The Lodi Innovations and its Influence on Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate

• The disruptive tendencies that were already present escalated under the successors of Khizr Khan. The Mewatis, for example, hindered the expeditions of Mubarak Shah and brought disorder up to the gates of Delhi during the reign of Muhammad Shah (1434-43). Meanwhile, the Ulema and the Amirs invited Mahmud Khalji of Malwa to invade the capital in 1440. 
• Though the Sultan, with the aid of Bahlol Lodi, managed to keep Khalji at bay, he couldn't prevent the Sultanate from disintegrating. The last Saiyyid ruler, Ala-ud-din Alam Shah (1443-51), was a highly incompetent ruler with little control over the amirs and other chiefs.
• These rapid changes in the Delhi Sultanate were being closely monitored by Bahlol, who seized the opportunity and ascended the throne on April 19, 1451. He established a kind of tribal oligarchy by inviting numerous Afghans to settle in the country and granting them liberal Zamindari rights. 
• During his reign, Prince Nizam Khan (later Sikandar Lodi) suppressed the revolt of Tatar Khan Yusuf Khail, who was the master of all the sarkars to the west of Delhi, including Sirhind, Hisar-Firuzah, Samana, Lahore, and Dipalpur. In a battle fought near Ambala, Tatar Khan was defeated and killed despite his stubborn resistance.

Religious Fanaticism of Nizam Khan

• When Nizam Khan ascended the throne on July 16, 1489, he showed great zeal in religious matters but his rule was tainted by his intolerance towards non-Muslims. Despite some successes, his regime was marked by cruelty and violence towards the Hindu population. 
• The Tabaqdt-i-Abkari records an incident where Sikandar expressed his desire to visit Kurukshetra to massacre the Hindu population there. When he was still the Shahzadah, he once asked a group of learned men about the law of the Prophet regarding a reservoir in Thanesar where Hindus assembled and bathed. 
• When they replied that it was not lawful to destroy ancient idol temples or prohibit ablution in a reservoir which had been used for this purpose for generations, Nizam Khan drew his dagger and attempted to kill one of the learned men who disagreed with him. 
• This incident highlights his religious fanaticism and his intolerance towards those who held different beliefs.
• As a result of Maulana Abdullah Ajudhani's courageous response, the Sultan was appeased and his intention to harm the Hindu population in Kurukshetra was dropped. It is surprising to note that even though Sikandar Lodi was born to a Hindu mother, he displayed an intolerant attitude towards the Hindu religion. His extreme religious fervor was also evident in his decision to use the idols from Nagarkot for weighing meat.

Administrative Units under Bahlol and Sikandar Lodi

• Historical records provide us with a detailed account of the administrative measures taken by the first two Lodis to ensure the efficiency of the administration. The names of various officers who were appointed in different administrative units under Bahlol and Sikandar are also mentioned. 
• These officers included Tatar Khan and Sikandar Khan, who were appointed in Hissar, Ibrahim Sur in Narnaul, Umar Khan in Shahbad and Payal, Mathi Sur in a small Jagir near Hansi, and Daria Khan in Panipat.
• Under Sikandar's reign, the Shiqdars appointed were Mian Emad in charge of Samasabad, Thanesar, and Shahbad, Sulaiman under Jalesar and Indri, AH Khan in Mahavan, Usman in Jhajjar, Shaikh Saiyyid in Hansi, Hasan Khan in Mewat, and the widow of Khan-i-Jahan and his minor son in a jagir near Kaithal. Darya Khan continued to be in charge of Panipat.

Local States of Haryana during the Lodi's

• During the reign of the Lodis, two of the most notable local states in Haryana were Kaithal and Mewat. Mohan Singh Mandhar, the leader of Mandahar, Jats, and Rajputs, ruled over Kaithal with his headquarters in Kalayat. 
• The Mandhars fiercely resisted Sikandar in the region near Jind and Kalayat, resulting in the injury of Sikandar's commander, Jalaluddin. 
• Despite their valiant efforts, the Mandhars had to submit to the superior numbers of the Sultan's army. However, they were not defeated and continued to resist Babur's advance.
• To summarize, it is believed that the people of Mewat converted to Islam during Firuz Tughlaq's reign. Bahadur Nadir, the Mewat leader, played an important role in the politics of Delhi during the Tughlaq dynasty. 
• He was considered a rebel chief by Muhammad Tughlaq II and Nasiruddin Mahmud Tughlaq, and his territories were repeatedly plundered by imperial forces. Despite this, Nadir resisted by occupying a strategic position in Jhirka and making incursions into the environs of Delhi. 
• Even after Taimur's invasion, Nadir opposed Khizr Khan's claims to suzerainty, although his main fortress of Katila was destroyed in 1421.

Mewat's history of rebellion against Delhi

• In 1424, during the reign of Saiyyid Mubarak Shah, an expedition was sent to attack the rebellious Mewatis who had laid waste to their own land and sought refuge in the hilly area of Jahara. The Mewatis were successful in forcing the imperial forces to retreat. Mubarak Shah continued his attacks on Mewat in 1425, 1427 and 1428. 
• Despite this, Jallu and Kaddu, the grandsons of Bahadur Nadir, continued to resist the Delhi forces. They retreated to Indor, a place of refuge in Tijara Hills, and Jallu carried on the resistance. However, the Delhi Sultanate captured Indor, and Kaddu was executed in 1427. 
• Though Jallu remained in opposition, Mubarak Shah continued his campaigns against Mewat, causing destruction throughout their land until they eventually surrendered.
• During the reign of Bahlol, Ahmad Khan Mewati was defeated and forced to surrender, sending his uncle as a representative to the Delhi Court. He lost seven parganas but was allowed to keep the rest of his land as tributary. However, he later supported Husain Shah of Jaunpur against Bahlol and suffered significant losses before ultimately submitting to the Sultan's authority.
• During Sikandar Lodi's reign, Alam Khan Mewati was a respected noble at the Delhi Court. Hasan Khan Mewati declared his independence during the period of confusion following the rebellion of Ibrahim's officers. 
• He established an extensive kingdom, including Mewat, parts of Gurgaon and Narnaul, Kanod, and the area around Alwar, with a standing army of 10,000 Mewatis. Despite being unhappy with Ibrahim, Hasan Khan remained loyal to the Sultanate and supported the imperial forces in the first battle of Panipat.

Ibrahim Lodi, the final ruler of the Lodi dynasty, was a despotic ruler who alienated many of the court nobles and contributed to the country's growing disunity. The battle of Panipat in 1526 became a decisive moment in the country's history, as Ibrahim Lodi's reign ended and Haryana came under the control of the Mughal Empire.