Ghiasuddin Tughluq Shah

Ghiasuddin Tughluq Shah

Sultan of Delhi during Tughluq Dynasty

Reign – A.D. 8 September 1320 to February 1325

Died – February 1325, Kara-Manikpur, India

The foundation of Tughluq dynasty was laid by Ghazi Tughluq or Ghazi Malik who after his accession in September, A.D. 1320 assumed the title of Ghiasuddin Tughluq Shah. Ghiasuddin was born of a Hindu Jat mother. His father served the Sultanate of Delhi during the reign of Balban. Ghazi Tughluq also worked under the protective wings of Jalaluddin Khalji. He soon rose to prominence due to his ability and capability.

Sultan Ghiasuddin Tughluq Shah was an ideal monarch as he saved Islam in India from the invasions of Mongols. He revolted against the usurper Khusrau Shah and re-strengthened Islam in India. Besides being a protector of Islam in India, he was endowed with many other qualities of head and heart.

His personal life was ideal. He was neither devoted to wine nor to women. He not only obeyed the principles of Islam but also paid honour to religions persons and saints. His attitude towards the Hindus was fanatic but he did not suppress them. His achievements testify that he was in ideal monarch.

Ghiasuddin Tughluq was an efficient commander. His achievements before and after his accession prove it. He devoted himself to the expansion of empire. Besides conquering south, he established his control over Bengal and thus extended the frontier far from the Khaljis. He established his control over the conquered towns. He defeated the Mongols at several occasions and achieved success against Warangal, Bengal and Tirhut.

He showed extraordinary ability and farsightedness as a ruler. He abolished anarchy and confusion and established law and order. He made several administrative reforms. His revenue, judicial, administrative, army and financial reforms need special mention.

He was a Sultan who loved his public very much and he took up many works for the people’s welfare. He was quite benevolent and charitable in nature. He tried to rule according to the rules of the Quran. He was free from all those vices which were haunting the nobles of those Days. Dr. Ishwari Prasad has remarked about him, “Born of an Indian mother, Ghazi Malik typified in his character the salient features of the two races, t he modesty and mildness of the Hindu and the virility and vigour of the Turk.”

Besides having the above virtues, Ghiasuddin was a patron of scholars. Amir Khusrau enhanced the grandeur of his court. He was lover of architecture. He founded a city about four kilometers away from Delhi, called Tughlaqabad and built a vast fort there. His main palace was made of golden bricks which glittered in the light of the sun. Ibn Batuta writes that there was a tank in the treasury of the sultan in which melted gold was poured and it had become a solid rock.

Apart from these virtues, he had some vices. He used to believe every person. He should have remained cautious against his son. He should have remained cautious against his son, Juna Khan, but he did not. He could not give up the fanaticism of his times and resorted to religious in-toleration for the expansion of Islam. He adopted an anti-Hindu policy due to his intolerant nature. However, Lanepoole has praised him, “The trusty warden of marches proved a just, high-minded and vigorous king.” Barani has also written about him, “All that Sultan Alauddin did with so much bloodshed, and crooked policy and oppression, and great violence in order that he might establish his rule through the cities of the empire, Sultan Tughluq Shah accomplished in four years without any contention or fraud or hardness of slaughter.”

S.R. Sharma, comparing him with Jalaluddin Khalji, writes, “Jalaluddin’s reign was weak, senile and fatuous: Ghiasuddin was strong, virile and fruitful. In essential respects the former resembles the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I, the latter reminds us of Sher Shah Sur. Specially in administrative policy Tughlaq Shah I must be considered the prototype of the later Sher Shah.”

Milan Tomic

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