Post Tughlaq phase
🟥 Timur’s Invasion (1398 CE): The Death Knell of the Tughlaq Empire
Background:
- Timur (Tamerlane): Turkic conqueror, claimed descent from Changez Khan through the female line.
- Born in 1336 in Kesh (modern Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan).
- Founded the Timurid Dynasty and ruled from Samarkand.
- Had already conquered Central Asia, West Asia, and parts of Europe.
Why India?
- Weak Delhi Sultanate after Firoz Shah’s death.
- India was seen as a source of wealth, not a territory for governance.
- Crossed the Indus on 30 September 1398.
Impact:
- Delhi sacked for 3 days—massacres, destruction, and looting.
- Thousands were killed. Temples, mosques, and towns were ruined.
- No attempt at administration—he returned with booty, leaving a power vacuum.
- Timur appointed Khizr Khan as governor of Multan, indirectly sowing the seed of the Sayyid Dynasty.
đź“Ś Timur’s invasion did not establish an empire but created chaos that permanently weakened the Sultanate.
🟦 Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451 CE): The “Caretakers” of Delhi
Establishment:
- Founded by Khizr Khan (former governor under Timur).
- Considered themselves vassals of Timur’s descendants.
- Ruled only Delhi and its vicinity—never truly sovereign in spirit or geography.
Four Rulers:
| Sultan | Reign | Features |
| Khizr Khan | 1414–1421 | Founded dynasty, tried to consolidate control. |
| Mubarak Shah | 1421–1434 | Faced rebellions; commemorated in Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi by Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi. |
| Muhammad Shah | 1434–1445 | Weak, spent time suppressing internal conspiracies. |
| Alam Shah | 1445–1451 | Ineffective; abdicated in favor of Bahlul Lodi. Retired voluntarily. |
⚠️ The Sayyid dynasty marked a transitional phase—too weak to control provinces but too legitimate to be overthrown immediately.
🟩 Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526 CE): The Last Phase of the Delhi Sultanate
Background:
- Afghan lineage (Pashtun). First non-Turkish rulers of Delhi.
- Power was based on tribal networks and Afghan egalitarianism.
- Lodi kings were considered “first among equals”, not absolute monarchs.
Bahlul Lodi (1451–1489):
- Took power from Alam Shah (Sayyid).
- Recovered Jaunpur, strengthened Afghan identity.
- Consolidated, not expanded.
Sikandar Lodi (1489–1517):
| Area | Features |
| Administration | Strong, centralized. Shifted capital from Delhi to Agra. |
| Infrastructure | Built roads, provided irrigation, and constructed mosques & tombs. |
| Architecture | Moth ki Masjid, Lodi Gardens. |
| Culture | Patron of learning; wrote Persian poetry as Gulrukhi. |
| Religion | Intolerant. Destroyed temples at Mathura, Jwalamukhi, etc. Promoted Sunni orthodoxy. |
🟡 Sikandar Lodi combined effective governance with religious bigotry—a blend of Firuz Tughlaq and Alauddin Khalji in different proportions.
Ibrahim Lodi (1517–1526):
- Arrogant, autocratic, unpopular among Afghan nobles.
- Insulted and punished nobles—destroyed tribal consensus.
- Daulat Khan Lodi, governor of Punjab, invited Babur from Kabul.
End of Lodi Rule:
- First Battle of Panipat (1526): Babur defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi.
- Marked the end of the Delhi Sultanate and the beginning of the Mughal Empire.
âš« TIMELINE COMPARISON TABLE:
| Dynasty | Duration | Notable Rulers | Features |
| Tughlaq (1320–1414) | ~94 years | Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Firuz Shah | Ambitious but overreaching policies, eventual disintegration |
| Sayyid (1414–1451) | 37 years | Khizr Khan, Mubarak Shah | Weak, transitional, ruled only Delhi |
| Lodi (1451–1526) | 75 years | Bahlul, Sikandar, Ibrahim | Afghan tribal rule, ended by Babur |