Khalji Dynasty: Map & History
The Khalji or Khilji dynasty was the second ruling house of the Delhi Sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320.
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The Khalji or Khilji dynasty was the second ruling house of the Delhi Sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320. Founded by Jalal-ud-Din Khalji, it is best known for the reign of Alauddin Khalji, under whom the Sultanate reached its greatest territorial extent and underwent significant military, administrative, and economic reforms.
Modern Countries Once Part of Khalji Dynasty
At its mapped extent, Khalji Dynasty covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Khalji Dynasty's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Khalji Dynasty in Depth
History
Khaljis were vassals of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi and served the Sultan of Delhi, Ghiyas ud din Balban, as a minor part of the Muslim nobility. The last major Turkic ruler, Balban, in his struggle to maintain power over his insubordinate Turkish officers, destroyed the power of the Forty. However this indirectly damaged the Turkish integrity of the nobility, which had opposed the power of the non-Turks. This left them vulnerable to the Khalji faction, which took power through a series of assassinations. One by one the Mamluk officers were murdered, and the last ruler of the Turkic Mamluk dynasty - the 17-year old Muiz ud din Qaiqabad - was killed in the Kailu-gheri Palace during the coup known as the Khalji Revolution by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji.
Origins
The Khalji dynasty was of Turko-Afghan origin whose ancestors, the Khalaj, are said to have been initially a Turkic people who migrated together with the Hunas and Hephthalites from Central Asia, into the southern and eastern regions of modern-day Afghanistan as early as 660 CE, where they ruled the region of Kabul as the Buddhist Turk Shahis. According to R.S. Chaurasia, the Khaljis slowly inherited many Afghan habits and customs, and that they were treated as Afghans by the Turkic nobles of the Delhi Sultanate. Even to the point where Turkic nobles in the Delhi Sultanate opposed Jalal-ud-din's ascension to the throne of Delhi after the Khalji Revolution.
Government & administrations
Alauddin Khalji changed the tax policies to strengthen his treasury to help pay the keep of his growing army and fund his wars of expansion. He raised agriculture taxes from 20% to 50% – payable in grain and agricultural produce (or cash), eliminating payments and commissions on taxes collected by local chiefs, banned socialization among his officials as well as inter-marriage between noble families to help prevent any opposition forming against him; he cut salaries of officials, poets and scholars in his kingdom.
Regarding the military, historians states the standing army of sultanate during Khilji dynasty consist of 300,000-400,000 horse cavalry and 2500-3000 war elephant.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Khalji dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Khalji Dynasty: Key Facts
| Capital | Delhi |
|---|---|
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Form of government | sultan |
| Founded | 1290 |
| Dissolved | 1320 |
Facts from Wikidata Q919071 (CC0).
Khalji Dynasty Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Khalji Dynasty appears, with the other states of the time.
Khalji Dynasty Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 1,701,618 km² in 1320 CE.
Khalji Dynasty: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Khalji Dynasty exist?
The Khalji Dynasty is dated to 1294 CE – 1325 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Khalji Dynasty?
The capital of the Khalji Dynasty was Delhi, Kilokhri (Kilokari) (Present: Part of Jungpura, South East Delhi district; nearby Humayun's tomb).
How large was the Khalji Dynasty at its peak?
At its peak in 1320 AD the Khalji Dynasty covered about 1,701,618 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
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Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi