Delhi Sultanate I

Indologists K. Antonova, G. Bongard-Levin and G. Kotovsky evaluates the socio-economic position of the Delhi sultanate as follows:

“The Moslem conquerors of India seized the lands belonging to Hindu rulers and proceeded to establish their power there. However, the Turkish military commanders were unable to introduce radical changes in methods of farming and commerce that had evolved in India over the centuries. For all intents and purposes, relations between peasants and feudal lords had remained the same as before, although some modifications in the form of feudal ownership had ensued. State ownership of land was now more firmly rooted and this enabled the conquerors to maintain their strong armies and control an alien population. It was indeed the state that acquired lands that had formerly belonged to many banished and war-shattered Indian feudal families…”.