Delhi Sultanate Events 1320–1340: Tughlaq Dynasty Turbulence

Key Events Under Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq & Muhammad bin Tughluq

1320

• Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (Ghazi Malik) overthrows Khusrau Khan; founds Tughluq dynasty.
• Conquers Warangal (Kakatiya dynasty); extends Sultanate to deep South.

1321

• Founds new capital Tughluqabad (near Delhi).
• Dies in pavilion collapse at Afghanpur (Karnataka) during campaign; son Muhammad bin Tughluq succeeds.

1323

• Muhammad's failed campaign against Prataparudra II of Warangal (Kakatiya resurgence).

1325

• Successful campaign vs. Mongols in Sindh/Punjab; secures NW frontier.

1327

• Controversial reforms: Token currency (copper/brass tanka = silver), high land tax in Doab → famine, rebellion.

1328

• Bengal governor Ghiyath al-Din Bahadur Shah declares independence → Sultanate of Bengal.

1335–1337

• Great Famine (Doab, Delhi); mass death, rebellion, cannibalism reported.

1338–1339

• Disastrous expedition to Hormuz (Persian Gulf); massive loss, treasury drained.

1340

• Muhammad bin Tughluq dies (Thatta, Sindh); no heir → succession crisis, fragmentation.

Legacy

Muhammad's ambitious but erratic policies (capital shift to Daulatabad, token currency, conquests) expanded then shattered the Sultanate, paving way for regional kingdoms (Vijayanagar, Bahmani, Bengal).