The Delhi Sultanate
Turkic and Afghan rulers establish Muslim political power in northern India.
- When
- —
- Duration
- 294 years
- Known to
- ± 10 years
- Era
- Post-Classical, Holocene
From 1206 a succession of dynasties rules northern India from Delhi, introducing Persian court culture, Islamic law alongside existing practice, and new architecture using the true arch and dome — the Qutb Minar is begun immediately. The period involves both temple destruction and extensive patronage of Indian arts, and it produces lasting syncretic developments in music, language and devotion. It also absorbs the Mongol invasions that destroyed everywhere else.