Page 22 - Journeys Through Society-7
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Reorganisation of Army Experiments of Muhammad bin Tughluq
The spy system was very efficient in his army. He was Shifting of Capital
the first to introduce the concept of huliya or a Muhammad bin Tughluq shifted his capital from Delhi
discrete role each soldier should play. Further, he to Deogiri, which was renamed Daulatabad. He
introduced the branding of the horses with the royal wanted a place safe from Mongol attacks.
insignia called the dagh.
The sultan exerted pressure on his Delhi nobles to shift
to Daulatabad. The journey was long and arduous and
Tughluq Dynasty (1320 CE-1413 CE)
was undertaken in summer, so many people died on
In 1320 CE, Ghiyasuddin Tughluq killed the last Khilji
the way. Most migrants were not happy with the
ruler and founded the Tughluq dynasty. The
relocation. Meanwhile, Delhi was not deserted. In
prominent ruler of the Tughluq dynasty were
1334-35 CE, there was rebellion in Coromandel.
Ghiyasuddin Tughluq, Muhammad-bin-Tughluq and Tughluq marched to suppress the rebellion. However,
Firoz Shah Tughluq.
in between there was an outbreak of the bubonic
plague. The sultan himself was taken ill. Rumours of
Ghiyasuddin Tughluq (1320 CE-1325 CE)
his death spread. At this juncture, the sultan
Ghiyasuddin Tughluq reorganised the administration.
permitted the nobles to return to Delhi.
He sent his son Ulugh khan to restore the kingdom’s
Introduction of Token Currency
imperial position in Warangal. He sent a noble to deal
with the rebellion in Gujarat. He himself marched to Muhammad bin Tughluq issued token currency in
Bengal to reduce it to submission. On his return from copper and brass, which were backed by silver and
the successful campaign, a pavilion was erected by his gold kept in the treasury.
son Ulugh Khan to welcome him. The pavilion crashed The token currency introduced by Tughluq failed
and crushed him to death. because he could not prevent the forgery of the new
coins. The state suffered huge losses because land
Wow Fact revenue was collected in copper and brass coins.
There was such abundance of these new coins that
Muhammad bin Tughluq was one of the most
educated of all the sultans of the Delhi their value depreciated. This even caused disruption
Sultanate. of trade and commerce. So, the sultan was forced to
cancel the token coins. He redeemed the token coins
with gold and silver coins.
Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325 CE-1351 CE)
Standing Army
Muhammad bin Tughluq ascended the throne at
Muhammad bin Tughluq recruited a large standing
Tughluqabad, the fortified residence of his deceased
father. He was well-versed in Persian, Arabic Turkish army for an ill-planned Khorasan (Iraq and
Transoxiana) and Qarachil (Kullu-Kangra) expedition.
and even Sanskrit. He was well-read in the subjects of
This cost him dearly.
astronomy, philosophy, mathematics, medicine and
logic. Economic Measures
Muhammad bin Tughluq undertook several Since the Ganga-Yamuna Doab was a very fertile
experiments, most of which were ill-planned and region, the revenue was increased twenty fold.
failed. As the projects failed, the royal treasury Unfortunately, the new revenue was implemented
emptied. There were outbreaks of rebellions in when this region was facing a severe famine crisis. This
different parts of the kingdom which the sultan failed caused the oppression of the peasantry and a
to control. widespread peasant uprising broke out. This also
caused epidemics and famines, and the sultan had to
Muhammad bin Tughluq died while he was on a
campaign to Thatta. provide six month’s supplies from the royal granary at
cheap rates. Peasants had to be given loans to restore
cultivation.
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