The Delhi Sultanate rulers paid considerable attention to public works because efficient administration, military movement, trade, agriculture and urban development depended upon the availability of roads, water, communication and public infrastructure. From the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, different Sultans undertook construction and maintenance activities according to their administrative priorities and the needs of their territories. Road construction and improvement were important public works under the Sultanate. Roads connected Delhi with important provincial centres, military camps, markets and trading towns. These routes facilitated the movement of armies, merchants, officials and travellers. During the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the expansion of the Sultanate increased the importance of maintaining communication routes across distant regions. Later, Firuz Shah Tughlaq paid particular attention to roads and facilities for travellers. Roads were often accompanied by sarais, where travellers could obtain shelter and basic necessities. The development of water resources was another major area of public works. The rulers constructed wells, tanks, reservoirs, canals and other irrigation facilities. Iltutmish and later rulers supported the construction of wells and tanks in and around important settlements. Firuz Shah Tughlaq is especially remembered for his canal-building