Buhlul Lodi was the founder of Lodi Dynasty and ruled the Delhi Sultanates from 1451 to 1489. He was an Afghan and his government resembled that of a tribal chief. Buhlul was brought up by his uncle Islam Khan Lodi. After his uncle’s death, he became the governor of Sarhind. He soon increased his power and became the ruler of the entire Punjab. Taking advantage of the weakness of the Sayyid rulers Buhlul began the struggle of capturing the throne of Delhi in which he eventually succeeded. His coronation was held on 19 April 1451 and he took the title of Sultan Abul Muzaffar Buhlul Shah Ghazi. He was enthusiastic, ambitious and vigilant, and lost no time to extend his dominion. He failed to capture Multan but succeeded to defeat the Hindu rajas of Mewat and Doab. His greatest achievement was the conquest of Jaunpur in 1479. After he appointed his own governor at Jaunpur, he occupied Dholpur and Gwalior.
Buhlul needed all the support from his fellow Afghans and he treated them with consideration and showed respect for Afghan customs and traditions. He did not sit on the throne and would like to share a carpet with the nobles whom he addressed as Masnad-i-Ali. He did not hesitate to call on the displeased Afghan nobles, lay down his sword or even take off his turban and implore them to choose someone else as their leader if in their estimation he was unworthy of his office. He was kind and generous to the poor who never returned empty-handed from his gate. His qualities as a soldier, need hardly to be overemphasized, for in 1489 he died in harness never knowing any rest or comfort throughout a long reign of more than thirty eight years.
This article was last updated on Monday, Jan 03, 2005
