The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c18.s8.8

c18.s8.8

Some of the Turkish rulers were patrons of learning and gathered around themselves theologians, historians, and men of letters in general. Balban particularly had many a literary light at his court. The greatest among the literary lights of the period were Amir Khusrav and Amir Hasan of Delhi both of whom wrote in Persian and whose works were read even outside India. We are told that many valuable works of history, theology and fiction were produced in the thirteenth century. There was some arrangement also for the education of children. In every Muslim colony there were two educational institutions. They were the *maktab*, that is, the primary school attached to the mosque and the *madrsah* or a seat of higher learning. Some of the Sultans founded colleges at Delhi and other places and richly endowed them. Iltutmish is said to have built a college at Delhi and another at Multan. Generally two arts were practised. They were architecture and calligraphy. The Turks were fond of fine buildings and they imported Muslim architectural ideas and designs from Central Asia. We have already seen that Qutub-ud-din Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban built several notable edifices, particularly mosques. Though taboo for the orthodox, music could not have altogether been neglected. Some of the modern Muslim writers describe the Sultanate of Delhi as a culture state. This, however, is a tall claim. If some of the rulers were fond of literature, they were also ferocious tyrants for the vast majority of their subjects; and if there was any real culture, it was confined to the court and the capital. The cultural activity was that of the classes and not of the masses. The Sultanate of Delhi was, in fact, a military state. It held the country by means of powerful military garrisons established at various strategic places. It concerned itself with two duties only, namely, the maintenance of law and order and the collection of revenue. It did not care for the cultural, moral, physical and even material welfare of the people. Such a state could not deserve the designation of a culture state. Inspite of its duration of about eighty-five years, it was definitely a foreign State on the Indian soil.