Postal system of the Delhi Sultanate
Topic: Medieval India through Travellers' Eyes · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Through the Eyes of Travellers"
Meaning
The Delhi Sultanate had a fast courier network that amazed Ibn Battuta in the 14th century. It had two parts: the uluq (horse-post) and the dawa (foot-post). Merchants used it to send information, remit credit (send money orders) and dispatch goods. The state used it for news from across the empire.
Example
Ibn Battuta wrote that travel from Sind to Delhi took about 50 days. But the reports of spies reached Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq in Delhi in just 5 days. The uluq used royal horses stationed every four miles. The dawa had three runner-stations per mile and was faster than the horse-post.
Don't confuse with
- Mughal karkhanas: these were imperial workshops that Bernier described. They had nothing to do with carrying letters or news.