# Ibrahim Khan Lodi

Ibrahim Khan Lodi (Persian: ابراهیم لودی; 1480 – 21 April 1526) was the last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, who became Sultan in 1517 after the death of his father Sikandar Khan. He was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, reigning for nine years until 1526, when he was defeated and killed at the Battle of Panipat by Babur's invading army, giving way to the emergence of the Mughal Empire in India.

## Biography

After Sikandar Lodi died, his son Ibrahim became king without any opposition. At the start of his reign, Ibrahim tried to set up a dual rule by appointing his brother Jalal Khan as the independent ruler of Jaunpur. However, before Jalal could firmly establish his power, Ibrahim changed his mind on the advice of some wise officials. He sent someone to ask Jalal to come to Delhi, but when Jalal refused, Ibrahim secretly instructed his top nobles and governors not to recognize Jalal’s authority. This forced Jalal to leave Jaunpur and return to his old territory, Kalpl.
Even after being forced out, Jalal managed to win the support of an important noble, Azam Humayun Sarwani, and with his help, he quickly took control of Awadh. Their alliance did not last long, though. When Ibrahim marched to confront them, Azam Humayun switched sides and supported Ibrahim instead, forcing Jalal to retreat. Jalal then headed toward Agra, where Ibrahim’s general, Malik Adam, persuaded him to accept a deal: Jalal would keep Kalpl if he gave up any claims to ruling on his own. This agreement only delayed the conflict, and later, Ibrahim decided he must remove his brother altogether. Jalal fled through several regions—first to Gwalior, then Malwa—but eventually sought refuge with the Gonds, who betrayed him. Ibrahim had him sent on a journey, during which he was intercepted and killed.
Jalal’s rebellion gave Ibrahim a reason to try to conquer the important Rajput state of Gwalior. He sent a large force of 30,000 horsemen and 300 elephants, led by Azam Humayun Sarwani, to lay siege to the fortress there. Meanwhile, after the death of a rebel leader named Raja Man Singh Tomar, his son Vikramjit surrendered to Ibrahim’s forces. However, when Ibrahim sent another army against Rana Sanga of Mewar, that force was defeated, lessening his overall military success.
Jalal’s uprising made Ibrahim very suspicious of his own nobles. He wanted to concentrate all power in his hands and demanded that the nobles follow strict court protocols, trying to wipe out any notion that they were equals because of family ties. Even though previous rulers had slowly built their authority without upsetting their Afghan supporters, Ibrahim did not understand the difference between Turkish and Afghan traditions. His sudden, harsh measures ended up driving away the very nobles whose support he needed. He had important figures like Azam Humayun Sarwani and Mian Bhuwah arrested and imprisoned.
This cruel treatment sparked a revolt led by Islam Khan Sarwani, the son of Azam Humayun, who was supported by two important Lodi chiefs. When an army sent against these rebels was defeated, Ibrahim angrily scolded his nobles and ordered them to crush the rebellion, warning that failure would label them traitors. The rebels, who had gathered 40,000 men, demanded that Azam Humayun be released, but Ibrahim refused—even ignoring a respected Muslim saint’s plea. Eventually, with reinforcements from other nobles, Ibrahim’s army defeated the rebels in a bloody battle that killed 10,000 Afghans, and Islam Khan Sarwani was killed in the fighting.
Instead of learning from this uprising, Ibrahim became even harsher. He executed Mian Bhuwah, and Azam Humayun died while in captivity—some sources claim Ibrahim ordered his death. Another noble, Mian Husain Farmuli, was killed by Ibrahim’s hired men at Chanderi. This series of actions frightened many nobles, who began to organize their own defenses. In the eastern part of the kingdom, important Lodi and Farmuli nobles started to unite, and when Darya Khan Lohani died suddenly, his son Bahar Khan declared independence and even had the public prayer (khutba) read in his name for over two years. He was joined by other powerful figures such as Nasir Khan Lohani, Fath Khan (another son of Azam Humayun), and Sher Khan Sur (later known as Sultan Sher Shah).
While Ibrahim’s armies were busy fighting these revolts in the east, Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of Panjab, began secret negotiations with Babur. Daulat Khan had ignored Ibrahim’s summons, and after his son escaped arrest in Lahore, he reported Ibrahim’s cruelty to his father. This convinced Daulat Khan that he could no longer support Ibrahim. Unable to launch a full-scale revolt like the nobles in Bihar, Daulat Khan reached out to Babur for help by sending his son to Kabul. Around the same time, Ibrahim’s uncle Alam Khan, who had been staying in Gujarat and had been asked by disgruntled nobles to replace Ibrahim, also went to Kabul to seek Babur’s support. Babur, eager to expand his territory, saw an opportunity and, in 1524, led an expedition to Lahore, defeating Ibrahim’s forces under Bahar Khan Lodi. Daulat Khan had already fled toward Multan and then joined Babur in Kabul.
After this victory, Babur did not reinstate Daulat Khan but instead appointed his own officials in Lahore, giving Daulat Khan only minor districts to rule. This angered Daulat Khan, who then turned against Babur. Babur later made an arrangement with Alam Khan to help capture Delhi, under the condition that Babur would keep full control of Panjab. However, Alam Khan was eventually persuaded by Daulat Khan, and together they attacked Delhi in 1525 with an Afghan force of 30,000 to 40,000 men. Ibrahim easily defeated this attack.

## Battle of Panipat

Realizing that he could not trust either Daulat Khan or Alam Khan, Babur decided to launch his own full-scale invasion of India. After several months of conquering Punjab and eliminating his Afghan opponents, Babur advanced toward Delhi. Ibrahim met Babur’s army at the Battle of Panipat on April 20, 1526. Despite having a larger force, Ibrahim was defeated and killed. Babur’s historic victory was largely due to his better fighting techniques and the skill of his trained cavalry.

## Tomb

His tomb is often mistaken to be the Shisha Gumbad within Lodi Gardens, Delhi. Rather Ibrahim Khan Lodi's Tomb is actually situated near the tehsil office in Panipat, close to the Dargah of Sufi saint Bu Ali Shah Qalandar. It is a simple rectangular structure on a high platform approached by a flight of steps. In 1866, the British relocated the tomb during construction of the Grand Trunk Road and renovated it with an inscription highlighting Ibrahim Khan Lodi's death in the Battle of Panipat. He also built a Khwaja Khizr Tomb in Sonipat in 1522.

## Gallery

* Delhi-Topra inscription of 1524 CE, mentioning Sultan Ibrahim Lodi.
* An awards ceremony in the Sultan Ibrahim Khan Lodi's court before being sent on an expedition to Sambhal
* 1526 – First Battle of Panipat-Ibrahim Khan Lodi and Babur
* Coinage of Mahmud Shah II (1510–1531 CE) of the Malwa Sultanate, in the name of Ibrahim Lodi Sultan of Dehli, dated 1520–21 CE.