Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah

Sultan of Delhi in Sayyid Dynasty

Reign – A.D. 1434 to 1445

Father – Mubarak Shah

Muhammad-bin-Farid was the adopted son of Mubarak Shah. After the death of Mubarak in A.D. 1434, Wazir Sarvar-ul-Mulk made Muhammad-bin-Farid sit on the throne of Delhi as Muhammad Shah. But he proved to be an unworthy ruler. Nizamuddin has remarked about the contemporary condition of Delhi. “The affairs of the state grew day by day more and more confused and if so happened that there were nobles at twenty kos from Delhi who threw off their allegiance to the tottering Empire and engaged themselves in preparations for resistance to it.”

The period of first six months of the reign of Muhammad Shah was of superiority of Sarvar-ul-Muld and he enjoyed all the power of the kingdom but soon a rival group was formed under the leadership of Kamal-ul-Mulk. Sarvar-ul-Mulk conspired against the life of the Sultan but he did not succeed in his motive as the other group remained faithful and helped the Sultan at the time of need. Hence the plan of the murder of sultan could not succeed and Wazir Sarvar-ul-Muld was himself put to death by the bodyguards of the Sultan.

Kamal-ul-Mulk was promoted to the post of Wazir due to his faithful services and Muhammad Shah himself indulged in sensual pleasured. Kamal-ul-Mulk was not as efficient an administrator as the previous Wazir; therefore, the negligence of Sultan and the inefficiency of the Wazir gave impetus to the rise of internal and external problems. At this critical juncture Mahmood Shah, the ruler of Malwa, invaded Delhi. Muhammad Shah invited Bahlol Lodi, the Governor of Multan, for help. The battle of Talpat could not Prove decisive. Later on a treaty was concluded between Mahmood and Muhammad Shah as Mahmood was himself entrapped in a difficult situation. His capital was threatened by an invasion of the ruler of Gujarat. When Mahmood Shah was returning, Bahlol Lodi launched an attack against him and plundered some booty and made some of his soldiers captives.

Mahammad Shah felt greatly obliged for this timely help of Bahlol Lodi. He awarded the title of Khan-i-Khana to Bahlol Lodi and called him his son. All these concessions granted to Bahlol Lodi inflamed his ambition. He tried to capture the throne of Delhi but he did not succeed in his first attempt and waited for batter opportunity in future.

Being given up to sensual indulgences, Muhammad Shah could not save his Sultanate from domestic and foreign problems. The provincial Governors of Multan and Jaunpur declared their independence and avoided the payment of annual tribute. This tendency of insubordination was evident among those nobles who lived near Delhi. Thus the reign of Muhammad Shah was a failure. He breathed his last in A.D. 1445 and left behind him a disintegrated empire and a weak Delhi.

Milan Tomic

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