Delhi became the capital of a kingdom for the first time under the reign of the Tomara Rajputs. And under their rule, Delhi started growing as a center for business and culture. Rich Jaina merchants who lived in Delhi also built many temples there. But as all kingdoms and empires do, even the Tomaras came to an end. Who defeated the Tomara Rajputs in the 12th century?

Most authors of tawarikh lived in cities, and they usually wrote praises so they could get rewards from the Sultans. But they also advised rulers about the importance of preserving an “ideal” social order based on birthright and gender distinctions. What do we mean by 'tawarikh'?

According to Indian mythology, Delhi was the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the ancient Pandava Dynasty mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. That region has a long and complicated political history, and it has been the capital of many kingdoms. In the 700 years since the Delhi Sultanate, India has had both a female Prime Minister and a female President. But who was the first female ruler of Delhi?

Iltutmish's daughter, Raziyya, became the Sultana of Delhi in 1236. And she was chosen to be the ruler because she was more capable and qualified than her brothers were. But why was she removed from the throne?

Kings generally built forts around their territories to protect their kingdom from enemy attacks. And the early Sultans of Delhi rarely went out of their fortified towns to conquer and control the hinterlands. What does hinterland mean?

The first Sultan of Delhi, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, was a former slave in the Persian army of Muhammad Ghori. But in a mere 150 years, his sultanate had spread to most parts of the Indian sub-continent. Such rapid growth meant that the Delhi Sultans could never fully control all the people and places in their kingdom, and they had to keep huge armies to protect their garrison towns. What is a garrison town?