Nobody in the late 13th century would have believed you, if you told them that the tiny Sultanate of Delhi - established by a turbulent band of Turkic warlords - would one day dominate the vast Indian subcontinent.

To its Northwest, the terrifying hordes of Genghis Khan rampaged across Iran. To its Southeast, the sophisticated lords of India continued with their wars and poetry, raiding Delhi's trade routes.

Yet, somehow, Delhi rose to the challenge, with some of the Indian subcontinent's most remarkable military and political innovations.

This is the first of a two-part series exploring the improbable rise of the fledgling Sultanate.

YUDDHA is made possible thanks to the support of the Takshashila Institution and the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation.

You can follow Anirudh Kanisetti on his twitter handle @AKanisetti and on his instagram handle @aniryuddha.

You can follow Aditya Ramanathan on his twitter handle @adityascripts and on his instagram handle @adityaramanathan.

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