Lodhi Dynasty
By Aditi Vijay, Class 7 B
THE DELHI SULTANATE
The period between 1206 AD and 1526 AD in Indian History is known
as the Delhi Sultanate.
During this period of over three hundred years five dynasties, (32
kings) ruled in Delhi.
These were :
The Slave Dynasty(1206 - 1290)
The Khilji Dynasty (1290 - 1320)
The Tughlak Dynasty (1320 - 1414)
The Sayyad Dynasty (1414 - 1450)
The Lodhi Dynasty (1451 - 1526)
TIMELINE OF DELHI SULTANATE
Lodhi Dynasty (1451-1526) in brief……
The Lodhis are the last ruling family of the Delhi
sultanate of India. The dynasty was of Afghan origin.
Compared to the Sayyids, the Lodhi Dynasty was a
better governed empire. They were in power for 75
years.
Established by Bahlol Lodhi in 1451, the Lodhis
ruled Delhi till 1526.
Bahlol was a vigorous leader, holding together a
loose confederacy of Afghan and Turkish chiefs with
his strong personality. Starting with only the control
of the region adjacent to Delhi, Bahlol extended the
effective boundaries of his empire to the borders of
Bengal.
`THE LODHI’S – Rulers
• AFGHAN SARDAAR, FOUNDER OF
LODHI DYNASTY.
• CONQUERED TERRITORIES
AROUND DELHI BY BEING IN
WAR FOR 26 YEARS.
• EXTENDED AUTHORITY OVER
JAUNPUR, REWAIL, ITAWAH,
MEWAR, GWALIOR etc.
• STRONG, BRAVE AND GENEROUS
BAHLOLLODHI RULER.
• SON OF BAHLOL LODHI, A STAUNCH
SUNNI AND A FANATICAL MUSLIM,
LACKED RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.
• SHIFTED HIS CAPITAL FROM DELHI
TO AGRA.
• CONQUERED BIHAR AND WEST
BENGAL. SIKANDAR LODHI
• LODHI DYNASTY WAS A PASHTUN DYNASTY THAT WAS • BROKE SACRED IMAGES IN TEMPLES
THE LAST TO RULE IN DELHI SULTANATE. AND ORDERED TEMPLES IN
• THE DYNASTY WAS FOUNDED BY BAHLOL LODHI. MATHURA TO BE DESTROYED.
• THE LAST RULER OF THIS DYNASTY, IBRAHIM LODHI WAS • TOOK A KEEN INTEREST IN
DEFEATED BY BABUR IN THE FIRST BATTLE OF PANIPAT, ON AGRICULTURE.
APRIL 20, 1526.
• COMPARED TO THE SAYYIADS, THE LODHI DYNASTY WAS A
BETTER GOVERNED EMPIRE. THEY WERE IN POWER FOR 75 • SON OF SIKANDAR LODHI, LAST
YEARS. SULTAN OF DELHI.
• ASSERTED THE ABSOLUTE POWER
OF
SULTAN.
• DEFEATED BY BABUR IN FIRST
BATTLE OF PANIPAT IN 1526.
IBRAHIM LODHI
• NO SULTAN OF INDIA, EXCEPT
IBRAHIM LODHI HAD BEEN KILLED
ON A BATTLE FIELD.
Sikandar Lodhi(1489-1517)
He was a great administrator. He continued his
father’s expansion policy and made several
conquests in Bengal and Bihar and subjugated
Gwalior.
He founded the modern city of Agra in 1504 on
the site known as Sikandarabad.
After his death, Lodhi dynasty went through
severe disturbances as his descendants started
fighting for power among themselves.
Ibrahim Lodhi
(1517-1526)
Ibrahim Lodhi (1517-1526)
After Sikandar’s death, his eldest son Ibrahim
suppressed a brief rebellion led by some of his
nobles who backed his younger brother Jalal
Khan to be the next Sultan; he had his brother
done away with and seized the throne, but never
managed to pacify his dissatisfied nobles.
He reportedly treated his elders with contempt
and made many foes, ultimately bringing about
his dynasty’s downfall within merely a decade.
Apparently Ibrahim became despotic, feared
and hated by his own relatives and officials..
Fall of the Lodhi Dynasty
Two such discontented nobles, Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of
Punjab, and Ibrahim’s uncle, Alam Khan Lodi, invited Babur, the
Mughal ruler of Kabul, to invade Hindustan and attack Ibrahim.
On April 20, 1526, in the historic First Battle of Panipat, north of
Delhi, Babur’s army of 12,000 vanquished Ibrahim’s imperial forces of
100,000 troops.
Thus bringing a close to 75 years of the Lodhis of Delhi.
Causes for the Decline of the Lodhis
Economic: The political structure was strained due to decline in trade
and depleted treasury, as the Sultan had to constantly put down
rebellions.
Political: The Afghans were divided into several powerful factions, some
supporting his brothers and uncles.
Social-Cultural: The lack of a law of succession, meant Ibrahim had to
constantly wage war against other claimants for the throne, this
weakened his kingdom.
Military-Strategic: The Mughals had a smaller army (12,000-24,000), but
used muskets and cannons. Ibrahim’s army (100,000) did not have
cannons. There were several desertions.
Timurid claim on the the throne: Babur was a Timurid prince and looked
upon the Lodhis as usurpers of the Timurid kingdom – the Sayyids. So,
when he got an opportunity to reclaim his legacy, he accepted it.
Lodhi Legacy
Sikandar Lodi’s highly evolved octagonal tomb in the
centre of a large peaceful garden enclosed by high walls
– became a winning model to be further developed by later
striking Mughal garden tombs, notably Humayun’s
spectacular sandstone and marble mausoleum in Delhi,
and finally, reaching perfection in Agra’s supreme white
marble confection, the Taj Mahal.
ATHPULA-
TOMB OF SIKANDAR
THE CENTRAL ONE
LODHI
BEING THE
IS CONNECTED TO THE
LARGEST IS THE “ 8
YAMUNA RIVER.
PIERED” BRIDGE
WHICH CONTAINS 7
ARCHES
SHEESHA GUMBAD
CONTAINS GLASS DOME
AND GLAZED TILES ARE
USED IN ITS
CONSTRUCTION
TURRET-
THE CORNER TOWER OF
AN ENCLOSURE WHICH IS
MOHAMMED SHAH TOMB CIRCULAR IN PLAN WITH
IS THE EARLIEST TOMB EXT DIA- 4 MTS AND 50 cm
IN THE GARDEN WITH THICK WALL WITH THE
OCTAGONAL SHAPE HEIGHT OF 8.50 mts
WITH VERANDHAS AND
SLOPING BUTRESSES. IN MIDDLE OF
A THREE DOMED
GARDEN IS THE
MASJID ATTACHED
BARA GUMBAD
TO THE BARA
WHICH A
GUMBAD
GATEWAY TO THE
MASJID
Lodhi Dynasty Sikandar Lodhi
coins struck by
(1451-1526) him
Agra which became an important
administrative and cultural centre
of the Mughals.Many mosques
were built during the dynasty
THANK YOU
