Lodi dynasty
Bahlul Khan Lodi ascended the throne of the Delhi sultanate on the 19th of April 1451. He replaced the Sayyid dynasty after Alauddin Alam Shah voluntarily abdicated in his favor. Bahlul was the nephew and son-in-law of Malik Sultan Shah Lodi, who governed Sirhind in Punjab. As governor of Sirhind during Muhammad Shah's reign, he held the title Tarun-Bin-Sultan. This made him the most powerful chief among the Punjab region. He united a loose confederacy of Afghan and Turkish chiefs through sheer force of personality. His administration reduced turbulent provincial chiefs to submission. He infused vigor into a government that had become stagnant. In 1443, he renamed a Hindu-Buddhist site as Sultanpur Lodi. The city became a prosperous trade center between Delhi and Lahore. The most significant event of his reign involved the conquest of the Jaunpur Sultanate. Bahlul spent years fighting against the Sharqi dynasty. He ultimately annexed their territory and placed his eldest surviving son Barbak on the Jaunpur throne in 1486. The Sharqis briefly re-occupied Jaunpur from Bihar before being repulsed again.
Sikandar Khan Lodi succeeded his father upon death on the 17th of July 1489. He took up the title Sikandar Shah after being crowned sultan on the 15th of July 1489. His father nominated him as successor before dying. He re-founded Agra as a Muslim city in 1504. Sikandar shifted the capital from Delhi to this new location. He built mosques throughout the region while patronizing trade and commerce. The ruler composed Persian poetry under the pen name Gulrukhi. He ordered translations of Sanskrit medical works into Persian language. Sikandar curbed individualistic tendencies among Pashtun nobles. He compelled them to submit their accounts to state audits. This action infused vigor and discipline into the administration. His greatest achievement was conquering and annexing Bihar from the Sharqis. He destroyed many temples across North India as a staunch Muslim. He forbade the yearly procession of Masud Salar's spear. Muslim women were banned from venerating mausoleums of saints. He allowed the execution of a Brahman who claimed equal accuracy for Hinduism compared to Islam.
Ibrahim Khan Lodi became the last Lodi Sultan of Delhi. He ascended the throne in 1517 following his father's death. Ibrahim possessed qualities of an excellent warrior but made rash decisions. His policy of sheer repression failed without administrative strengthening measures. He faced numerous rebellions that kept opposition at bay for almost a decade. Warfare with Afghans and the Timurid Empire occupied most of his reign. By the time he ruled, political structure had dissolved completely. Abandoned trade routes caused treasury depletion. The Deccan coastal route collapsed in the late fifteenth century. Supply lines cut off interior regions where the empire resided. The dynasty could not protect itself if warfare broke out on roads. They stopped using those trade routes entirely. Trade declined sharply while the treasury emptied. This left them vulnerable to internal political problems. Ibrahim died trying to keep the dynasty from annihilation. He was defeated in 1526 at the Battle of Panipat. This marked the end of the Lodi dynasty and rise of Mughal rule.
Another problem emerged when Ibrahim ascended the throne in 1517. Pashtun nobles supported his older brother Jalaluddin Lodi against him. They took up arms in the eastern area near Jaunpur. Ibrahim gathered military support and defeated his brother by year's end. He arrested opposing Pashtun nobles afterward. New administrators appointed by Ibrahim replaced the old guard. Other nobles supported Dariya Khan, governor of Bihar, against Ibrahim. His lack of an apparent successor caused further uprisings. Alam Khan, his uncle, betrayed Ibrahim by supporting Babur. Daulat Khan, governor of Punjab region, asked Babur to invade. He sought revenge for insults done by Ibrahim. Rana Sanga, Rajput leader of Mewar, extended his kingdom. He fought multiple battles with the Lodi king of Delhi. Babur accused Sanga of sending invitations though scholars reject this claim. The Janjua Rajputs joined Babur's conquest as allies. Their rebellious stance to Delhi's throne was well known. Malik Hast and Raja Sanghar Khan became generals in Babur's campaign.
Babur gathered his army after securing cooperation from Alam Khan and Daulat Khan. Upon entering Punjab plains, Langar Khan Niazi advised engaging Janjua Rajputs. Babur aided them defeating Gakhars in 1521 to cement alliance. Babur employed these tribesmen as generals throughout his campaign. Small parties of skirmishers tested enemy positions and tactics. They made inroads into India using new gunpowder weapons. Babur survived revolts in Kandahar and Kabul before marching. His army numbered 24,000 men armed with muskets and artillery. Ibrahim prepared by gathering 100,000 men and 1,000 elephants. His infantry remained outmoded despite being well-armed. He had never fought against gunpowder weapons strategically. Babur pressed advantage from the start of battle. Ibrahim perished on the battlefield in April 1526 alongside 20,000 men. The remaining Lodi territories were absorbed into Mughal Empire. Babur named himself emperor over Ibrahim's territory instead of placing Alam Khan on throne.
The Bara Gumbad in Lodi Gardens was built in 1490 CE. It probably stands as the earliest constructed full dome in Delhi. Sikandar Khan likely commissioned its construction. Lodi sultans stylized themselves as deputies of Abbasid Caliphs. They acknowledged authority of a united Caliphate over Muslim world. Cash stipends went to Muslim ulama and Sufi shaikhs. Revenue-free lands including entire villages granted to Quraysh tribe members. Muslim subjects paid zakat tax for religious merit. Non-Muslims paid jizya tax for state protection. Some parts required Hindus to pay additional pilgrimage tax. Several Hindu officers formed part of revenue administration. Sikandar Khan's mother was a Hindu woman. He resorted to strong Sunni orthodoxy as political expediency. He destroyed Hindu temples across North India. Sharia courts established in towns with significant Muslim populations. Qazis administered Islamic law to all subjects. Sikandar banned women from visiting mazar mausoleums of saints. He also prohibited annual procession of Salar Masud's spear.
Common questions
When did Bahlul Khan Lodi ascend the throne of the Delhi sultanate?
Bahlul Khan Lodi ascended the throne on the 19th of April 1451. He replaced the Sayyid dynasty after Alauddin Alam Shah voluntarily abdicated in his favor.
Who was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty and when did he die?
Ibrahim Khan Lodi became the last Lodi Sultan of Delhi and died in April 1526 at the Battle of Panipat. His defeat marked the end of the Lodi dynasty and the rise of Mughal rule under Babur.
What city did Sikandar Khan Lodi re-found as a Muslim capital in 1504?
Sikandar Khan Lodi re-founded Agra as a Muslim city in 1504. He shifted the capital from Delhi to this new location while building mosques throughout the region.
How many men were in Babur's army during the Battle of Panipat in 1526?
Babur commanded an army of 24,000 men armed with muskets and artillery during the Battle of Panipat. Ibrahim Khan Lodi prepared by gathering 100,000 men and 1,000 elephants but lost the battle.
When was the Bara Gumbad in Lodi Gardens built and who commissioned it?
The Bara Gumbad in Lodi Gardens was built in 1490 CE and likely commissioned by Sikandar Khan Lodi. It probably stands as the earliest constructed full dome in Delhi.