Assertion (A) : Muhammad bin Tughlaq left Delhi, and, for two years lived in a camp called Swarga-dwari. Reason (R) : At that time, Delhi was ravaged by a form of plague and many people died.

five major administrative "experiments" (often called "disastrous" due to their poor execution) of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, along with the context of the Swarga-dwari move:

The 5 Major Experiments

1. Taxation in the Doab (c. 1326):
   • To increase state revenue, the Sultan increased the land tax in the fertile Doab region (the land between the Ganges and Yamuna).
   • Unfortunately, this coincided with a severe famine. When the peasants fled the fields in distress, the Sultan's officials used force, leading to widespread rebellion.
2. Transfer of Capital (c. 1327):
   • He moved the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri) to better control South India.
   • He ordered the entire population to move. Many died on the 1,500 km journey. Realizing he couldn't control the North from the South, he ordered everyone to move back to Delhi.
3. Introduction of Token Currency (c. 1329–1330):
   • Inspired by Chinese and Persian models, he introduced copper and brass coins and declared them equal in value to silver coins (tankas).
   • Because the state failed to prevent forgery, "every house became a mint." The market was flooded with fake coins, leading to an economic collapse. The Sultan eventually had to exchange the fake coins for real gold and silver from the treasury.
4. The Proposed Khurasan Expedition:
   • The Sultan raised a massive army of over 370,000 men to conquer Khurasan (Persia).
   • He paid the soldiers a full year's salary in advance. However, due to changing political alliances and the difficulty of the terrain, the project was abandoned, resulting in a massive waste of resources.
5. The Qarachil Expedition:
   • This was a military campaign into the Kumaon-Garhwal hills (Himalayas) to secure the northern borders.
   • While the initial attack was successful, heavy rains and the difficult mountain terrain destroyed the army during their retreat. It is said only a handful of soldiers returned to Delhi.

The Swarga-dwari Stay (The "Sixth" Event)

• Context: After the failure of these projects and the subsequent famine/plague in Delhi (c. 1338), the Sultan established the Swarga-dwari camp.
• Purpose: It was a temporary relief measure to escape the "pestilence" (plague) and manage the famine more effectively from a fertile area near the Ganges.

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Reshaping India’s Political Map > LET US EXPLORE > p. 27
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 10: Advent of Arabs and Turks > Transfer of Capital > p. 145