Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451 A.D.)

Sayyid Dynasty succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty as the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. From 1414 to 1451, they reigned the country for 37 years. They were founded by Khizir Khan, the ruler of Multan and Timur’s Indian deputy. A family claiming to be Sayyids or descendants of Mohammed created the Sayyid Dynasty. This dynasty rose to power in the midst of immense turbulence in Delhi and nearby regions.

Background

Sayyid dynasty replaced the Tughlaq dynasty and governed the Sultanate until the Lodhi dynasty displaced them.
This dynasty was founded by Khizr Khan who served as Governor of Multan under Firuz Shah Tughlaq.
With the death of Mubarak Shah, the second ruler of the dynasty, a decline of the Sayyid dynasty was fostered.
Muhammad Shah and Alauddin Alam Shah were weak monarchs who ultimately were replaced by Bahlol Lodhi.
The rulers of the Sayyid dynasty claimed descent from the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali.
This claim is supported by Tarikh-i-Mubarak shahi written by Yahya Sirhindi.

Rulers of Sayyid Dynasty

Khizr Khan (1414- 1421 A.D.)

He was the founder of Sayyid Dynasty.
He did not swear any royal title.
He was the Governor of Multan.
He took advantage of the disordered situation in India after Timur’s invasion.
In 1414 A.D. he occupied the throne of Delhi. He brought parts of Surat, Dilapur, and Punjab under his control.
But he lost Bengal, Deccan, Gujarat, Jaunpur, Khandesh and Malwa.
In 1421 he died. Mubarak Shah Khizr Khan’s son succeeded him.

Mubarak Shah (1421-1434 A.D.)

Mubarak Shah crushed the local chiefs of the Doab region and the Khokhars.
He is first Sultan ruler to appoint Hindu nobles in the court of Delhi.
He constructed “Mubarakbad” City on the banks of the river Jamuna.
Muhammad Shah Mubarak’s nephew succeeded him.

Muhammad Shah (1434-1445 A.D.)

He defeated the ruler of Malwa with the help of Bahlul Lodi the Governor of Lahore.
He conferred Bahlul Lodi with the title Khan-i-Khanan for help in defeating the ruler of Malwa.
Later Ala-ud-din Shah succeeded him.

Ala-ud-din Shah (1445-1457 A.D.)

He was not a strong ruler.
Ala-ud-din Shah was removed from the throne by Bahlul Lodi in 1457 A.D. by Bahlul Lodi who was the Governor of Lahore.
Delhi was captured by him and he was sent to Badaun. Ala-ud-din Shah died in Badaun in 1478 A.D.

Administration of the Sayyid Dynasty

In the Sayyid Dynasty kingship was highly centralised and the Sultan’s authority was absolute.
The Sayyid Dynasty had a well-planned administration procedure that was run by different ministers who had specific work assigned to them.
Sultan – was the head of state and had unrestricted power in all areas of state activity.
Naib – held a position comparable to that of the Sultan.
Wazir – state’s Prime Minister and oversaw the financial department.
Shariah was used to make decisions.
Non-Muslim cases were decided in accordance with their own religious laws.
Governors in charge of larger or more important provinces wielded greater power.
Local administration was vague and undefined, with a largely traditional system.
The entire empire was divided into several large and small tracts of land called Iqtas.

Reasons for Decline of Sayyid Dynasty

The Sultanate during Mubarak Shah and Muhammad Shah was plagued by internal revolts in Jaunpur, Etawah, Gwalior, Doab, and other provinces.
Muhammad Shah also broke ties with provincial kingdoms after his ascension and declared no relationship with them.
As a result, different revolts broke out throughout the provinces of the northwest, northeast and middle.
Since the rulers of the Sayyid dynasty were preoccupied with putting down these uprisings, they were unable to pay attention to the governance and welfare of the people.
The Khokhar rebellion also led to the Sayyid dynasty’s fall.
The decline of the Sayyids was further exacerbated by court intrigues and conspiracies.
Successor rulers such as Muhammad Shah and Alauddin Alam Shah were weak monarchs.
During Alam Shah’s reign, the Afghans’ influence grew quickly, and Bahlul Lodhi became the ruler of the whole Punjab.
Bahlul Lodhi invaded Delhi and Hamid Khan, the Sayyid wazir, had joined hands with Lodhi and helped in ending the Sayyid dynasty by putting him on the throne of the Delhi Sultanate.

Conclusion

Sayyid dynasty had its heyday from 1414 to 1450, spanning 37 years. It all started when Khizr Khan laid the foundation, and under the guidance of Mubarak Shah, things looked promising. However, as fate would have it, Emperors Muhammad Shah and Alam Shah weren’t exactly cut out for the challenges that came their way. Their struggles to fend off invaders marked the beginning of the dynasty’s decline. The turning point arrived in 1451 when Bahlul Lodhi took charge, ousting Ala-ud-din Alam Shah and paving the way for the Lodhi Dynasty to take center stage.