The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c7.28

c7.28

The final blow was dealt by Tīmūr. After the storm had passed away, the forces of reconstruction began to assert themselves. The Sayyids established some kind of authority in the western remnant of the sultanate, but disorder was too widespread for them to control it. Most of their time was spent in fighting rebellions. The situation called for rulers of great vigour, which the dynasty sadly lacked. Its authority was reduced gradually to a mere shadow; and out of all the turmoil emerged Buhlūl Lodī. He realized that single-handed he was not capable of restoring order to his newly acquired dominions; he, therefore, made himself the head of a tribal hegemony. His Afghān instincts as well as the political situation led him to this policy. The prestige and the authority of the monarchy had been completely undermined; almost every *parganah* was in a state of rebellion. The peasants and the chiefs—united by the common interest of withholding revenue and waylaying travellers—defied the central authority. Besides, there were the rival nobles who had not liked the rise of the Lodīs. Buhlūl had neither the machinery, nor the army, nor the resources to fight this widespread disaffection; he, therefore, sent a general invitation to his fellow Afghāns to come and share his triumph and his responsibilities. These men spread into every corner of the sultanate and reduced the *parganahs* once again to order, though, of course, with varying success. They were attached to the Lodīs by ties of gratitude and self-interest, and the sultanate was transformed into a loosely-knit Afghān empire.¹ Buhlūl was alive to the importance of putting his administration on a sound basis. The effects of his policy can be discerned in the gradual strengthening of his position: whereas at first he could scarcely cope with Jaunpūr, he later turned the tables completely and annexed the Sharqī kingdom. This could not be merely the result of Husain Shāh's military incapacity or the fickle favour of fortune. Buhlūl's efforts bore full fruit in the next reign. Sikandar devoted himself to the consolidation of his dominions and the better organization of the administration.² There was now peace in the land which brought with it not only prosperity, but also a cultural renaissance, the most remarkable feature being that the Hindus were infected with the new enthusiasm for Muslim learning.