The Lodi Dynasty was the last to rule over the
Delhi Sultanate and it was a Pashtun Dynasty. Pashtun people are ethnic Afghan people who belong to the Eastern Iranian ethnic group.
They are also known as "Pathans". The founder of the Lodi Dynasty was Bahlul Khan Lodi, whose rule lasted from 1451 to 1526. The first Portuguese Armada landed the first time in the country, under Vasco da Gama during the rule of the Lodi Dynasty.
Bahlul Khan Lodi was the son-in-law and nephew of the governor of Sirhind in
Punjab, Islam Khan, also known as Malik Sultan Shah Lodi. Bahlul Khan succeeded his father in law and uncle during the reign of Sayyid Dynasty as the governor of Sirhind. The throne of the Delhi Sultanate was ascended by Bahlul Khan on 19 April, 1451 with great help from his minister Hamid Khan. He fought against the Sharqi Dynasty for most of his ruling time. He even expanded his empire by conquering Gwalior, Jaunpur (where he place on throne his elder son Barbak in 1486) and the upper parts of Uttar Pradesh. Bahlul had three people to succeed him: two of his own sons, Barbak Shah and Nizam Shah and his grandson Azam-i-Humayun. Finally his son Nizam Shah succeeded his throne on 17 July 1489 under the name of Sultan Sikander Shah.
His major achievement is re-founding the city of Agra, construction of several mosques there, abolition of corn duties and patronizing trade. He was a high class, reputed poet. His work can be seen under the pen name Gulruk. A patron learner, he ordered the translation of Sanskrit work in medicine into Persian. A lot of efforts were observed by him to expand his empire and expanded from Punjab to
Bihar. He also wanted to attain control over Bengal and so made a treaty with Alauddin Husain Shah of
West Bengal. Sultan Sikander Shah died on 21 November 1517 and it was his son, Sultan Ibrahim Khan Lodi who took over the throne and succeeded his father. He was Sikander's youngest son.
A fearful military leader, Ibrahim was successful in keeping away the outsiders from his empire from about the whole of a decade. For most of the time during his reign he was engaged in warfare with the Afghans and Mughals and was all the time protecting the Lodi Dynasty from collapsing. It was in 1526; in the Battle of Panipat that Ibrahim Lodi was first defeated which directly lead to the fall of the Lodi Dynasty. This very defeat of Ibrahim Lodi saw the end of Lodi Dynasty and beginning of the Mughal Empire in the country starting from Babur as the leading Mughal force.
Last Updated on: February 17, 2022
