The Delhi Sultanate refers to the many Muslim Turkic and Pashtun dynasties that rule from Delhi in India from 1206.

The nephew and son-in-law of Islam Khan (Malik Sultan Shah Lodhi), the governor of Sirhind (Punjab) in India, had succeeded him as the governor of Sirhind during the reign of Sayyyid dynasty ruler Muhammad Shah (Muhammad-bin-Farid).

Muhammad Shah had raised him to the status of an Amir.

After the last Sayyid ruler of Delhi, Ala-ud-Din Alam Shah, had voluntarily abdicated in favor of the governor, he ascends the throne of the Delhi sultanate on April 19, 1451 as Bahlul Khan Lodhi.

He has quelled uprisings in the provinces and garnered political support by granting extensive lands to his native Afghan nobles.

Bahlul is to spend most of his time in fighting against the Jaunpur Sultanate and will ultimately annex it.

Mahmud Shah, the fourth sultan of the Jaunpur sultanate, had been successful in his conquest of Chunar, but had failed to capture Kalpi.

He has also conducted campaigns against Bengal and Orissa.

In 1452, he had invaded Delhi but had been defeated by Bahlul Lodi.

He had made a subsequent attempt to conquer Delhi and marched into Etawah.

Finally, he had agreed to a treaty which accepted the right of Bahlul Lodi over Shamsabad.

But when Bahlul had tried to take possession of Shamsabad, the forces of Jaunpur had opposed him.

At this juncture, Mahmud Shah dies and is succeeded by his son Bhikhan in 1457, who had assumed the title of Muhammad Shah, made peace with Bahlul Lodi and recognized his right over Shamsabad.

He picked up a quarrel with his nobles.

In 1458, while Muhammad Shah is in Kanauj, his brother proclaims himself as Sultan Hussain Shah in Jaunpur; Muhammad Shah is soon killed by his army.

The Sharqi rulers of Jaunpur have become known for their patronage of learning and architecture.

Jaunpur is known as the Shiraz of India during this period.

The most notable examples of the Sharqi style of architecture in Jaunpur are the Atala Masjid, the Lal Darwaja Masjid and the Jama Masjid.

The foundation of the Atala Masjid, although it had been laid by Firuz Shah Tughluq in 1376, had been completed only during the rule of Ibrahim Shah in 1408.

Ibrahim Shah also built another mosque, the Jhanjhiri Masjid, in 1430.

The Lal Darwaja Masjid as built in 1450 during the reign of the next ruler, Mahmud Shah.

The Jama Masjid was built in 1470, during the rule of the last ruler, Mahmud’s third son, Hussain Shah.

Hussain Shah, who assumed the title of Gandharva, has contributed significantly to the development of Khayal, a genre of Hindustani classical music.

He has also composed several new ragas (melodies).

Most notable among these are Malhār-śyāma, Gaur-śyāma, Bhopāl-śyāma, Hussaini- or Jaunpurī-āśāvari (presently known as Jaunpuri) and Jaunpuri-basant.

The intermittent warfare between the sultanates of Delhi and Jaunpur had remained indecisive.

Hussain Shah had signed a four years' peace treaty with Bahlul Lodi, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1458.

Later, in order to invade Delhi , Hussain Shah had reached the banks of the Yamuna with a very large army in 1478.

Sultan Bahlul Lodi had attempted to secure peace by offering to retain only Delhi and govern it as a vassal of Hussain Shah, but the latter rejected the offer.

As a result, Sultan Bahlul had crossed the Yamuna and defeated him.

Hussain Shah had agreed to a truce but again captured Etawah and marched towards Delhi with a huge army and was again defeated by Bahlul Lodi.

Able to make peace this time also, he again arrives at the banks of Yamuna in March, 1479.

Defeated by Bahlul Lodi, Hussain lose the parganas (administrative units) of Kampil, Patiali, Shamsabad, Suket, Koil, Marhara and Jalesar to the advancing army of the Delhi Sultan.

After successive defeats in the battles of Senha, Rapri and Raigaon Khaga, he is finally defeated on the banks of the Rahab.

Hussain retires to …

…Bihar, where his occupation is confined to a small territory.

Hussain Shah, the ruler of the weakened sultanate of Jaunpur, after suffering successive defeats by the Delhi Sultanate in the battles of Senha, Rapri and Raigaon Khaga, had finally been defeated on the banks of the Rahab.

He had fled to Bengal, where he had been granted asylum by sultan Alauddin Husain Shah and passed his last days there.

Bahlul Lodi in 1486 places his eldest surviving son, Barbak Shah Lodi, on the throne of Jaunpur.

Bahlul Lodi, in the nearly four decades of Pashtun rule over the Delhi Sultanate, has expanded the miniscule territory bequeathed by the last Sayyid ruler to include all of Punjab and the present state of Uttar Pradesh, as well as parts of Rajasthan.

Sikandar, the son of Sultan Bahlul Khan Lodi and Bibi Ambha, the daughter of a Hindu goldsmith of Sirhind, had become Sultan upon the death of his father on July 17, 1489.

His rise to power was troubled, as his older brother, Barbak Shah, the viceroy of Jaunpur, also lays claim to the throne, even though their father had nominated Sikandar.

However, Sikandar is able to ascend to the throne without massive bloodshed, and even allowshis brother to continue ruling Jaunpur.

He also settles differences with an uncle, Alam Khan, who is also suspected of seeking to seize power.