Delhi Sultanate

This article is about the civilization in Age of Empires IV. For civilization in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - Dynasties of India, see Hindustanis.

Civilization	Technology tree		Mastery

Delhi Sultanate
Civilization
Civilization information
Introduced in	Age of Empires IV
Continent	Asia
In-game theme
Difficulty	3/3
Features/Characteristics
Focus	Elephants, Research and Religion
Unique units	Scholar War Elephant Tower Elephant Ghazi Raider
Unique technologies	16

The Delhi Sultanate are a playable Asian civilization in Age of Empires IV. In addition to the namesake Delhi Sultanate, they are based on Islamic dynasties such as the Mamluk Dynasty, Ghaznavid dynasty, and Ghurid dynasty that covered different ethnic groups, including Punjabis and Pashtuns.

They appear as the Hindustanis in Age of Empires II and as the Indians in Age of Empires III.

Civilization overview

“	The Delhi Sultanate civilization is at the forefront of technological innovation. They have a strong focus on research and defense, with an edge in technological advancement over other civilizations. In Age of Empires IV, the Delhi Sultanate civilization is based on the powerful empire formed from the invasion of the Ghurid Dynasty (originating in Persia) into northern India spanning the years 879-1526 CE. For 300 years, this empire shaped an independent Indo-Islamic region, adopting technology present in India. Advancing through the Ages has you experience this civilization's rich history. With the first Age reflecting the Turkish and Iranian Ghurid Sultanate, playing the Farsi/Persian-speaking Delhi Sultanate civilization brings you through the Mamluk and Khalji Dynasty, Tughlaq Dynasty, and the Sayyid and Lodi Dynasty-getting a taste for the Delhi Sultanate's vibrant cultures and defiant strength.	”
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Strengths

“	Strategic decisions in the early Ages of the match are essential for the Delhi Sultanate civilization, who emerges as a dominating force in the late game. The Delhi Sultanate army can be terrifying to encounter: the core of their army, the War Elephant, is a melee unit of staggering raw strength capable of high damage. The Delhi Sultanate's specialty lies in research. Not only do they have access to several upgrade options throughout the Ages, but their unique Scholar Research System-with the valuable Scholar, essential to the system-provides an advantage in research that no other civilization has. The Delhi Sultanate researches technology at no cost in resources, but at a greater time investment. To offset this, the Delhi Sultanate uses Scholars – each of which speeds up research. While biding their time growing their strength through the Ages, the Delhi Sultanate can tap into their defense through foot units' abilities to construct defensive structures. Once their military reaches full heights, the Delhi Sultanate's power is a force to be reckoned with.	”
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Civilization bonuses

• Scholarly Culture: Mosque, Scholar and religious technologies available in the Dark Age (I). Mosques cost -50%.
• Scholastic Achievements: All technology is free but completes at a much slower rate. Technologies being researched can be paused and resumed.
• Frontier Fortifications: Infantry units are able to construct Palisade Walls. Construct the Compound of the Defender to extend this ability to stone defenses.
• Garden Bounty
  • Mills constructed near Berry Bushes create Orchards, increasing Food capacity by +100.
  • Gather from Berry Bushes +30% faster, but cannot gather from Boar.
  • Berry carry capacity increased +3.
• Defensive Deckhands: Fishing Boats can defend themselves with a ranged attack and have 50% additional health.
• Influence: Scholars garrisoned in a Mosque, Madrasa, or Dock will increase the research speed of buildings within their influence based on how many Scholars are garrisoned globally. Docks work an additional 20% faster for each Scholar garrisoned locally.

Starting resources

200 food, 200 wood, 100 gold

Unique units

• Scholar: Religious unit capable of healing in the Dark Age (I).
• War Elephant: Heavy melee cavalry mounted with a Spearman that has high health and damage with a strong siege attack.
• Tower Elephant: Ranged cavalry mounted with two Archers that can fire while moving.
• Ghazi Raider: Fast Horseman wielding a heavy mace.

“	The Scholar is the civilization's equivalent of the Monk with a unique ability to speed up research and technology upgrades. The mighty War Elephant is a powerful melee unit with high health and damage against units and structures. The Tower Elephant is a devastating unit with a ranged attack: Two archers mounted in a tower on a War Elephant.	”
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Landmarks

Dark Age

• Dome of the Faith - Acts as a Mosque. Produces Scholars with a 50% discount (65 gold).
• Tower of Victory - All infantry produced from Barracks and Archery Ranges within the Scholar influence area have a permanent 20% increased attack speed.

Feudal Age

• Compound of the Defender - Enables infantry to build Stone Walls, Gates, and Towers. Also reduces the Stone cost of all buildings and Emplacements by 20%. Contains several defensive technologies, including ones that are normally only available in Imperial Age.
• House of Learning - Contains many unique economic, military, and religious technologies.

Castle Age

• Hisar Academy - Acts as a Madrasa, granting 3 free Scholars upon completion. Generates food based on the total number of technologies researched.
• Palace of the Sultan - Automatically produces Sultan's Elite Tower Elephants, a more powerful version of the normal Tower Elephant. Can garrison up to 4 Scholars to increase production speed.

Unique technologies

• Sanctity (Mosque)
• Efficient Production (Mosque)
• All-Seeing Eye (Mosque)
• Swiftness (Mosque)
• Zeal (Mosque)
• Forced March (Blacksmith)
• Howdahs (Archery Range)
• Armored Beasts (Stable)
• Reinforced Foundations (House of Learning)
• Tranquil Venue (House of Learning)
• Paiks (House of Learning)
• Mahouts (House of Learning)
• Hearty Rations (House of Learning)
• Honed Blades (House of Learning)
• Village Fortresses (Keep, Compound of the Defender)
• Slow-Burning Defenses (Keep, Compound of the Defender)

In-game dialogue

The Delhi Sultanate units speak Farsi/Persian throughout all four ages. While the area covered by the Delhi Sultanate exhibited a large amount of linguistic diversity, Persian was likely chosen because it was the administrative and state language of the Delhi Sultanate. The era of the Delhi Sultanate was characterized by the development and spread of Hindustani as the lingua franca, but this is not reflected in the language evolution of the in-game units.

Changelog

• Originally, Delhi Sultanate technology research time multipliers were set at 5x for all ages. With update 8324, the research time multipliers were set to 3x/3.5x/5x/15x per Age. With Season Two Update 17718, the Imperial Age multiplier was reduced to 12x.
• Originally, the Delhi Sultanate Villager Berry Bush gathering bonus was +25%, and they had no carry capacity bonus. With patch 11009, the gathering bonus was increased to +30%, and they gained a +3 carry capacity bonus
• Originally, the Delhi Sultanate started the game with 250 wood. With patch 11963, this was reduced to 200 wood.
• Originally, building a Mill next to a Berry Bush would increase their food yield by +250. With the Season One Update, this was reduced to +100.
• With update 7.0.5861, the Delhi Sultanate gained the Ghazi Raider unique unit to replace the standard Horseman on their roster
• With patch 8.2.218, the first Madrasa built grants 3 free Scholars upon completion (including the Hisar Academy).
• With update 11.0.782, the effect of Manuscript Trade was given to the Delhi Sultanate as a civilization bonus from the start of the game, and the technology was removed. Docks provide a free Scholar in its garrison if it was the first Dock constructed before a Mosque, and their garrison capacity is increased from 3 to 4. The local work rate improvement of garrisoned Scholars in Docks was decreased from 30% to 20%. Garrisoned Scholars also contribute to global research speed improvement, which stacks at the Dock with the local work rate improvement (except for their own Dock, unless it is connected to another influence area).
• With patch 11.1.1201, the Delhi Sultanate lost access to Lookout Towers and gained the new technologies Paiks and Mahouts.

Trivia

• The flag of the Delhi Sultanate is taken from Wikimedia. The main source pointing to this design is the Catalan Atlas.
• Despite the Babur campaign in Age of Empires II portraying the fall of Delhi the Sultanate specifically due to their lack of gunpowder, in Age of Empires IV they still have Bombards, Handcannoneers, and even artillery mounted on Tower Elephants, all of which terrified Delhi Sultanate horses and elephants as mentioned in The Battle of Panipat.
• The Delhi Sultanate, alongside the Abbasid Dynasty, are the only original civilizations in the game to not appear in any form in any of the original single player campaigns, although they are the player civilization in the Late Siege The Art of War challenge. However, in the The Sultans Ascend campaign, added in The Sultans Ascend, the Abbasid Dynasty is the basis of many of the campaign civilizations.

Gallery

A Delhi city

Imperial Age Delhi Sultanate City

Great Palace of Agra

Concept art of Delhi Sultanate Houses

Concept art used for the Delhi Sultanate Wonder