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Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526 AD)
Lodi dynasty was originally from Afghan who ruled Delhi Sultanate for about 75 years.
Bahlol Lodi
Bahlol Lodi, who founded the dynasty and ruled Delhi from 1451 to 1489. After his death in 1489, his second son Sikandar Lodi succeeded the throne.
Sikandar Lodi
- Sikandar Lodi took the title of Sikandar Shah. It was Sikandar Lodi who founded Agra city in 1504 and moved capital from Delhi to Agra.
- Sikandar Lodi, further, abolished the corn duties and patronized trade and commerce in his kingdom.
- He was a Muslin fanatic and broke the sacred images of Jwalamukhi temple at Nagarkot and ordered the temple of Mathura to be destroyed
- He was a poet and wrote verses in Persian under the pen name of Gulrukhi
- He repaired the Qutub Minar
Ibrahim Lodi
- After Sikandar Lodi, Ibrahim Lodi (the youngest son of Sikandar Lodi) became sultan. Ibrahim Lodi was the last ruler of Lodi dynasty who ruled from 1517 to 1526.
- At last Daulat Khan Lodhi the governor of Punjab invited Babur to overthrow Ibrahim Lodhi
- Babur accepted the offer and inflicted a crushing defeat to Ibrahim Lodhi in the first battle of Panipat in 1526.
- Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur in 1526, in the first battle of Panipat and from now Mughal Empire established.
- Lodhi was killed in the battle and with him ended the Delhi Sultanate.
Lodi Administration
The Lodi kings tried to consolidate the Sultanate and attempted to curb the power of rebellious governor.
Sikandar Lodi who ruled from 1489-1517, controlled the Ganges valley up to western Bengal.
Sikandar Lodi moved capital from Delhi to Agra, as he felt that he could control his kingdom better from Agra. He also tried to strengthen the loyalty of the people by various measures of public welfare.
The Nobles
During the sultanate period, the nobles played a powerful role. Sometimes, they even influenced state policy and sometimes (as governors), they revolted and became independent rulers or else usurped the throne of Delhi.
Many of these nobles were Turkish or Afghani, who had settled in India.
Some of the nobles were men who came to India only in search of their fortune and worked for the Sultan.
After Ala-ud-din Khilji, Indian Muslims and Hindus were also appointed as officers (nobles).
The Sultan followed the earlier system of granting the revenue from a piece of land or a village to the (noble) officer instead of paying them salary.
Causes of Decline of Delhi Sultanate
The main causes were
- Despotic and military type of government which did not have the confidence of the people
- Degeneration of Delhi Sultanas
- War of succession as there was no fixed law for succession
- Greed and incompetency of the nobles
- Defective military organization number of slaves increased to 1,80,000 in Firoz Tughlaq time which was a burden on the treasury
