Indian History Part 56 The Tughluq Dynasty Section VIII The Later Tughluqs: A Decade of Decline

Canberra, 12 August 2017   The story of the Tughluqs after the death of Firuz Shah is one of rebellions, assassinations and deceit, within the realm of worthless sultans. It is a continuous saga of faithless ministers and nobles who manipulated their inept masters like master puppeteers. The process of political disintegration had already started […]

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Indian History Part 56 Section I: Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq Shah

Canberra, 22 April 2017 Ghiyas ud-Din’s accession to the throne calmed the paroxysm that had become commonplace in the sultanate from the last days of Ala ud-Din’s rule. Ghiyas had come up from humble origins—his father was a Qaraunah Turk and mother a Jat lady. The Qaraunah were a clan of the broader Mongol tribes […]

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Indian History Part 54 The Slave Dynasty Section VI: Balban – The Sultan

  Canberra, 12 December 2016 Nasir ud-Din Mahmud Shah died in 1266 without a male heir and it was natural for Balban to assume the role of sovereign ruler. Since he had been shouldering the responsibility for the past 20 years. In any case, at that juncture there was no one in the royal family […]

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Indian History Part 54 The Slave Dynasty Section II Shams ud-Din Iltutmish

  Canberra, 12 October 2016 Qutb ud-Din Aibak’s untimely death caused a great deal of confusion amongst his followers. In Lahore, the officials placed his son Aram Shah on the throne, but the courtiers in Delhi refused to accept or support the new ruler. Aram Shah was generally considered to be weak, indecisive and unfit […]

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