Army Organization, Military Technology and Warfare During the Delhi Sultanate

The monograph entitled, Army Organization, Military Technology and War­fare during the Delhi Sultanate, examines the traditional Indian conduct of war prevalent among the rulers prior to the Ghorid conquest of India. Their defects and imperfection in the art of war, in comparison to the Turkish rulers, have been thoroughly investigated. This work has studied the development of military technology and its employment in battle tactics, siege operations and defensive strategies concerning the forts during the Delhi Sultanate. The work has incorporated all spheres of military history, administration, strategies, technology and logistic nature of forts during the Sultanate of Delhi. The desire to have a qualitative army at the Centre, provinces and the frontiers, led to the demand of efficient soldiers who were well trained in the art of war. Preference were given to Turks, Tajiks and Afghan soldiers initially, but later during the Khaljis, Indians and Mongols too were recruited in the army. Also, the demand for foreign breed horses and Indian elephants also increased due to the new military system which evolved after imbibing the Central Asian and Indian traditions of warfare.