Bahlul Khan Lodi

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Bahlul Khan Lodi
Founder of the
Lodi Dynasty
FatherMalik Kala Khan Lodi
ReligionSunni Islam

Bahlul Khan Lodi (Persian: بهلول لودی; 12 July 1489) was the chief of the Afghan Lodi tribe.[1] Founder of the Lodi dynasty from the Delhi Sultanate[2] upon the abdication of the last claimant from the previous Sayyid rule.[3] Bahlul became sultan of the dynasty on 19 April 1451[4] (855 AH).

Early life

Bahlul's grandfather, Malik Bahram Khan Lodi, a

Sirhind. Bahlul, the son of Malik Kala Khan Lodi, the younger brother of Malik Sultan was married to Malik Sultan's daughter.[5][6]

In his youth, Bahlul was involved in the trading of horses and once sold his finely bred horses to the Sayyid dynasty Sultan

Sirhind. He was allowed to add Lahore to his charge. Once, Sultan Muhammad Shah asked for his help when the Malwa Sultan Mahmud Khalji invaded his territory. Bahlul joined the imperial army with 20,000 mounted soldiers. By his cleverness, he was able to project himself as a victor over the army of the Malwa Sultan and Sultan Muhammad Shah conferred on him the title of Khan-i-Khanan. He also accepted Bahlul's occupation over a large part of Punjab.[5][6]

In 1443, Bahlul attacked Delhi but he did not succeed. During the reign of last Sayyid ruler Sultan Alam Shah, Bahlul again made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Delhi in 1447. In 1448, when Alam Shah retired to

Badaun, a minister of Alam Shah, Hamid Khan invited him to occupy the throne of Delhi. After the voluntary abdication of the throne by Alam Shah, Bahlul Shah ascended the throne of Delhi on 19 April 1451 and adopted the title of Bahlul Shah Ghazi. Alam Shah continued to live in Badaun until his death in July 1478.[5][6]

Reign

Bahlul Lodi conquered the Jaunpur Sultanate (Sharqis dynasty) in 1479.

After ascending to the throne, Bahlul decided to dispose of Hamid Khan. His cousin and brother-in-law Malik Mahmud Khan alias Qutb-ud-din Khan (Governor of

Samana) imprisoned Hamid Khan.[6]

In 1479, Sultan Bahlul Lodi defeated and annexed the Jaunpur Sultanate based at Jaunpur. He fortified the city of Jaunpur and turned it into a kasbah with several mosques and madrasas.

Bahlul did much to stop rebellions and uprisings in his territories, and extended his holdings over Jaunpur and upper Uttar Pradesh. Just like the previous Delhi Sultans, he kept Delhi the capital of his kingdom.

In 1486, he appointed his son, Babrak Shah as

Sikandar Lodi) was named successor, and a power struggle ensued[citation needed] upon his death in July 1489.[7]

The site of his grave is disputed. The

Sheesh Gumbad in the Lodi Gardens is actually to be identified with his tomb.[9]

Marriages

Tomb of Bahlol Lodi
Graves inside Bahlol Lodi's tomb.

Bahlul married two times:

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0231107143
    .
  2. ISBN 9780521005395
    .
  3. ISBN 9788183323642
    .
  4. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4
    .
  5. ^ a b c Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). The Delhi Sultanate, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.134–36, 139–142
  6. ^
    ISBN 81-219-0364-5
    , pp.245–51
  7. Al-Badāoni. "SULṬĀN BUHLŪL [IBN I KĀLĀ]* LODĪ". The Muntakhabu-'rūkh. Translated by Ranking, George S. A.; Haig, Wolseley; Lowe, W. H. – via Packard Humanities Institute
    , Persian Literature in Translation website.
  8. The Tribune
    , 1 March 2004.
  9. ^ Simon Digby, The Tomb of Buhlul Lodi, The Bulletin of SOAS, Vol. 38, No. 3, 1975, pp. 550–61.
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Regnal titles
Preceded by Sultan of Delhi
1451–1489 		Succeeded by
Sikandar Lodi
New dynasty Lodi dynasty
1451–1525
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