Firoz Shah Tughlaq, A Biographical Sketch

Lakshmi Rameshwar Rao, Hyderabad

Firuz Shah Tughlaq, (1309 – 1388) the third sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty he ruled from 1351 to 1388.  He was the son of Rajjab, the youngest brother of Giyathud-ud-Tughlaq. On the death of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (1324 -1351 AD), the nobles and religious leaders approached his cousin Firoz to accept the crown.

Firoz Shah was of a religious disposition and attempted to govern by Islamic Law. His effort was to set right the unfortunate effects of Muhammad Tughlaq’s rule. Firoz Shah released unfairly imprisoned persons. He paid compensation to the relatives of the persons unjustly put to death. He restored properties unlawfully confiscated.

Firoz Shah has been criticized for his religious policy. He was a staunch Sunni Muslim and was prepared to help all those who belonged to his faith. He gave the Ulemas a high place in society and government. Their decisions were binding on the Sultan. He did nothing without consulting them.

He arranged for the marriages of the daughters of poor Muslims. He set up schools and colleges and maintained them at the state expense.

He was intolerant towards the Hindus and even the Muslim dissenters. He pulled down Hindu temples and killed the leaders of infidelity. He built mosques in place of the temples. Referring to the Hindus who had assembled for worship in the new temple at Kohana, the Sultan can be quoted:

“People were seized and brought before me; I ordered that the perverse conduct of the leaders of this wickedness should be publicly proclaimed and that they should be put to death before the gate of the palace.”

His energies were on public welfare to encourage agriculture He initiated extensive irrigation schemes and dug five canals to distribute water of the rivers Sutlej and Jhelum over a large area. One of the canals dug by him continues to be used today.

During Feroz’s rule, buildings and towns were founded by him. He is credited with constructing 200 towns, large and small, 40 mosques, 30 collages 30 reservoirs, 50 dams, 100 hospitals, 100 public baths and 150 bridges. He constructed towns like Firozabad, Hissar, Jaunpur, and Fatehabad. Firoz Shah Tughlaq undertook the repair and reconstruction of Qutub Minar which had been damaged by the strike of lightning.

Firoz banned all kinds of torture. He levied Jizya on the Brahmins. Among his other measures was the setting up of employment and marriage bureaus.   He also took steps to translate Sanskrit books which he found during his conquests.

Firuz Shah imposed four taxes including Kharaj (land tax), Khumus (1/5 of booty) Jizya (tax on Hindus for providing them safety in a Muslim state) and Zakat (2, 1/2% of the income of the Muslim).

Firoz Shah facilitated the payment of land revenue and imposed irrigation tax on the peasants who used the water of the canals constructed by the state as 1/10 of their products. Rather than spending resources upon military campaigns he devoted all his energies in developing its wealth.  He abolished about 24 taxes.

People were on the whole happy during his reign but the Tughlaq dynasty began to decline after the death of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. The end of the Tughlaq dynasty came with the invasion of the Timur, the Mongol ruler of Samarkand.

Firoz Shah Tughlaq was succeeded by one of his grandsons, Tughlaq Shah who eventually took the name Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq II. However, Ghiyasuddin ll died within the year, and the Sultanate was in turmoil.

Sultan Abu Bakr Shah of the Tughlaq dynasty ruled from 1389 to 1390. He was the son of Zafar Khan and the grandson of Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq. After Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq II (who had succeeded Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq) was murdered, Abu Bakr became ruler of the Tughlaq empire.

His uncle, Muhammad Shah, wanted to be ruler, and struggled against Abu Bakr for control of the throne. Abu Bakr was defeated in 1390, and Muhammad Shah succeeded him as king, reigning from 1390 to 1394.  Abu Bakr was imprisoned in the fort of Meerut and died soon after.

Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq was the Tughlaq dynasty’s last ruler who reigned from 1394 to 1413. Timur, the leader of Central Asia, invaded India in 1398 during his reign. He looted India of silver, gold, jewels and much wealth. He destroyed cities and killed many people.

It is said that after his destroying Delhi there was not a bird in sight. This was a fatal blow to the Tughlaq Dynasty. The Tughlaqs ruled till 1412. Firoz Shah Tughlaq was succeeded by one grandson, Tughlaq Shah, who took the name Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq II but he died within a year, and the Sultanate descended into political turmoil.

Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah Tughlaq was the Tughlaq dynasty’s final ruler. Timur, the Mongol leader of Central Asia, invaded India in 1398 during his reign.

(The writer has a Masters in Adult Education from Jamia Milia Islamia. She has many years teaching experience at the school level as also ten years of experience in book publishing and some published writing in newspapers and more students’ books. Lakshmi has retired and lives in Hyderabad.)