Economic and Military Initiatives of Muhammad Bin Tughlaq

Withdrawal of Token Currency

  • Muhammad Bin Tughlaq withdrew the token currency due to its negative impact on trade and commerce.

Taxation in the Doab Region

  • The Sultan harbored ambitions to expand his empire beyond India, specifically targeting territories in Central Asia.
  • The maintenance of a large-scale army required to facilitate these conquests necessitated substantial financial capital.
  • To secure additional revenue for military expenditures, Muhammad Bin Tughlaq implemented a land tax increase in the fertile Ganga-Yamuna doab region.

Socio-Economic Crisis and Resistance

  • During the period when taxes were increased, a severe famine occurred in the doab region.
  • The local population was unable to meet the extra tax demands and engaged in rebellion against the state.
  • Despite the famine, tax collectors employed stern measures and showed no mercy during the collection process.
  • The harshness of the state's tax collection led many peasants to abandon their agricultural lands and seek refuge in the jungles.

State Relief Measures and Agricultural Setbacks

  • Muhammad Bin Tughlaq eventually initiated steps to combat the famine and stabilize the situation:
    • He ordered the free distribution of food grains to the public.
    • He provided advanced loans to the peasants.
    • Improvements were made to irrigation facilities to support farming.
  • These intervention efforts were implemented too late, resulting in a significant portion of the population starving to death.
  • Agriculture in the doab area experienced a heavy and lasting setback as a result of these events.

Global Conquest Plans and Military Spending

  • Muhammad Bin Tughlaq aimed to conquer the world and organized a massive army to achieve this goal.
  • As an incentive and preparation for his campaigns, he paid his soldiers a full salary for 11 year in advance.
  • The specific regions targeted for conquest included:
    • Khurasan
    • Persia (Iran)
    • Iraq

The Abandonment of Military Expeditions

  • One year after the organization of his world-conquest army, the Sultan abandoned the project.
  • The decision to retreat from these plans followed the failure of the token currency system.
  • The massive army that had been assembled and paid in advance was subsequently disbanded.