Tughlaq Dynasty

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq was a provincial governor of the Khaljis, who saw an opportunity to seize power amidst the chaos and lack of central authority after the death of Mubarak Khan. He quickly restored stability and embarked upon a campaign of expansion, advancing into the Deccan and Bengal. He built a new capital outside Delhi called Tughluqabad. His reign, however, was cut short after just 5 years, when he was buried in a roof collapse. Whether this was truly an accident or a covert assassination by his son is not entirely clear.

That son, Ulugh Khan, ascended the throne in 1325 and took the name Muhammad bin Tughluq. He was perhaps the most remarkable of all the Delhi sultans. He turned his attention towards the south, moving his capital to Devagiri (changing its name to Daulatabadexpnded) and greatly expanding the sultanate deep into peninsular India when he defeated the Hoysalas. However, he had lost much of this territory by the end of his reign as the Vijayanagar empire emerged in 1336. Within his empire, he attempted many reforms, among which was an attempt to issue a fiat currency … copper coins that were meant to circulate at the value of silver tankas. However, this experiment was abandoned after a few years as there was a flood of counterfeits on the market.

Muhammad was succeeded by his cousin Firuz, who expanded the sultanate into Orissa and Sind. He was also an able administartor, who constructed many public works during his long reign of 37 years. After his death, however, the sultanate fell into disarray as various factions vied for power, setting the stage for the invasion of Timur (Tamerlaine), who slaughtered countless people in his ruthless expedition of looting and plunder.