Twilight of the Sultanate c13.s1.1

c13.s1.1

SULTAN BAHLUL LODI,¹ who ascended the throne of Delhi in 1451, rose to such eminence from a humble beginning. According to Ferishta, Bahlūl's grand-father Behrām Lodī was one of the Afghan traders who used to come to Hindustan to sell their merchandise. Behrām had had some estrangement with his brother and he left his home country to settle down permanently in India during the reign of Fīrōz Tughlaq. He took up service under Malik Mardān Daulat, governor of Multan, whom we have met before. Behrām had five sons—Malik Sultan Shāh, Malik Kālā, Malik Fīrōz, Malik Muhammad and Malik Khwājā.² Sultan Shāh took up service under Khizr Khan, governor of Multan, and was put in charge of a contingent of Afghans. He actively helped Khizr Khan in his fight against Mallū Iqbāl Khan, and it was he who struck down Mallū Iqbāl in battle in 1405. For this act of bravery Khizr Khan rewarded him with the title of Islām Khan and the fief of Sarhind.³ As governor of Sarhind, Islām Khan assigned to his brothers many parganas under his control, and Malik Kālā Lodī was appointed to the pargana of Daurala.⁴ Malik Kālā had married one of his uncle's daughters. When she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, she was crushed under a collapsing wall, but the child was rescued by a surgical operation.⁵ This child was Bahlūl Lodī.