Mahmud Khalji (died 1 June 1469[3]), also known as Mahmud Khilji and Ala-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, was the Sultan of Malwa, in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India.[4] He ascended the throne in 1435 after assassinating Mohammad, the son of the previous ruler, Hoshang Shah.[5] Mahmud Khalji launched an unsuccessful campaign against the Delhi Sultanate; however, under his reign, the Malwa Sultanate reached its greatest height.[6]
| Mahmud Khalji | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sultan | |||||||||
 Mahmud Khalji's Tomb in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, India | |||||||||
| 4th Sultan of Malwa | |||||||||
| Reign | 14 May 1436 – 1 June 1469 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Masud Shah bin Muhammad Shah | ||||||||
| Successor | Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah | ||||||||
| Born | 8 May 1404 | ||||||||
| Died | 1 June 1469 (age 65) Malwa Sultanate | ||||||||
| Consort | A daughter of Hoshang Shah | ||||||||
| Issue | Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah Fidan Khan[1] Taj Khan Ahmad Khan[2] | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Dynasty | Khilji dynasty | ||||||||
| Father | Malik Mughlith | ||||||||
Early Life and Ascension
editMahmud Khalji was distantly related to the Khalji dynasty of Delhi, as his great-great-great-great grandfather, Malik Nasiruddin, was a cousin of sultan Jalaluddin Khalji, and was given the iqta of Amroha as his jagir. Mahmud was also a grandnephew of Dilawar Khan, the first sultan of Malwa, through his sister. His father, Malik Mughlith, himself a nephew of Dilawar, played a key role in restoring Hushang Shah to the throne after it had been seized by Ahmad Shah I, for which he was granted the title Khan-i-Jahan. From an early age, Mahmud distinguished himself as a capable military commander, earning the title Khan from Hushang Shah in 1419 at the age of sixteen, who also gave him his daughter in marriage. [7]
Following Hushang’s death, Mahmud supported the accession of his oldest surviving son,Ghazni Khan, who took the regnal name Muhammad Shah. However, relations between the two deteriorated, as Muhammad Shah grew increasingly suspicious and repeatedly demanded assurances of Mahmud’s loyalty. When Muhammad Shah allegedly began plotting his assassination, Mahmud preempted him by having him poisoned. Muhammad’s thirteen-year-old son, Masud, was briefly placed on the throne, but Mahmud soon attacked the palace, deposed the young ruler, and seized power for himself, ascending the throne on 14 May 1436.[8]
Battles and campaigns of Mahmud Khalji
editBattle of Mandavgad (1437)
editThe Battle of Mandavgad was fought in 1437, in which Rana Kumbha of Mewar defeated and captured Mahmud Khalji of Malwa for a short period.
Battle of Mandalgarh and Banas (1442-1446)
editA series of battles took place between Mahmud Khalji of Malwa and Rana Kumbha of Mewar between 1442 and 1446. Bloodied by these engagements, the Sultan did not launch another attack on Mewar for the next ten years.[9][10]
Siege of Gagron (February 1444)
editIn February 1444, Sultan Mahmud Khalji besieged the fort of Gagron, which was under the control of Palhan Singh Khichi. Rana Kumbha had sent reinforcements under his commander Dahir, but Dahir was killed in battle. Palhan Singh was slain by Mahmud's forces while attempting to flee the fort.[11]
Battle of Mandalgarh (1457)
editSultan Mahmud Khalji launched an attack on Mandalgarh, deploying seven detachments to engage Rana Kumbha from multiple directions. However, the Malwa forces under Taj Khan and Ali Khan suffered heavy losses. Following the defeat, Mahmud retreated the next morning.[12]
Siege of Mandalgarh (December 1456 - October 1457)
editIn December 1456, Rana Kumbha was compelled to move north to confront the Sultan of Gujarat. Taking advantage of his absence, Sultan Mahmud Khalji attacked Mandalgarh once again. After a prolonged siege, he successfully captured the fort in October 1457.[13]
Conquest of Mandalgarh (1457)
editThe conquest of Mandalgarh was a significant military expedition led by Sultan Mahmud Khalji against Mewar. The primary objective of this campaign was to capture the fort of Mandalgarh, which was under the command of Uparamal, a subordinate of Rana Kumbha. Mahmud Khalji marched towards Mewar in 1457 and successfully captured the fort.
Conquest of Ajmer
editSultan Mahmud Khalji invaded and captured the fort of Ajmer. The governor of the fort, Gajadhar Singh, was killed during the conquest, securing Malwa's control over the region.
Rule
edit
During the reign of Muhammad Shah II of the Gujarat Sultanate, Mahmud Khilji of Malwa invaded Gujarat. After capturing and securing Champaner, he advanced towards Gujarat with an army of 80,000 cavalry. However, before he could proceed further, Muhammad Shah II died and was succeeded by Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II.
Mahmud Khilji laid siege to Sultanpur, where Malik Ala-ud-Din bin Sohrab, the commander of Kutb-ud-Din, surrendered the fort. In recognition of his service, he was sent to Malwa with honour and appointed as the governor of Mandu. Mahmud Khilji then marched to Sarsa-Paldi and summoned Bharuch, which was under the command of Sidi Marjan on behalf of the Gujarat Sultanate. However, Sidi Marjan refused to surrender. Fearing further delays, Mahmud Khilji plundered Baroda (now Vadodara) before proceeding to Nadiad. There, he was astonished by the bravery of the local Brahmins, who managed to kill a rampaging elephant.
Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II soon advanced to confront Mahmud Khilji, and the two armies clashed at Kapadvanj. After a prolonged and uncertain battle lasting several hours, Kutb-ud-Din emerged victorious, forcing Mahmud Khilji to retreat. Muzaffar Khan, who had allegedly incited Mahmud Khilji to invade Gujarat, was captured and beheaded. His severed head was displayed at the gate of Kapadvanj as a warning to others.[14]
In the same year, Sultan Mahmud Khalji attempted to conquer Nagore, which was then held by Firuz Khan, a cousin of the Gujarat Sultan. In response, Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II dispatched an army under the command of Sayyid Ataullah. As the Gujarat forces approached Sambhar, Mahmud Khalji retreated. Shortly thereafter, Firuz Khan died.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ Day 1965, pp. 128.
- ↑ Day 1965, pp. 208.
- ↑ Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal (1950). "The Sultanate of Delhi" (PDF). Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 116. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
- ↑ The Cambridge History of India. CUP Archive. 1955.
- ↑ Lane-Poole, Stanley (1970). Medieval India under Mohammedan Rule, (A.D. 712–1764). New York: Haskell House. p. 174. ISBN 978-0838311967. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017.
- ↑ Day, Upendra Nath (1965). Medieval Malwa: a Political and Cultural History, 1401–1562. Delhi: Munshi Ram Manohar Lal. p. 86-90.
- ↑ Day 1965, pp. 67–85, 93.
- ↑ A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books.
- ↑ Har Bilas Sarda "Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar" pg 47
- ↑ Rajasthan through the ages vol 5, pg 4.
- ↑ Rajasthan through the ages vol 5, pg 9.
- ↑ Rajasthan through the ages vol 5, pg 11.
- 1 2 James Macnabb Campbell, ed. (1896). "II. ÁHMEDÁBÁD KINGS. (A. D. 1403–1573.)". History of Gujarát. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Vol. 1-Part 2. The Government Central Press. pp. 242–243.
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