Urbanization During the Delhi Sultanate

At a Glance

• Largest city Delhi, per Ibn Battuta
• Other big towns Daulatabad, Lahore, Multan, Kara, Lakhnauti, Cambay, Anhilwara
• Base of growth Garrisons, trade, crafts, court demand
• Key groups Nobles, clerks, ulama, artisans, slaves
• Link Royal roads, sarais, relay post
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: The Delhi Sultanate

Where Does It Fit?

This is the tenth topic of the category on the Delhi Sultanate. The previous topic described the economy, and this topic describes the towns that trade and government created. The next topic covers society and culture of the same age. Previous topic: Economy of the Delhi Sultanate (Market Control Policies, Land Revenue System).

Why Did Towns Grow Under the Sultanate?

In short: urbanisation in the Sultanate grew because the Turkish rulers were an urban class, and consolidation, better roads and a sound currency made trade and town life grow, so many towns rose around garrisons and later became cultural centres.

Many towns grew around military garrisons and supplied food, goods and services to the troops. With the consolidation of the Sultanate, better communications and a sound currency based on the silver tanka and copper dirham, trade grew and so did town life. One modern historian describes the Sultanate as a picture of a flourishing urban economy that must have needed commerce on a large scale. The reigns of Alauddin and Firoz also saw new towns: Siri, Tughlaqabad, Hissar-Firuzah and Firuzabad.

Which Were the Main Towns?

Cambay was a great city where wealthy merchants lived in lofty stone houses with tiled roofs, surrounded by orchards and tanks. In Delhi, Hindu merchants rode horses with costly trappings and celebrated festivals with pomp.

Who Lived in the Towns?

The medieval towns had a mixed population of nobles, a large class of clerks who ran government offices, shopkeepers, artisans and beggars. Teaching was in the hands of the ulama, so the ulama and the lower officials thought alike, and most historians came from this group, whose views show in their writing. Beggars often carried arms like ordinary citizens and could disturb order. Slaves and domestic servants formed another large group.

Slavery had existed for a long time in India, West Asia and Europe, and the most usual way to get slaves was capture in war. The Turks practised it on a large scale. Slave markets existed in West Asia and India, and Turkish, Caucasian, Greek and Indian slaves were prized, with some from Abyssinia. Skilled slaves, such as those of Aibak, could rise to high office. Firoz Tughlaq collected about 1,80,000 slaves, many in handicrafts and others in his bodyguard, though most slaves did personal service. Slaves could marry and own some property, and freeing a slave was meritorious for both Hindus and Muslims.

What Was the Cost of Living?

Food was generally cheap for townsfolk. Under Alauddin Khalji a man (about 15 kg) of wheat sold at 7.5 jitals, barley at 4 and rice at 5, with 48 jitals to a tanka. Prices rose sharply under Muhammad bin Tughlaq and fell almost to Alauddin’s level under Firoz, perhaps from wider cultivation. A modern historian estimates that in Firoz’s reign a family of a man, wife, servant and one or two children could live on five tankas a month. This made life cheap for lower officials and soldiers, but not for artisans, whose wages under Alauddin were 2 or 3 jitals a day, or about 1.5 to 2 tankas a month. Household servants earned less. In short, the living conditions of artisans and workers were hard.

How Were Towns Linked?

Travel was risky because of robbers and marauding tribes, but royal roads were kept in good shape with many sarais for travellers. The royal road ran from Peshawar to Sonargaon, and Muhammad bin Tughlaq built a road to Daulatabad. The post moved by relays of horses or by runners stationed in towers every few kilometres, who rang a bell as they ran. By this means fresh fruit reached the sultan from Khurasan, and Ganga water reached him at Daulatabad, which was 40 days from Delhi.

As an analytical point, town growth rested on the court, the army and trade together. Society in towns was marked by great inequalities, with the Muslim nobility living in ostentation and the mass of townspeople living simply, helped by fairs and festivals.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Urban economy Shows trade and crafts in the Sultanate
• Slavery Explains a normal institution of medieval society
• Prices and wages Used to judge living standards

What Came Next?

The next topic describes social life, culture and the nature of the state under the Sultanate. Next topic: Purdah spread; property rights improved Muslim society Divided into Turks, Iranians,…">Society and Culture During the Delhi Sultanate.

Key People and Terms

• Garrison town Town that grew around a military post
• Sarai Rest house on a road
• Jital Small coin; 48 to a tanka
• Karkhana Royal workshop
• Sonargaon Bengal town famed for muslin
• Daulatabad Renamed Deogir

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions on towns ask about causes of growth and urban life. These points add depth.

• Causes Court, army, currency and trade
• People Mixed population with inequalities
• Links Roads, sarais and the post