Home > Indian History > History of India > Military Administration
Military Administration
Military Administration of Delhi Sultanate was an imperative part of their administration. The army played an important role in extending and expanding their power.

Share this Article:

Military Administration, Delhi Sultanate The power of the Sultans depended largely on their military administration. Every Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate kept a large army at the center. The army played an important role in extending and expanding the empire of the Delhi Sultanate. The Sultans faced resistance from the Hindu kings and the also faced the invasions of the Mongols, thus a strong army was the necessity of the rulers of Delhi Sultanate. Different Sultans improved the organisation of their army and methods of warfare.

The army of the Delhi Sultanate consisted of four types of soldiers. Firstly, the soldiers, who, were recruited by the centre as soldiers of the army of the Sultan. The army which was constituted by these soldiers was called Khasah-khail. Ala-ud-din Khilji kept a large standing army at the centre which included 4, 75,000 horsemen besides the infantry. Ghiyas-ud-din Balban and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq also kept standing armies at the centre. But, the rest of Sultan, prior or them, failed to keep such standing armies at the centre. This army was looked after by the Diwan-i-ariz who was responsible for its recruitment, organisation, maintenance, salary etc. There was no regular course of training for these soldiers. Every soldier was responsible to improve his talents as he desired. The second category of soldiers was those who were employed on permanent basis by nobles and provincial governors. It was expected that the nobles and governors would place their armies before the Sultan for inspection every year but this rule was normally not observed. They brought their armies to the service of the Sultan only when ordered. The third category was those soldiers who were recruited only in times of war on temporary basis and were paid only for that period. Lastly, there are the Muslim soldiers who joined the army as volunteers at times of war against the Hindus. They considered such wars as holy war that is jihad. They were not paid for their services but were given share out of the booty captured in the war.

The army of the Delhi Sultanate primarily consisted of cavalry, infantry and elephants. The backbone of the army was the cavalry. There were two types of cavalry men, one, the Sawar who kept one horses and the other, the do-asga who kept two horses. Ala-ud-din Khalji started the practice of branding the horses and that of keeping huliya (descriptive roll) of the soldiers so that the horses and soldiers could not be changed. Every horse-man kept two swords, one javelin and a bow and arrows with him. They also kept a shield, armour and a head-gear for self protection. The success of the army largely depended on the strength and mobility of the cavalry. The trained war elephants were the second most important part of the army. Only sultans had the privilege to keep elephants. There was a separate department for the training and maintenance of elephants. They were also armoured during the course of battles. The third part of the army was the infantry. The foot-soldiers were called payaks. They were armed with swords, spears and bows and arrows. The Sultan maintained a large number of boats as well, primarily, for transport purposes but for fighting as well.

The army of the Sultan consisted of soldiers of different nationalities and diverse faiths. The Persians, the Afghans, the Mongols, Indian Muslims, the Hindus etc. were all recruited in the army but the higher offices were mostly allocated to foreign Muslims. The organisation of the army and the division of ranks rested primarily on decimal system. However this system was not observed strictly as the promotion and dismissal of every officer depended on the personal good will of the Sultan. All the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate mostly pursued the same tactics in war. The spies were sent out to find out the movements of the enemy and the advance guard was sent to test its strength. The army was divided into four parts at the time of war, that is, the center, the left, the right and the reserved.

The Sultan kept permanent armies in every fort and at all strategic points within his kingdom. The forts were regarded as the main line of defense and every care was taken of its safety. The Sultan was himself the commander-in-chief of the army. But when he could not go, he appointed others as commanders for various military campaigns. The strength and the efficiency army largely depended on the personality and capability of the Sultan. Iltutmish, Ala-ud-din Khilji, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq and similar capable Sultans made their armies effective forces both in defence and offence while the same army weakened itself when led by incapable Sultans.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.