This is the fifth volume in the series on Indian history with the generic title From Indus to Independence: A Trek through Indian History. It covers the period from the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate (accepted as 1206 by most historians) and its defeat and obliteration by Babur the Mughal in 1526. The initial phase of the Delhi Sultanate was more a military occupation than the establishment of an empire and accordingly was chaotic, violent and turbulent. Throughout its existence, the Sultanate continued a program of the aggressive imposition of Islam on the northern part of the Indian sub-continent.This book chronicles the events of more than three centuries, especially in North India that had, and continues to have a momentous influence on further developments in India. The Delhi Sultanate was the first major Islamic kingdom to be established in India and brought about a direct confrontation between Hinduism and Islam. The encounter transformed not only Indias social fabric but had a lasting impact on the subcontinent's architecture, literature, music, and even cuisine. More importantly, it divided the socio-political and economic structure of India in an irrevocable manner.This book recounts the historic events and analyses the social, cultural and religious developments that transformed India permanently. It combines detailed research and great erudition, weaving together the events of three centuries and the aftermath and influence of each on the development of India as an entity.

Professor Kainikara is a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force and currently a practising Military Strategist residing in Canberra, Australia. He an Adjunct Professor at the University of New South Wales and the inaugural Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Regional Security, Canberra. He is the author of numerous papers on international politics, national security issues, and security strategy in reputed international journals; and has also presented papers, on invitation, in a number of International Conferences around the world.Sanu is the author of 11 books dealing with national security, military strategy and air power and three collections of political essays. He is a keen student of Indian history and is currently in the process of writing the history of India in a series of books with the generic title From Indus to Independence: A Trek through Indian History. This book is the fifth volume in the series.

Authors PrefaceIntroduction to Volume VPrologueSLAVE DYNASTYChapter 1 The Slave Dynasty: The BeginningChapter 2 Shams Ud-Din IltutmishChapter 3 The Story of The Qutb MinarChapter 4 A Queen ReignsChapter 5 From Confusion to ConsolidationChapter 6 Ghiyas Ud-Din Balban The SultanChapter 7 The Slave Dynasty: An AppraisalKHILJI MILITARISMChapter 8 Ascent to PowerChapter 9 Ala Ud-Din KhiljiChapter 10 Military Conquests of Ala Ud-Din KhiljiChapter 11 Demise of The DynastyChapter 12 Ala Ud-Din The Only Khilji Who MatteredTHE VAINGLORY OF THE TUGHLUQSSources of InformationChapter 13 Ghiyas Ud-Din Tughluq ShahChapter 14 Muhammad Tughluq - The Impatient AdministratorChapter 15 Muhammad Tughluq: Military Commander Revolts and RebellionsChapter 16 Muhammad Tughluq: The Ill-Starred Dreamer - Blood Thirsty Tyrant or Benevolent King?Chapter 17 Firuz Shah Tughluq - A Man of PeaceChapter 18 Firuz Shahs Military EndeavoursChapter 19 Firuz Shah: A Sultan for StabilityChapter 20 The Later Tughluqs: A Decade of DeclineChapter 21 A Typhoon called Timur The Scourge of GodChapter 22 The Whimpering EndChapter 23 The Disintegrated SultanateTHE INSIGNIFICANT SAYYIDSChapter 24 Khizr Khan SayyidChapter 25 Muiz Ud-Din Abdul Fateh Sultan Mubarak ShahChapter 26 The Later SayyidsTHE AFGHAN EMPIRE OF THE LODISChapter 27 Origins of The LodisChapter 28 Bahlul Lodi: Chief among EqualsChapter 29 Sikandar Shah Lodi : Life And TimesChapter 30 Ibrahim Lodi: The Twilight SultanTHE ENCROACHING ISLAMIC INFLUENCEChapter 31 Governance of The SultanateChapter 32 The Caliphate and the Sultanate : Debating the RelationshipDANCE OF THE RELIGIONSChapter 33 The Assiduous Power of HinduismChapter 34 Sufism in India during the SultanateChapter 35 The Mingling of MysticismChapter 36 The Medieval Hindu Revival Reform through BhaktiConclusionBibliographyIndex