Slave (Ghulam) or Mamluk Dynasty

The Mamluk Dynasty or Slave Dynasty, directed into India by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, a Turkish general of Central Asian birth, was the first of five unrelated dynasties to rule India's Delhi Sultanate from 1206 to 1290.

Ruler

Reign

Notes

Qutb-ud-din Aibak

(12061210)

Founder of the Slave Dynasty.was the slave of Muhammad of Ghor. Started the construction of Qutub Minar. Died while playing chaugan (Polo).

Relationship with Aibak is subject to controversy. Some consider him to be Aibaks Aram Shah (12101212) son but records by Minhaj-us-Siraj, a 13th century Persian historian, says that Aibak had only 3 daughters. Abu Fazl stated that he was Aibaks brother while some modern day historians believe that he had no relation with Aibak.

Was a slave of Aibak who later became son-in-law. Deposed Aram shah and acceded to the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in 1211. Introduced the silver tanka and the copper jital-the two basic coins of the Sultanate period, with a standard Shams ud din Iltutmish weight of 175 grains. He introudced Iqtadari system: division of empire into Iqtas, (12111236) which were assigned to the nobles and officers in lieu of salary. Completed the construction of Qutub Minar.during his time the Mongols under Genghis Khan appeared, but did not proceed beyond the banks of Indus. Was buried in the Qutub complex in Mehrauli. Years of political instability followed in the Delhi Sultanate after his death.

Iltutmish considered his sons incapable of governing and nominated his daughter Rukn ud din Firuz (1236) Razia as his successor, but the Nobles of the court put his son, Rukn ud din feroz to the throne instead.

Daughter of Iltutmish. Ascended the throne after the assassination of her brother Rukn ud din feroz and his mother just six months into his rule. Her relationship with one of her advisers, Jamal Ud Din Yakut, an Abyssian slave caused discontent in the court. Malik Altunia, the governor of Bhatinda and other provincial governors Raziyat ud din Sultana (12361240) revolted and in the battle with Altunia, Yakut was killed and Razzia taken prisoner, as a consequence of which Razzia agreed to marry Altunia. In the meantime the throne had been usurped by Razzias brother, Muizuddin Bahram Shah. Razzia and Altunia failed in their bid to take back the Sultanate and were robbed and killed while fleeing.

Muiz ud din Bahram

(12401242) Son of Iltutmish. Murdered by his own discontented Nobles and army.

Ala ud din Masud

(12421246) Son of Rukn-ud-din Firuz.

Nasir ud din Mahmud

(12461266) Son of Iltutmish.

Son-in-law of Nasir Ud Din Mahmud. Succeeded Nasir Ud Din Mahmud since he Ghiyas ud din Balban (12661286) had no heir. Broke up the Chahalgani, the group of forty Nobles after his ascent to the throne. Established an efficient spy system.

Muiz ud din Qaiqabad (12861290)

Grandson (on daughter's side) of Ghiyas Ud Din Balban and Son of Bughra Khan the Sultan of Bengal. Was murdered by a khilji chief.

Kayumars

1290

Son of Muiz-ud-din Qaiqabad. Was only three years old when he ascended the throne.

Khilji dynasty The Khilji (or Khalji; Persian: - Sulanat-e Khalj; Hindi: ) was a dynasty of Turko-Afghan[1] Khalaj origin[2] who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320.[3] They were the second Muslim dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India. Led by their powerful ruler, Alauddin Ghiljai, they are noted in history for repeatedly defeating the warring Mongols[4] and thereby saving India from plundering raids and attacks.

Ruler

Reign

Notes

Son of Qaim Khan (Yulak Khan of Qunduz), and also the founder of the Khilji Dynasty. He usurped the throne from Kayumars the last Sultan of the Mamluk Dynasty of Delhi. He re-organized the administration of the government placing his confidants and family members in important positions. He crushed the Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji 12901296 rebellions of Malik Chhaj Kishli and Raja Bairam Dev. He also managed to arrange a peace treaty with an invading Mongol army in 1292 in which a great grandson of Genghis Khan named Alghu embraced Islam. The Sultan was tricked into visiting his nephew with a small disarmed cortege near Karra-

Manikpur where his nephew held a banquet for him. He was assassinated
when they shook hands by men waiting for signal to attack.

Nephew of his predecessor Jalal Ud Din Khilji. Considered one of the greatest of the Sultans of Delhi, Alauddin came to power in a bloody coup. Noted for repeatedly defending against the Marauding Mongols. Folklores tell of his Alauddin Khilji 12961316 attacking Chittor to gain Rani Padmavati, whose beauty he had heard of. He doubled the exchequer during his reign. He was a brilliant strategist and an outstanding military commander who was known for his ruthlessness. He repeatedly defeated the invading Mongols. He prefixed the title of Sikandar Sani which means the Second Alexander.

Qutb-ud-din was 18 years old when he became Sultan. He mismanaged state affairs, assassinated and replaced many nobleman and appointed one person Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah 13161320 who would change the fate of the Khilji dynasty namely, Khusro Khan. He invaded Deogiri in 1318 CE and flayed Harpal Dev. Gradually he indulged in alcohol and debauchery, ignoring state affairs. Khusro Khan gradually took over the government and appointed his Bawariya clansmen. Eventually, he hatched

a plot to assassinate the Sultan, which he did.

Tughlaq Dynasty The Tughlaq Dynasty (Persian: ) of north India started in 1321 in Delhi when Ghazi Tughlaq assumed the throne under the title of Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq. The Tughluqs were a Muslim family of Turkic origin. Their rule relied on their alliances with Turkic, Afghan, and other Muslim warriors from outside South Asia.

Ruler

Reign

Notes

Founder of the Tughluq dynasty of Delhi. He came to the throne after Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq 13211325 defeating the usurper Khusro Khan in 1321 CE. He also founded the Delhi neighborhood ofTughluqabad.

aka Muhammad Shah II. He refused to accept the title of Emperor though he expanded his rule to the peninsula. He doubled the exchequer and constantly shifted the capital back and forth from Delhi to Daulatabad. He crushed rebellions in Multan & Sindh. TheMongols of Chagatai

Khanate under Tarmashirin, a brother of Qutlugh Khwaja invaded

India but were defeated by the Sultan at the Battle of Kalanaur in 1329 C.E. He levied heavy taxes on the Ganges and Yamuna Doab region to the point that Delhi began to be deserted. This state of Muhammad bin Tughluq 13251351 affairs also led to a diminution of the public funds. Among other sources of loss to the treasury was the introduction of copper coins which were placed on an equal footing with the silver coins. However, very few people exchanged their gold or silver coins for the new copper ones. Moreover, the tokens were easy to forge, which led to heavy losses, as the Sultan subsequently withdrew the forged currency by exchanging it for bullion coins. Around 1332-33 C.E. Ibn

Battuta arrived in India & was appointed as Qadi but on some

suspicion later, was appointed as ambassador to China. By the end of his reign, state institutions and infrastructure were falling apart. He died during an expedition in Sindh.

Mahmud Ibn Muhammad

1351 (March)

He established Ferozabad neighborhood of Delhi with a fort known as Feroz Shah Kotla. He brought order to his army by removing Mughals from it. He managed state affairs well and Firuz Shah Tughlaq 13511388 brought some stability to the kingdom. He invaded the newly founded

Ilyas Shahi Sultanate of Bengal in 1353 C.E. but after a protracted

war formed a peace treaty with Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah & retraced his steps. This new friendship with Bengal would improve the Sultanate's economy immensely. In 1358 C.E. Mongols invaded India and reached Dipalpur but were repelled. During the Sultan's

time was written the Dalail-e-Ferozi by Izz-ud-Din Khalid Khani. After the rebellion of his vizier Juna Khan Khan Jahan in 1387 who was defeated by the heir apparent Muhammad Shah ibn Feroze Shah, the Sultan appointed his son as the vizier, but after mismanaging state affairs the nobles revolted against the heir apparent and asked the Sultan to pick his grandson Tughluq Khan ibn Fateh Khan as vizier and heir apparent thereby losing all powers.

He ascended the throne in 1388 C.E. assuming the title of Ghiyathud-din. But succession crisis started almost immediately with Muhammad Shah ibn Feroze Shah staking his claim with the support of his brother Fateh Khans grandson Abu Bakr Khan. Ghiyath-ud-din dispatched troops against his uncle towards the foot of the hills of Sirmur. Muhammad Shah after a brief battle took shelter in the fort of Nagarkot, and Ghiyath-ud-dins army returned Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq II 13881389 to Delhi without pursuing him any further due to the difficulties of the venture & terrain. Eventually though some Amirs joined Abu Bakr

Khan son of Zafar Khan (brother of Ghiyath-ud-din II) and grandson

of Fateh Khan, and great grandson of Feroze Shah and plotted to assassinate Ghiyath-ud-din. In 1389 they surrounded the Sultan and Khan Jahan, his vizier and, put them to death and hung up their heads over the gate of the city; the duration of the reign of Ghiyathud-din, was five months and eighteen days.

Abu Bakr Shah

13891390

Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III

13901393

Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah I

1393 (March April)

Mahmud Nasir ud din

13931394

Sultan Mahmud II (real name). Ruled in Delhi.

Nusrat Shah

13941399

Grandson of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, controlled the west from Firozabad. Timur lang sacks delhi.

Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah

13991413

Son of Mahmud Nasir-ud- din, controlled the east from Delhi.

Sayyid Dynasty The Sayyid dynasty ruled Delhi sultanate in India from 1414 to 1451. They succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled that sultanate until they were displaced by the Lodi dynasty.

This family claimed to be Sayyids, or descendants of Prophet Muhammad. The central authority of the Delhi Sultanate had been fatally weakened by the successive invasion of Timur (Tamerlane) and his sack of Delhi in 1398. After a period of chaos, when no central authority prevailed, the Sayyids gained power at Delhi. Their 37-year period of dominance witnessed the rule of four different members of the dynasty.

Ruler

Reign

Notes

Khizr Khan

14141421

Mubarak Shah

14211434

Muhammad Shah

14341445

Alam Shah

14451451

Lodi Dynasty Lodi Dynasty (Pashto: ) was a Ghilzai Afghan dynasty, who ruled over the Delhi Sultanate during its last phase. The dynasty founded by Bahlol Lodi ruled from 1451 to 1526. The last ruler of this dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi was defeated and killed by Babur in the first Battle of Panipat on April 20, 1526.

Ruler

Reign

Notes

Bahlol Lodi

1451 1489

Founder of the Lodi Dynasty. Came to power after Ala Ud Din Alam Shah, the Last Sayyid regent voluntarily abdicated in his favour.

Sikander Lodi

1489 1517

Was the second son of Bahlol Lodi. Commissioned the building of Agra in 1503. Attacked Gwalior fort five times, but failed each time.

Ibrahim Lodi

1517 1526

Defeated by Babur in the First battle of Panipat (in 1526) and thus ending the Delhi Sultanate