Delhi Sultanate Facts for Kids

The Delhi Sultanate was a group of powerful rulers who controlled most of the Indian subcontinent for over 300 years. These rulers were from different dynasties, mostly of Turkic and Afghan origin. They spoke Persian and ruled from Delhi from 1210 to 1526.

Five main dynasties made up the Delhi Sultanate:

The Slave dynasty (1206-1290)
The Khilji dynasty (1290-1320)
The Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413)
The Sayyid dynasty (1414-1451)
The Lodi dynasty (1451-1526)

After 1526, the Mughals took over. However, there was a short time when the Suri dynasty (a Pashtun group) ruled. This happened when the Mughal ruler Humayun was removed from power. Humayun was the son of Babur and father of Akbar the Great. He later got his throne back in 1555.

The Dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate
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The Dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate

The Mamluk, or Slave Dynasty (1206-1290)

This was the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Its rulers were:

Qutb-ud-din Aibak (1206-1210)
Aram Shah (1210-1211)
Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (1211-1236)
Rukn ud din Firuz (1236)
Raziyyat ud din Sultana (1236-1240) (also known as Raziyya Sultana)
Muiz ud din Bahram (1240-1242)
Ala ud din Masud (1242-1246)
Nasir ud din Mahmud (1246-1266)
Ghiyas ud din Balban (1266-1286)
Muiz ud din Qaiqabad (1286-1290)
Shamsuddin Kayumars (1290)

The Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320)

The Khilji dynasty followed the Mamluks. Its rulers were:

Jalal ud din Firuz Khilji (1290-1294)
Ala ud din Khilji (1294-1316)
Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah (1316-1321)

The Tughlaq Dynasty (1321-1398)

The Tughlaqs ruled for a long time. Here are their rulers:

Ghiyas ud din Tughluq Shah I (1321-1325)
Muhammad Shah II (1325-1351)
Mahmud Ibn Muhammad (March 1351)
Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388)
Ghiyas ud din Tughluq II (1388-1389)
Abu Bakar (1389-1390)
Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III (1390-1393)
Sikander Shah I (March-April 1393)
Mahmud Nasir ud din (Sultan Mahmud II) at Delhi (1393-1394)
Nusrat Shah at Firuzabad (1394-1398)

The Sayyid Dynasty (1414-1451)

The Sayyid dynasty came after the Tughlaqs. Their rulers included:

Khizr Khan (1414-1421)
Mubarrak Shah II (1421-1435)
Muhammad Shah IV (1435-1445)
Aladdin Alam Shah (1445-1451)

The Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)

The Lodi dynasty was the last major dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Its rulers were:

Bahlol Khan Lodi (1451-1489)
Sikandar Lodi (1489-1517)
Ibrahim II (1517-1526)

In 1526, the Mughals took control after the First Battle of Panipat.

The Suri Dynasty (1540-1555)

This dynasty had a short rule between the Mughal periods. Its rulers were:

Sher Shah Suri (Farid Khan Suri) (1540-1545)
Islam Shah (1545-1553)
Muhammad V (1553-1554)
Firuz Shah (April 29 - May 2, 1554)
Ibrahim III (1554 - 1554/5)
Sikander Shah (1554/5 - 1555)

In 1555, the Mughals returned to power.

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The History of South Asia series has more information at Islamic Empires in India#Delhi Sultanate.
You can also find more details in the List of Indian monarchs.

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Delhi Sultanate from 1206 to 1290 AD under the Mamluk dynasty.
Alai Gate and Qutub Minar were built during the Mamluk and Khalji dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate.
Delhi Sultanate from 1321 to 1330 AD under the Tughlaq dynasty. After 1330, various regions rebelled against the Sultanate and the kingdom shrank.
Daulatabad Fort in the 1700s.
A base metal coin of Muhammad bin Tughlaq that led to an economic collapse.
The Mahmud Gawan Madrasah built by the Bahmanid kingdom.
Delhi Sultanate during Babur's invasion.
The Qutb Minar (left, begun around 1200) next to the Alai Darwaza gatehouse (1311); part of the Qutb Complex in Delhi.
Tomb of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (died 1325), Delhi.
Screen of the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra mosque, Ajmer, around 1229; showing Corbel arches.
Mausoleum of Iltutmish, Delhi, built by 1236, with corbel arches.
Possibly the first "true" arches in India; Tomb of Balban (died 1287) in Delhi.
Pavilions in the Hauz Khas Complex, Delhi.
The Sheesh Gumbad in the Lodi Gardens, Delhi.
Tomb of Sikandar Lodi in the Lodi Gardens, Delhi.
The Somnath temple in Gujarat was repeatedly destroyed by armies and rebuilt by Hindus. It was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate's army in 1299 CE.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple was destroyed by the army of Qutb-ud-din Aibak.
Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general for Delhi Sultan Qutb al-Din Aibak, was responsible for the destruction of Nalanda university.
The armies of the Delhi Sultanate, led by Muslim Commander Malik Kafur, plundered the Meenakshi Temple and looted its valuables.
Kakatiya Kala Thoranam (Warangal Gate) built by the Kakatiya dynasty in ruins; one of many temple complexes affected by the Delhi Sultanate.
Rani ki vav is a stepwell, built by the Chaulukya dynasty, located in Patan. The city was attacked by Sultan of Delhi Qutb-ud-din Aybak between 1200 and 1210, and again by Allauddin Khilji in 1298.
An artistic drawing of the Kirtistambh at Rudra Mahalaya Temple. The temple was destroyed by Alauddin Khalji.
Exterior wall carvings at Hoysaleswara Temple. The temple was twice attacked and looted by the Delhi Sultanate.