
- Ghiyasuddin and his son Fakhruddin Jauna (Muhammad bin Tughluq) plotted a conspiracy to dethrone Khusrau for “the glory of Islam”.
- 1320: Ghiyasuddin defeated the Khusrau’s army in two battles – Battle of Saraswati and Battle of Lahrawat.
- Khusrau Khan left the battlefield immediately.
- A few days later Khusrau Khan was captured and killed.
- On September 6, 1320, Tughluq was set as the next ruler of Delhi.
- Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq took the title “Malik-ul-Ghazi” (after defeating the Mongols).
Wars & Reign of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
- 1305: Battle of Amroha: Khilji forces defeated the Mongols in this battle. In this battle, Ghiyasuddin was the chief assistant of General Malik Nayak (Khilji’s general).
- 1306: The Mongols attacked again. This time Ghiyasuddin led the army from the front. He defeated the Mongols again.
- 1316: Ghiyasuddin suppressed the rebels in Gujarat with the help of Multani’s force.
- When Ghiyasuddin was coming back to Delhi from Multan, the Soomro tribe revolted and captured Thatta. To suppress the rebels he appointed Tajuddin Malik as governor of Multan and Khwájah Khatir as governor of Bhakkar.
- 1319: Ghiyasuddin defeated Shihab-ud-din. He captured the Bengali capital of Lakhanauti.
- 1320: Battle Against Khusrau Khan: Khusro Khan was the last ruler of the Khalji dynasty. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq rebelled against Khusrau Khan in 1320. A war was fought between Ghiyasuddin and Khusrau Khan. Ghiyasuddin defeated and killed Khusrau Khan in this battle. Finally, Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq established the Tughlaq dynasty and became the Sultan of Delhi.
- 1321: Prataprudra Deva of Telangana had not paid the yearly tribute, and taken back his independence. Ghiyasuddin sent his son Juna Khan (Ulugh Khan) to conquer Telangana. Juna Khan defeated Prataprudra Deva and renamed it Sultanpur.
- 1323: Ghiyasuddin Tughluq sent his son Fakhruddin Jauna to conquer Warangal. Warangal was the capital of Kakatiya dynasty that time. By the end of this war, the Kakatiya dynasty ended. Warangal was annexed into Tughlaq.
- 1323: Before taking control of and annexing Madura in 1323, Jauna Khan most likely also attacked the state of Malabar in the far south.
- 1324: Juna Khan attacked Jaznagar in Orissa. In this battle, Orissa king Bhanudeva was defeated.
- 1324: War Against Bengal: During his reign, Bengal was an independent state (run by a local ruler). Ghiyasuddin Tughluq took full control of these regions.
- 1324: Campaign Against Tirhut: While returning to Delhi from Bengal, he defeated the king of Tirhut (Bihar) and annexed his territory.
- 1325: A wooden pavilion was built for the victory ceremony (a reception party) of Bengal and Tirhut at Afghanpura. The pavilion collapsed there. As a result, Ghiyasuddin died in February 1325.
Extra Info: From the many accounts, it’s not clear if the fall of wooden construction happened by accident or as part of his son’s conspiracy to kill Ghiyasuddin. Ibn Battuta claimed that Jauna Khan was behind the plot.
Administration & Policies
- Ghiyasuddin restored the market control policies of Alauddin for the better economic condition of the empire.
- He created an improved mail system (postal network).
- He dug various canals to improve agriculture and irrigation.
- He built a strategy to protect farmers (from tax collectors) and boost agriculture.
- In a situation of famine, the peasants were exempt from paying the taxes.
- Furthermore, the peasants were only required to pay taxes on the land they produced.
- He banned the sale and production of liquor in his kingdom.
- Abolished the practice of ‘Hukum-e-Masahat’ (fixation of revenue through land survey).
- He introduced the practice of ‘Hukum-e Hasil’ (distribution of grains produced in the presence of the revenue officer).
- He levied one-tenth of land revenue and arranged for Taqvi loans to farmers.
Achievements
- Before becoming Sultan, Ghiyasuddin successfully defended the northwestern frontier as a military commander.
- He defeated, captured, and imprisoned the Mongol leaders who had invaded North India.
- After the death of Alauddin Khilji political disorder and corruption spread throughout the kingdom. Ghiyasuddin restored order, law, and stability by reorganizing the administration and reducing corruption.
- After Alaudding death, many provinces (such as Bengal, Utkala Orissa, Telangana and Warangal) started to rebel for independence. Ghiyasuddin suppressed those rebellions and strengthened the Delhi sultanate.
- He founded the City of Tughlaqabad (a fortified city) in 1321. It had an artificial lake and massive walls.
- He was the first sultan of Delhi to develop an irrigation system for effective agricultural works.
Death of Ghiyas-ud-din
- After the victorious battle in Bengal his son Jauna Khan made a pavilion in Delhi to welcome Ghiysudddin in a ceremony.
- The pavilion (mandapa) collapsed and Ghiyasuddin died in 1325 AD. However, from the many sources, it is not clear that the pavilion collapsed accidentally or was a plot by his son Jauna Khan.
- However, Ibn Battuta and Abdul Malik Isami blame the Sultan’s son Juna Khan for the death.
- Muhammad ibn Tughlaq proclaimed himself the Sultan after Ghiysuddin’s death.
Conclusion
Ghiyasuddin’s reign was short, from 1320 to 1325 AD. He laid the foundation for the Tughlaq dynasty. He died in 1325 of mysterious events. After his death, his son Muhammad bin Tughlaq declared himself Sultan.