AD 1200-1398

In the late 12th/early 13th century AD, after 200 years of shifting alliances, changing boundaries and warfare, the Ghurid dynasty established unified Muslim rule over much of north India, with their capital at Delhi. The Sultāns of Delhi, Sunni Muslims by faith and Turks by descent, extended their control over much of India during this period, especially under ‘Alā al-Dīn Khalji (1296-1316). The Tughluq dynasty, established in 1320, consolidated Sultanate power, extending the rule of Delhi as far south as Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

The Tughluq empire brought South Asia into the wider Islamic world, opening up links with Iran, Arabia and the west. Trade, travel and pilgrimage enriched cultural exchange, but unfortunately also encouraged international pandemics, the most notable being the Black Death which ravaged India in the mid-14th century. As in Europe, the population declined dramatically. This weakened agricultural production, government infrastructure and the control of Delhi over its far-flung empire. Tughluq power began to disintegrate until it finally collapsed when Timur invaded from central Asia and sacked the capital in 1398.