Delhiwale: How many Sultanate kings can you name? Here’s the full list of 32

NEW DELHI :

For 320 years, Delhi was the city of sultans. Here is the list of the 32 rulers and where they rest now.

Sheesh Gumbad in Lodhi Gardens.(Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)
Sheesh Gumbad in Lodhi Gardens.(Mayank Austen Soofi / HT Photo)

The other day, while driving past an obscure monument, a friend demanded to know its name. We had no idea so we bluffed, “Ah, that’s a Lodhi-era tomb!”

The truth is we can’t even list all the Lodhi kings.

In any case, the Lodhi dynasty was part of the more elaborate Delhi Sultanate (not to be confused with ‘Delhi Sultanate’, a so-named member of The Sky Vengers music band). The Delhi Sultanate we are talking about spanned five dynasties, 32 rulers and 320 years. It lasted from 1206 to 1526. Today we give you the names of all the rulers of the Sultanate — one of whom was India’s first woman ruler, while the last was vanquished by Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty.

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We also used this list to hunt the graves of these Sultanate royals — right here in our city. Of course, it’s not possible to access every king’s tombstone. Quite a few of them were killed in small and big wars, at times far from Delhi. Frustratingly, history books leave no solid evidence of their burial spots.

Some others of these important men turned out to be so insignificant in the long run that their graves have been forgotten, making it impossible to trace them today. Here’s a list of all the rulers, and the graves of those we were able to locate.

SLAVE DYNASTY

Qutbuddin Aibak (1206–1210), buried in Lahore, Pakistan

Aram Shah (1210–1211), killed near Delhi, grave not known

Shams ud din Iltutmish (1211–1236), buried in Qutub Minar Complex, Mehrauli

Illtutmish’s tomb in Qutub Minar complex. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
Illtutmish’s tomb in Qutub Minar complex. (Mayank Austen Soofi)

Rukn uddin Firuz (1236), believed to be buried in Sultan Ghari, near Mehrauli

Raziyat ud din Sultana (1236–1240), buried in Bulbuli Khana, Old Delhi

Raziya Sultan’s tomb in Bulbuli Khana, Old Delhi. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
Raziya Sultan’s tomb in Bulbuli Khana, Old Delhi. (Mayank Austen Soofi)

Muiz uddin Bahram (1240–1242), grave not known

Ala uddin Masud (1242–1246), grave not known

Nasir uddin Mahmud (1246–1266), grave not known

Ghiyas uddin Balban (1266–1286), Buried in Mehrauli Archaeological Complex, near Jamali Kamali mosque

A tomb outside Jamali Kamali complex in Mehrauli. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
A tomb outside Jamali Kamali complex in Mehrauli. (Mayank Austen Soofi)

Muiz uddin Qaiqabad (1286–1290), grave not known

Kayumars (1290), grave not known

KHILJI DYNASTY

Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji (1290–1296), buried in Delhi but “disappeared “according to HC Fanshaw’e book Delhi, Past and Present

Alauddin Khilji (1296–1316), buried in Qutub Minar Complex, Mehrauli

Qutb uddin Mubarak Shah (1316–1320), grave not known

TUGHLAQ DYNASTY

Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (1321–1325), buried in Tughlakabad

Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325–1351), buried in Tughlakabad

Mahmud Ibn Muhammad (1351), buried in Tughlakabad

Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388), buried in Hauz Khas Village

Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq II (1388–1389), grave not known

Abu Bakr Shah (1389–1390), grave not known

Nasir uddin Muhammad Shah III (1390–1393), grave not known

Ala-ud-Din Sikandar Shah I (1393), grave not known

Mahmud Nasir uddin (1393–1394), grave not known

Nusrat Shah (1394–1399), grave not known

Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah (1399–1413), not known, Timur invade Delhi in his reign

SAYYID DYNASTY

Khizr Khan (1414–1421), grave not known

Mubarak Shah (1421–1434), buried in Kotla Mubarakpur village

Muhammad Shah (1434–1445), buried in Lodhi Garden

The plaque at Mohammed Shah’s tomb in Lodhi Garden. (Mayank Austen Soofi)
The plaque at Mohammed Shah’s tomb in Lodhi Garden. (Mayank Austen Soofi)

Alam Shah (1445–1451), grave not known, perhaps in Badayun where he died

LODHI DYNASTY

Bahlol Lodhi (1451–1489), Chirag Dilli

Sikander Lodhi (1489–1517), Lodhi Gardens

Ibrahim Lodhi (1517–1526), buried in Panipat, Haryana

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Delhi / by Mayank Austen Soofi, Hindustan Times /  December 02nd, 2017