Twilight of the Sultanate c14.s6: An Estimate of Sikandar Lodi

Twilight of the Sultanate c14.s6

Language: English

An Estimate of Sikandar Lodi

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Sikandar Shāh had ruled for twenty-nine years, full of glory and distinction. He was the greatest ruler of the Lodī dynasty, and far outshone both his father Bahlūl and his son Ibrāhīm. During his reign he had retrieved the prestige of the Sultanate and extended its territories. He had removed the last vestiges of the Jaunpur kingdom and had conquered and occupied Bihār. The Raja of Tirhut had acknowledged his suzerainty and the powerful kings of Bengal and Orissa thought it wise to befriend him. The region around Agra was brought by him under complete control and all recalcitrance in Bayana, Dholpur, Etawah, Chandwār tract had been wiped out. Chanderi had been wrested and Nagor humbled, and the region up to Ranthambhor was completely consolidated. Withal he had considerably weakened the State of Gwalior, and had helped the dismemberment of the kingdom of Malwa. We hear little of the Punjab during his reign, but Bābur's notices aver that it was more obedient to Sikandar than it had been to his predecessor.

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As a king as well as a man, Sikandar Lodī has earned high praise at the hands of Muslim historians. According to them he was verging almost on the ideal.¹²⁴ He was averse to pomp and show and rebuked those who wasted money on ostentation.¹²⁵ To his sagacity were added a liberal, polite and charitable disposition. Every six months he got prepared a list of the indigent and the meritorious and allotted suitable allowances to each one of them.¹²⁶ Every winter he distributed clothes and shawls to the needy. Cooked and uncooked food was distributed at various places in the city every day.¹²⁷ On certain days like the 'Īd, Bārāwafāt, the anniversary of the Prophet's death, and in the month of Ramzān, charities were distributed and amnesty granted to certain classes of prisoners. Following the example of the King, the nobles also vied with one another in giving charities.¹²⁸

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¹²⁴ T.A., I, 335; W.M., 6 (b); M.R., I, 473.

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¹²⁵ T.A., I, 337; T.S.A., 60-62; M.R., I, 476.

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¹²⁶ *Makhzan*, 66 (b), 68 (a); Dorn, I, 66.

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¹²⁷ W.M., 7 (a & b).

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¹²⁸ *Makhzan*, 67 (b), 68 (a).

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Sikandar Lodī revered learning and always kept the company of accomplished and learned men.¹²⁹ It is said that the Sultan bestowed lands and gifts upon the learned and the religious to an extent that had never been known in former reigns. Sikandar Shāh himself was a scholar of Persian literature and a poet of no mean merit. His poetical pseudonym was Gulrukhī, and he recited poetry beautifully.¹³⁰

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¹²⁹ T.S.A., 46.

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¹³⁰ Badaonī has quoted some verses of the poet-king Gulrukhī which betray a delicacy of feeling and expression.

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Sikandar’s association with the learned had added to his piety and religious-mindedness. He said his prayers regularly, and after the afternoon prayer went into an assembly of the Mullas.¹³¹ Thereafter he read the Holy Quran. He took personal interest in deciding suits, helping the needy and making his subjects happy. It was his habit to keep awake till late in the night to look into the petitions of the needy and the aggrieved and to dictate *farmāns* to governors of provinces. He was truly brave.¹³² The way Sikandar Shāh treated his fallen brother Bārbak Shāh must have endeared him to all. He chid the Darwesh who had prophesied victory against his brother¹³³ and scolded Mubārak Khan Nūhānī for suggesting reprisals against Husain Shāh Sharqī.¹³⁴

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¹³¹ *Makhzan*, 66 (a).

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¹³² T.D., 32; T.S.A., 31-34.

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¹³³ *Makhzan*, 99 (b). T.S.A., 37; *T.D.*, 82.

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¹³⁴ W.M., 10 (a).

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The lavish praise of the chroniclers indicates that the Sultan’s few deficiencies and hypocritical ways were surely overlooked. Sikandar Shāh drank wine secretly in order “to keep himself in health”.¹³⁵ His piety had also to be compromised with his love of music. He had many accomplished musicians in his palace.¹³⁶ *Shahnāi* was his favourite instrument, and was played in his presence whenever he so desired. It is said that when he was dying, he paid expiation money for drinking wine, shaving his beard and for occasional neglect of *Rozā* and *Namāz*.¹³⁷

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¹³⁵ T. D., 37; E and D, IV, 446.

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¹³⁶ T.S.A., 48; T.D., 41.

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¹³⁷ T.D., 99; W.M., 26 (b).

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“Into the eye of the needle of her eye lashes,
I shall pass the thread of my soul.
If Gulrukhī could describe the charms of her teeth,
He would say they were water-white pearls of the ocean of her speech.”

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Badaonī, I, 323; Ranking, I, 426.

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The Sultan took a keen interest in the welfare of the Musalmans. He founded Masjids throughout his dominions, and appointed a preacher, a reader, and a sweeper to each.¹³⁸ Thus he turned Masjids almost into government institutions. A contemporary marble slab, now placed in the Delhi Museum of Archaeology, declares him a staunch Muslim who made foundations of Islam strong.¹³⁹ He did not permit any un-Islamic practices go on unchecked. Women were forbidden to perform pilgrimages to tombs.¹⁴⁰ The Sultan forbade the annual procession of the "Standard of Sālār Mas'aūd" from Delhi and other places to Bahraich.¹⁴¹ He also stopped the display of *Taziās* during the month of Muharram as also the worship of Sītala, the small-pox divinity.¹⁴²

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¹³⁸ T.A., I, 336; *Makhzan*, 67 (a).

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¹³⁹ List., III, 189.

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¹⁴⁰ T.D., 40.

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¹⁴¹ Sālār Mas'aūd Ghāzī was a celebrated general of Mahmūd Ghaznavī, who, after numberless encounters with the Hindus, fell at their hands in a battle near Bahraich in A. D. 1033 (424 H). T.A., I, 336 and note in De's trs., 386; T.D., 40; Dorn, I, 66. Reverence for this "martyr and Ghāzī" was natural, but in the procession to Bahraich the Sultan saw a tinge of idolatry and banned it.

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¹⁴² W.M., 7 (b).

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Sikandar's sense of justice had earned him the praise of everyone, high and low.¹⁴³ "So great was Sultan Sikandar's justice", says 'Abdulla, "that no man could even look sternly at another." His Vakil Dariyā Khan Nūhānī was directed to remain all day, until the first watch of the night, on the seat of justice; the Qāzī with twelve of the 'Ulama were always present within the King's own palace. They tried all cases brought before the court of law and delivered judgements of the nature of which the Sultan received immediate information. Certain young slaves were specially appointed to work from morning until the close of the sittings to report to the King immediately on everything occurring in the law-courts.¹⁴⁴ The procedure of giving justice was short and swift. When a civil suit from a Saiyyad against Miān Malik, the jagirdar of pargana Arwal in Gaya district¹⁴⁵ took about two months, and no decision was arrived at, the Sultan got exasperated at the delay. He ordered Miān Bhua, who was inquiring into the case, not to allow any one to leave the court that day until the case was decided. The judges and the Vazīr's Dīvān pondered over the case "until the third watch of the night" when judgement was delivered against Miān Malik. He was made to confess his guilt and was deprived of his estate.¹⁴⁶ Even while the King was riding or hunting and some one brought a complaint, his grievance was immediately looked into. The king was stern but not vindictive. When a person had once been convicted of a crime, he never again gave him anything, but at the same time he did not cease to treat him with kindness.¹⁴⁷ He even ordered periodical releases from jail of persons not guilty of violent criminal offences.¹⁴⁸

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¹⁴³ For an instance of his sense of justice see T.S.A., 35-36.

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¹⁴⁴ E & D, IV, 454. Also Ferishta, I, 186.

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¹⁴⁵ The words in the text are "from the district of Ardal which is twenty or thirty *kos* from Panna on the Agra side." Prof. Hodivala rightly points out that both Ardal and Panna are wrong. It is Arwal in Gaya district lying on river Sone about 44 miles S.W. of Patna city. Hodivala, 470. Also W.M., 13 (a); Seely, *Road Book of India*, 15-16; Constable, 28 D.C.

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¹⁴⁶ W.M., 13 (a-b).

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¹⁴⁷ E and D, IV, 449.

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¹⁴⁸ *Ibid.*, 448.

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Sikandar Lodī tackled the problems of civil administration with tact and ability. According to 'Abdulla during his reign countless Amīrs belonging to the Afghan tribe had gathered round him. This immigration of Afghans was in pursuance of the invitation extended by his father and continued after him. Bahlūl's state policy as well as his attitude towards his tribesmen had given them power at the cost of the crown. Sikandar would have nothing of the kind. He, therefore, dealt with the problem of the Afghan nobility in two ways. Firstly, he tried to raise their standard of culture and education. He spared no pains to educate the Afghan chiefs and clansmen, and according to Nizāmuddīn education spread among the Amīrs, sons of Amīrs and soldiers.¹⁴⁹ According to 'Abdulla, the Sultan insisted on people being modest, honest and polite in manners. The nobles abandoned their feuds and duels and "the road of disorder and unrest was closed". They chose to remain content with their assignments and passed their lives in the greatest security and happiness.¹⁵⁰

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¹⁴⁹ T.A., I, 336.

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¹⁵⁰ The translation of the passage in E and D, IV, 451 does not convey the correct sense. I am in agreement with N. B. Roy's translation, *op. cit.*, 116.

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Secondly, he kept a close eye on his officers. Like 'Alāuddīn Khaljī, Sikandar Lodī used to receive reports regularly of happenings in his Empire.¹⁵¹ If anything unpleasant or untoward happened, it was immediately set right. This was possible because of the revival of Dāk Chaukīs or system of transmitting news by relays of horses. Besides, so efficient and so stern was his espionage system that sometimes he received information about men who had been presumably all alone, and the gullible credited him with supernatural powers.¹⁵² He sent two *farmāns* everyday to civil officers in the various parts of his Empire and army commanders on campaigns. Whenever a *farmān* was sent to a district officer, he received it with the greatest respect,¹⁵³ and orders not marked secret were read out from the pulpit of the mosques for general information. Similarly, the Sultan was very strict about the audit of accounts and honesty of officers. Any loss of government property had to be made good by the officer in charge from his own pocket.¹⁵⁴ He would not spare even high officials like Mubārak Khan Mūjīkhail, governor of Jaunpur, and Malik Asghar, governor of Delhi, when their accounts came under inspection. Education of the Amīrs and army officers on the one hand and strictness in administration on the other made the Afghan nobles completely obedient so that the Sultan could boast: "If I order one of my slaves to be seated in a palanquin, the entire body of nobility would carry him on their shoulders at my bidding''.¹⁵⁵

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¹⁵¹ T.A., I, 338; Ferishta, I, 187.

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¹⁵² Anecdotes of how he got information and gave justice are related in T.A., I, 336-38; Dorn, I, 68-69; Ferishta, I, 187-88; and T.S.A., 42-43.

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¹⁵³ T.A., I, 337-38; T.D., 40; E and D, IV, 488.

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¹⁵⁴ W.M., 13 (b).

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¹⁵⁵ Passage in T.D. as translated by N. B. Roy, *op. cit.*, 134.

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But otherwise he was non-interfering. If he granted an assignment to any one, he never removed him until a fault was proved against him.¹⁵⁶ If any one found any hidden treasure, he was permitted to retain it.¹⁵⁷ There was a keen desire on the part of the Sultan to keep the services satisfied and he did his utmost to gain the goodwill and affection of his officers and soldiers. No administration is, however, without its faults. In making selection to posts Sikandar Shāh looked more to heredity than to merit. Moreover he favoured the Afghans, especially those of his own tribe.¹⁵⁸

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¹⁵⁶ E and D, IV, 449.

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¹⁵⁷ Rizqulla Mushtaqī and Ahmad Yādgar give two anecdotes in this connection. Ahmad Yādgar, however, concludes with an unusually bold remark. Comparing Sikandar Lodī's times with his own he says: "God be praised, for endowing the Sultan (Sikandar) with such a generous spirit. In these days (i.e. Mughal Emperor Jahāngīr's) if any one were to find even a few copper *tankās*, our rulers would immediately pull down his house to examine every nook and corner for more." W.M., 21 (a) T.S.A., 36.

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¹⁵⁸ *Makhzan*, 66 (b); E and D, IV, 451.

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In view of the fact that Sikandar Lodī was engaged all his life in waging war against hostile neighbours and recalcitrant governors, his achievements in the field of administration are very creditable indeed. Though an autocratic monarch, still he reposed great trust in his officers and ministers. Much of the credit for the efficiency of Sikandar Shāh’s administration also goes to his Vazīr Miān Bhuā. Only one instance of Bhuā’s sagacity would suffice to show the merit of the man and the confidence the King reposed in him. When once asked by the King how corruption among his officers could be eradicated, the veteran noble told him that firstly he should have faith in his officers and secondly he should pay them well, so that they might be free from avarice.¹⁵⁹

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¹⁵⁹ T.A., I, 340-41.

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In a word under Sikandar Lodī’s efficient administration the Afghan chiefs were kept under control. The Hindu zamindars were kept down with a strong hand. The corn duties were abolished, agriculture was encouraged and trade was carried on in perfect security. Consequently, prices of food grains fell. The people were happy and the glory of the Sultanate was revived.¹⁶⁰

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¹⁶⁰ T.D., 111, 112; T.S.A., 48-49

Cites (1)

Tārīkh-i Firishta — Muḥammad Qāsim Hindū Shāh Firishta 1606, Persian