Ala-ud-din Alam Shah was the son of Muhammad Shah. He was a man of week and dissolute character and the weakest monarch of the Delhi Sultanate. He ascended the throne as all the chieftains except Bahlul Lodi took an oath of allegiance to him otherwise his dominion was ironically limited for an area of only ten miles from Delhi to Palam. It was aptly styled in a Persian saying: Padshahi-e-Shah Alam az Delhi ta Palam (The kingdom of the Lord of the world extends from Delhi to Palam).
The entire territory of Punjab was now under Bahlul Lodi’s sway. When he made one more abortive attempt for his rule in 1447, the indolent Sultan was obliged to retire and take rest in Badaun in order to spare himself from the constant pressure and troublemaking of Bahlul Lodhi. The capital was left in the charge of the wazir, Hamid Khan. Trouble, however, persisted and Hamid Khan finally invited Bahlul to Delhi and made him commander of the army. But Buhlul who had been dreaming of the throne for years got rid of Hamid Khan and became a full-fledged king in 1451. Alam Shah was left forlorn in Badaun till his death in 1478.
This article was last updated on Monday, Jan 03, 2005
