How was Muhammad-bin Tughluq's
Deccan policy similar or different to Aurangzeb's
Deccan policy?
Answers
Answer:
Muhammad bi Tughluq was the second ruler of the Tughluq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. His reign marked a watershed in the history of the Sultanate as during his reign, the Sultanate reached its peak in terms of political and territorial expansion.
It was also during his reign that the decline of the Empire set in. In this context, five of his measures have been discussed. They include - the establishment of a capital at Deogir, the introduction of token currency, the Khurasan expedition, the Qarachi expedition and the Doab experiment.
One of the most grossly misunderstood steps taken by Mauhammad bin Tughalaq was his so-called transfer of capital to Deogir which was renamed as Dauladabad, and the allege transferring of the masses of people from Delhi to Dauladabad. Barani places this event in 1326-1327. However, it appears from Isami that the Sultan orders the transferring of capital faster than the introduction of the token currency. Numismatic currency shows that the currency was introduced in 1329-1330. The change of the capital may therefore place in 1328-1329
Muhammad bi Tughluq was the second ruler of the Tughluq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. His reign marked a watershed in the history of the Sultanate as during his reign, the Sultanate reached its peak in terms of political and territorial expansion.
It was also during his reign that the decline of the Empire set in. In this context, five of his measures have been discussed. They include - the establishment of a capital at Deogir, the introduction of token currency, the Khurasan expedition, the Qarachi expedition and the Doab experiment.
One of the most grossly misunderstood steps taken by Mauhammad bin Tughalaq was his so-called transfer of capital to Deogir which was renamed as Dauladabad, and the allege transferring of the masses of people from Delhi to Dauladabad. Barani places this event in 1326-1327. However, it appears from Isami that the Sultan orders the transferring of capital faster than the introduction of the token currency. Numismatic currency shows that the currency was introduced in 1329-1330. The change of the capital may therefore place in 1328-1329.
Different motives have been ascribed by the contemporary historians for his Deccan experiment. Ibn Battuta said that the shift stemmed from the fact that the residents from Delhi used to throw abusive letters to the palace. The Sultan could not bear the hostility of the people and asked them to move. However, this does not explain why the Sultan, in such an atmosphere of hatred, would ask the same people to move to Deogir, instead of leaving them behind. He also mentions that the Sultan made arrangements for the journey, and paid compensations to the emigrants. Such actions would not have been carried out had it been the intention of the Sultan to punish the people. Moreover the Sultan was known to be ruthless, and so could have punished the people itself. Thus, the incident of throwing letters, if at all true, must have been a reaction, and not the cause, of the exodus.
Isami also gives a similar reason to explain the experiment. He says that since the Sultan was suspicious (badguman) of the people (khalaq) of Delhi, he thought of driving them out in the direction of the Deccan in order to break their power. However, there are similar problems with this also. Isami’s narrative is biased as he attempts to show that a deep animosity existed between the Sultan and the people. Also, Muhammad bin Tughlaq himself spent very little time in Daulatabad, staying most of the time in Delhi itself.