Question

Why was the capital transferred from Delhi to Daulatabad? Explain the consequences of this project.

Answer 1

The transfer of the capital from Delhi to Devagiri (renamed Daulatabad) in the Deccan. Two major reasons prompted the sultan to take the decision.

1. Central location: With the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate into the Deccan, Devagiri was centrally located and nearly equidistant from Delhi and other important places.
2. Mongol invasions: Repeated Mongol attacks posed a great threat to Delhi. Daulatabad was at a safe distance from the invaders.
3. Consequences: In the absence of the sultan, Delhi was now exposed to renewed attacks by the Mongols. Realizing his folly, Muhammad bin Tughlaq shifted his capital back to Delhi after 2 years. The people were ordered to return. The suffering and mental agony caused great resentment. The experiment was a dismal failure. It had drained the treasury and reduced the grand and prosperous capital of Delhi to a mere shadow of its former self. Daulatabad, a monument of misdirected energy, became a deserted city.