International Journal of History

Author(s): Archana Kumari Sah

Abstract: The Delhi Sultanate period was a defining epoch in Indian history, characterized by the establishment of Islamic rule over large parts of the subcontinent and the introduction of new administrative, military, and agrarian systems. This period saw the emergence of a centralized governance structure under successive dynasties the Mamluks, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, and Lodis—which significantly influenced the socio-economic and cultural fabric of medieval India. One of the most crucial areas that witnessed transformation under the Sultanate was agriculture, the backbone of the Indian economy. The ruling elites of the Sultanate, while largely urban-based, depended heavily on the productivity of the rural agrarian sector for sustaining their administrative apparatus, military expenditures, and overall revenue. To ensure food security and steady income from land, it became imperative to devise and implement strategies that could safeguard agricultural production against climatic uncertainties. The Indian subcontinent, with its monsoon-dependent agrarian system, has always been vulnerable to environmental fluctuations. During the Sultanate period, these vulnerabilities manifested in the form of irregular rainfall, famines, floods, and occasional droughts. The absence of modern meteorological tools or climate forecasting techniques meant that both the state and agrarian communities had to rely on empirical knowledge, tradition, and adaptive practices to mitigate risks. Although the modern concept of "climate adaptation"—involving systematic policy planning, technological innovation, and environmental modeling—did not exist in medieval times, the responses observed during the Sultanate rule reflect a proto-scientific understanding of environmental resilience. These included the development of irrigation networks such as canals, step wells, and tanks to cope with water scarcity; crop diversification to spread risk and ensure food supply even under unfavorable climatic conditions; the construction of grain reserves and granaries to buffer food crises; the introduction of agricultural and revenue reforms, such as the Iqta system, which indirectly influenced land use and agrarian output; and the mobilization of community and religious institutions, like Sufi khanqahs and village collectives, for localized crisis management. The study of these strategies not only highlights the adaptive capabilities of pre-modern societies but also offers insights into how historical agricultural systems managed to maintain ecological balance and economic stability in the face of environmental challenges. In an era where climate change poses a major threat to global agriculture, revisiting such historical precedents is both timely and instructive. The Sultanate period's adaptive approaches, though rooted in a different epistemology, underline the importance of context-specific, community-driven, and sustainable practices in agricultural resilience—principles that continue to hold relevance in the 21st century.

DOI: 10.22271/27069109.2022.v4.i1b.461

Pages: 114-119 | Views: 896 | Downloads: 497

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