Bahlul Lodi

2021-09-04T13:27:20Z

2409:4042:892:AB53:4501:2A53:2994:4A78:

{{short description|Chief of the Pashtun Lodi tribe}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name=Bahlul Lodi
|succession=[[Sultan]] of the [[Lodi dynasty]]
|title =
|image=Coin of Bahlul Lodi.jpg
|caption=Billon Tanka of 80 ratti of Bahlul Lodi
|reign= 19 April 1451– 12 July 1489
|coronation=19 April 1451
|predecessor=[[Alam Shah]]
|successor=[[Sikandar Lodi]]
|spouse=Shams Khatun<br />Bibi Ambha<br />Bibi Sitti Maghula
|issue=[[Sikander Lodhi]]
|royal house=[[Lodi dynasty]]
|royal anthem =
|father=
|mother=
|birth_date = 1402
|death_date= 12 July 1489
|place of burial= [[Tomb of Bahlul Lodi]]
}}

'''Bahlul Lodi''' (1401/1406 – 12 July 1489) was the chief of the [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] [[Lodi (Pashtun tribe)|Lodi]] tribe.<ref>{{cite book |first=Clifford Edmund |last=Bosworth |title=The New Islamic Dynasties |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0231107143 |page=304}}</ref> Founder of the [[Lodi dynasty]] from the [[Delhi Sultanate]]<ref>{{cite book |first1=Catherine B. |last1=Asher |first2=Cynthia |last2=Talbot |title=India Before Europe |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780521005395 |page=116}}</ref> upon the abdication of the last claimant from the previous [[Sayyid]] rule.<ref>{{cite book |title=History & Civics 9 |first=Sudeshna |last=Sengupta |isbn=9788183323642 |page=126 |year=2008 |publisher=Ratna Sagar (P) Limited}}</ref> Bahlul became [[sultan]] of the dynasty on 19 April 1451<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=122–125}}</ref> (855 [[Hijri year|AH]]).

== Early life ==
Bahlul's grandfather, Malik Bahram Khan Lodhi, a [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] tribal chief of [[Lodi (Pashtun tribe)|Lodhi tribe]]. He later took service under the governor of Multan, [[Malik Mardan Daulat]] . Malik Bahram had a total of about five sons. His eldest son, Malik Sultan Shah Lodi, later served under the [[Sayyid dynasty]] ruler [[Khizr Khan]] and distinguished himself by killing in the battle later's worst enemy Mallu Iqbal Khan. He was rewarded with the title of Islam Khan and in 1419 appointed the governor of [[Sirhind]]. Bahlul, the son of Malik Kala, the younger brother of Malik Sultan was married to Malik Sultan's daughter.<ref name="Majumdar">Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). ''The Delhi Sultanate'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.134–36, 139–142</ref><ref name=Mahajan>Mahajan, V.D. (1991, reprint 2007). ''History of Medieval India'', New Delhi: S. Chand, {{ISBN|81-219-0364-5}}, pp.245–51</ref>

In his youth, Bahlul was involved in the trading of horses and once sold his finely bred horses to the Sayyid dynasty Sultan Mohammad Shah. As a payment he was granted a ''pargana'' and raised to the status of ''amir''. After the death of Malik Sultan, he became the governor of Sirhind. He was allowed to add Lahore to his charge. Once, Sultan Muhammad Shah asked for his help when the Malwa Sultan Mahmud Shah I 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.<ref name="Majumdar"/><ref name=Mahajan/>

In 1443, Bahlul attacked Delhi but he did not succeed. During the reign of last Sayyid ruler Sultan Alam Shah, Bahlul again made another unsuccessful attempt to capture Delhi in 1447. Finally, when Alam Shah retired to [[Badaun]] in 1448, 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 till his death in July 1478.<ref name="Majumdar"/><ref name=Mahajan/>

[[File:Tomb of Bahlol Lodi.JPG|thumb|Tomb of Bahlol Lodi ]]
==Reign==

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.<ref name="Mahajan"/>

In 1479, Sultan Bahlul Lodi defeated and annexed [[Sharqi dynasty]] based at [[Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh|Jaunpur]]. Bahlul did much to stop rebellions and uprisings in his territories, and extended his holdings over [[Gwalior]], [[Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh|Jaunpur]] and upper [[Uttar Pradesh]]. Just like the previous [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi Sultans]], he kept [[Delhi]] the capital of his kingdom. In 1486, he appointed his son, Babrak Shah as [[viceroy]] of Jaunpur. In time, this proved to be problematic, as his second son, Nizam Khan ([[Sikandar Lodi]]) was named successor, and a power struggle ensued{{cn|date=January 2019}} upon his death in July 1489.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Muntakhabu-'rūkh |url=https://persian.packhum.org/pf?file=03601020&ct=0 |chapter= SULṬĀN BUHLŪL [IBN I KĀLĀ]* LODĪ |chapter-url=https://persian.packhum.org/pf?file=03601021&ct=92 |author=Al-Badāoni |author-link=Al-Badauni |translator1-first=George S. A. |translator1-last=Ranking |translator2-first=Wolseley |translator2-last=Haig |translator3-first=W. H. |translator3-last=Lowe |via=[[Packard Humanities Institute]], Persian Literature in Translation website}}</ref> The site of his grave is disputed. The [[Archeological Survey of India]] has long designated a building close to the shrine of the noted [[Sufi]] saint [[Nasiruddin Chirag-e-Delhi]] in a locality that goes by his name, 'Chirag Delhi', as [[Tomb of Bahlul Lodi|Bahlul Lodi's tomb]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040509191553/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2004/03/01/stories/2004030100750200.htm Delhi's Valley of Kings] [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]], 1 March 2004.</ref> Other historians argue that the [[Sheesh Gumbad]] in the [[Lodi Gardens]] is actually to be identified with his tomb.<ref>[[Simon Digby (oriental scholar)|Simon Digby]], ''The Tomb of Buhlul Lodi'', The Bulletin of SOAS, Vol. 38, No. 3, 1975, pp. 550–61.</ref>

==Marriages==
Bahlul married two times:
*Shams Khatun, daughter of Malik Shah Sultan Lodhi, his first cousin;{{cn|date=July 2021}}
*Bibi Ambha, daughter of a [[Hindu]] goldsmith{{cn|date=July 2021}}

== See also ==
* [[Sher Shah Suri]]
* [[Jaunpur Sultanate]]
* [[Shaikh Sama'al-Din Kamboh]]
* [[Tomb of Bahlul Lodi]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Ala-ud-Din]]}}
{{s-ttl| title = [[Delhi Sultanate|Sultan of Delhi]]
| years = 1451–1489 }}
{{s-aft| rows = 2 | after = [[Sikandar Lodi]] }}
{{s-non| reason = New dynasty }}
{{s-ttl| title = [[Lodi dynasty]]
| years = 1451–1525 }}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lodi, Bahlul}}
[[Category:1489 deaths]]
[[Category:Sultans of the Lodi dynasty]]
[[Category:15th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:People from Delhi]]
[[Category:Indian people of Pashtun descent]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

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Bahlul Lodi