Rulers of Delhi Sultanate for SSC & Bank

Exams - GK Notes
The Delhi Sultanate refers to five Muslim kingdoms or dynasties that ruled over the
territory of Delhi between the years 1206 to 1526 CE. In the 16th Century, the last rulers
of the Delhi Sultanate were defeated by Mughals, who then laid the foundation of the
Mughal Empire in India. Before the Mughal Empire came into existence, the Delhi
Sultanate was considered to be the most powerful State in the Northern India. Many
government exams include the topic of history in their questions, thus knowing facts
about history is important for you to crack these exams. Read this article to know in
detail about the Rulers of Delhi Sultanate.
The five dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate include:

• The Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290)

Let's find out more about these great dynasties and the Rulers of Delhi Sultanate.

The Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290)

Here is a list of the Mamluk Rulers of the Delhi Sultanate in this era.

Ruler Reign
Qutb-ud-din Aibak 1206–1210

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 Aram Shah 1210–1211
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish 1211–1236
Rukn-ud-din Firuz 1236
Raziyat-ud-din Sultana 1236–1240
Muiz-ud-din Bahram 1240–1242
Ala-ud-din Masud 1242–1246
Nasir-ud-din Mahmud 1246–1266
Ghiyas-ud-din Balban 1266–1286
Muiz-ud-din Qaiqabad 1286–1290
Kayumars 1290

• Qutb-ud-din Aibak was the first ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty (also called
the slave dynasty). He was a generous ruler and ruled over the Sultanate of Delhi
for over four years. Qutb-ud-din Aibak laid the foundation of Qutub
Minar.
• Another important ruler of the Mamluk Dynasty was Shams-ud-din
Iltutmish. He was the son-in-law of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. Shams-ud-din
Iltumish was known for the Iqta system of land revenue and the completion of
Qutub Minar.
• After Shams-us-din Iltumish, his military trained daughter Raziya Sultan
(Raziyat-ud-din Sultana) took over the Sultanate of Delhi. Balban succeded
Raziya Sultan, followed by his grandson Qaiqabad (Kaikubad).
• Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji aka Malik Firuz killed Qaiqabad and put an end to the
Mamluk Dynasty or Slave Dynasty.

The Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320)

Here is the list of Khilji rulers who ruled over Delhi Sultanate in this era.

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 Ruler Reign
Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji 1290–1296
Ala-ud-din Khilji 1296–1316
Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah 1316–1320

• Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji was also known as the general of slaves and a very smart
sultan. He avoided wars with invaders such as Halaku and Ulugh Khan. In fact,
he made peace with Ulugh Khan by giving his daughter.
• Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji was assassinated by his nephew Ala-ud-din Khilji. He
was the first Muslim ruler to be brave enough to cross the Satpuras, Vindhyas
and Narmada River to conquer Deccan.
• Ala-ud-din Khilji passed away in the year 1316 and was succeeded by his son
Mubarak Shah. Mubarak Shah was killed by Khusru Khan who sat on the
throne of Delhi Sultanate for some time. Later, he was killed by Ghiyath-al-din
Tughluq, which marked the era of the Tughlaq Dynasty.

The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320–1414)

Here is the list of Tughlaq rulers who ruled over Delhi Sultanate in this era.

Ruler Reign
Ghiyath-al-din Tughlaq 1321–1325
Muhammad bin Tughlaq 1325–1351
Firuz Shah Tughlaq 1351–1388
Ghiyas-ud-in Tughlaq II 1388–1389
Abu Bakr Shah 1389–1390
Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III 1390–1393
Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah I 1393

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 Mahmud Nasir ud din 1393–1394
Nusrat Shah 1394–1399
Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah 1399–1413

• The first ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty was Ghiyath-al-Din Tughlaq, who
was also known by the name Ghazi Malik.
• He was succeeded by Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq who was known for his
misadventures related to administration and war.
• Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq was succeeded by Firuz Shah Tughlaq who was half
Muslim (his mother was a Hindu). He was known to establish cities. Under his
reign, cities like Firuzshah Kotla (Delhi), Hisar, Jaunpur (West Bengal),
Fatahabad, Firozabad were founded.
• After the demise of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, his successors were killed one by one and
the Delhi Sultanate lost its charm and importance.

The Sayyid Dynasty (1414–1451)

Here is the list of Sayyid rulers who ruled over Delhi Sultanate in this era.

Ruler Reign
Khizr Khan 1414–1421
Mubarak Shah 1421–1434
Muhammad Shah 1434–1445
Alam Shah 1445–1451

• After the Tughlaq Dynasty, Khizr Khan founded the Sayyid Dynasty. He was the
governor of Multan and Timur's deputy in India. Khizr Khan died of
illness and was succeeded by his son Mubarak Shah.

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 • Mubarak Shah had a vision of expanding the empire, but his plans were foiled by
opposition and revolts of the nobles. Even with this opposition, Mubarak Shah
was an efficient ruler of the Delhi Sultanate.
• After Mubarak Shah, the Delhi Sultanate was ruled by two incompetent rulers -
Muhammad Shah and Ala-ud-din Alam Shah thereafter. Ala-ud-din Alam Shah
was the last ruler of the Sayyid Dynasty. He gave up the throne voluntarily in
favour of Bahlol Lodi.

The Afghan Lodi Dynasty (1451–1526)

Here is the list of Afghan Lodi rulers who ruled over Delhi Sultanate in this era.

Ruler Reign
Bahlol Lodi 1451–1489
Sikander Lodi 1489–1517
Ibrahim Lodi 1517–1526

• The rulers of the Afghan Lodi Dynasty were the last rulers of the Delhi Sultanate.
They tried their best to bring Delhi to the past glory, but could not succeed.
• Bahlol Lodi was the first ruler of the Afghan Lodi Dynasty and was
succeeded by his son Sikandar Lodi.
• Sikandar Lodi was known for his leadership and thirst for supremacy. He
launched campaigns against several kingdoms. In the year 1503, he established
the city of Agra. He also transferred his headquarter to Agra due to its strategic
location.
• Sikandar Lodi was succeeded by his son Ibrahim Lodi, who was the
last of the Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate.

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 • One of Ibrahim Lodi’s uncles, Daulat Khan Lodi, fled to Kabul and invited Babur
to attack India. Taking Daulat Khan Lodi’s advice, Babur attacked Northern India
and thus the Afghan Lodi Dynasty came to an end.

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