Indian History

Ibrahim Lodi Tomb, Panipat Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Lodi rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, is a famous personality in the Indian history whose defeat by Babur, the founder of the Mughal empire, in the first Battle of Panipat in 1526 led to the foundation of a new dynasty, named the Mughal empire, in India which lasted till 1857. Ibrahim Lodi, the eldest son of Sikandar Lodi, succeeded to the Delhi throne after his father’s death in 1517.  After becoming the Lodi Sultan, he assumed the title of Ibrahim Shah.   Military campaigns of Ibrahim Lodi The greatest military achievement of Ibrahim was the subjugation of Gwalior which was then being ruled by Vikramajit whose father Man Singh had successfully frustrated designs of previous Lodi ruler Sikandar Lodi. Ibrahim sent an army to the principality of Gwalior on the pretext that Vikramajit had offered shelter to Ibrahim‘s younger brother, Jalal Khan, who also eyed the Delhi throne. Jalal Khan was killed on the order of Ibrahim who also im

Dadu was the most important of the religious teachers who taught the ideals of Kabir with great force. He was born to Brahmin parents in 1544 AD in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.  He, however, spent most part of his life in Rajasthan where he died in 1603 in the village of Narana or Narayana which is presently the chief centre of his followers who are called by the name of Dadu-panthis. A contemporary of Mughal emperor Akbar, Dadu taught the brotherhood of all faiths and founded Brhama-sampradaya or Parabrahma- sampradaya to give effect to his doctrine. It is said that it was at the instance of Dadu that the Mughal emperor ordered the ban of cow-slaughter in his empire. A non-believer in the authority of scriptures, Dadu stressed the importance of self-realization. According to him, this realization can be attained by complete surrender to God and making ourselves free from egotism. Sundaradasa (1597-1689) and Rajjab were the famous disciples of Dadu. Famous Quote of Dadu “Be humble and free f

Rukn-ud-din Firuz was the ruler of the Slave dynasty who was placed on the throne of Delhi Sultanate by the nobles of the court in deference to the wishes of the Slave Sultan Iltutmish who had nominated his daughter Razia as his successor before his death in April, 1236. Iltutmish's eldest son, Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, who was also his favourite child and the ablest among the children , died in April, A.D. 1229. Nasir-ud-din Mahmud was governor of Bengal at that time. Since Rukn-ud-din Firuz, Iltutmish’s eldest surviving son, was incompetent and lazy and indulged in sensual pleasures, the Sultan thought it prudent to nominate Razia as heir-apparent . However, the anointment of a woman was not liked by the nobles and courtiers. So his wish was thrown to the dustbin and Rukn-ud-din Firuz became the next Slave Sultan. Rukn-ud-din Firuz’s reign did not last long as the kingdom plunged into utter chaos and disorder due to the undue influence of his mother Shah Turkhan, an inordinate

In 1397 Taj-ud-din Firuz Shah, popularly known as Firuz Shah Bahmani, usurped the throne of the Bhamani kingdom which came into existence in 1347 in the Deccan as a revolt against the rule of the Tughlaq Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq of the Delhi Sultanate. The most famous ruler of the Bahmani kingdom, Firuz Shah was a grandson Alauddin Hasan Bahmani, the founder of the dynasty. Sayyid Ali Tabataba, the author of Burhan-i-Ma'asir , describes him as ' a good, just, and generous king, who supported himself by copying the Quran’. According to him, Firuz "was an impetuous and a mighty monarch, and expended all his ability and energy in eradicating and destroying tyranny and heresy, and he took much pleasure in the society of the Shekhs, learned men and hermits". An interesting personality in the history of Deccan, Firuz Shah is counted among the most learned rulers of his time. Endowed with a prodigious memory and keen intellect, he was a linguist and could converse freely

Ruknuddin Kaikaus was the independent ruler of Bengal who ruled from 1291 to 1300 AD. He succeeded to the throne after his father Bughra Khan, son of Delhi Sultan Balban, decided to abdicate the Bengal throne in his favour. 

Born in 1311 AD, Khwaja Abd Malik Isami has written a political history called Futuh–us-Sulatin, dedicated to the founder of the Bahmani kingdom, Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah.  Composed in a form of an epic, Futuh –us-Sulatin begins with the rise of the Ghaznavi dynasty and concludes with the reign of Sultan Muhamamd bin Tughlaq. According to Isami, Balban became the ruler of the Slave dynasty by murdering his predecessor and son-in-law Nasir-ud-din Mahmud. Regarding the rationale of shifting his capital from Delhi to Deogir (Daultabad) in the Deccan by Muhamamd bin Tughlaq,  this fourteen century historian says that  the decision was taken as Daultabad was centrally located and consequently safe from the Mongol invasion, a recurrent feature during the period.

Burhan-i-Ma'asir, named after Burhan Nizam Shah II of Nizam Shahi dynasty of the Muslim kingdom of Ahmadnagar, is written by Sayyid Ali Tabataba who came to India from Persia in 1580. Tabataba started writing Burhan-i-Ma'asir in 1591-1592 and finished it in 1595-1596. Burhan-i-Ma'asir describes the events pertaining to the Bahmani kingdom and its subsequent break-up into five Muslim dynasties in the South India.