Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 A.D.)
After the death of Muhammad Tughlaq his first cousin, Firuz Tughlaq became the Sultan in 1351 A.D. Firuz Tughlaq primarily paid attention to domestic affairs. Firuz Shah started his reign with liberal ideas. He assured protection to all members of the royal family.
Immediately on his accession he restored order in the army and after three days he sent army against the Mongols which defeated and drove them away and freed the Indians who had been captured by them.
Next task of the Sultan Firuz was to raise the “Delhi Sultanate from the state of decrepitude and demoralization into which it had fallen since the closing years of his predecessor’s reign”. This could be done by spectacular military achievements and by recovering the Deccan, Bengal Sind and Rajasthan.
Firuz Shah took great interest in increasing the number of his slaves. He issued instruction to the governors in different parts of the kingdom to send him slaves. Under him the number of slaves totaled one lakh eighty thousand out of which forty thousand been put in the service of the Sultan’s palace. A separate officer with necessary staff was in charge of the slaves and a large sum of money was allocated for the expenses of this department. Slaves would also be posted in different provinces.
Mahammad now began to assist his father Firuz Shah in the administration and was allowed to share the royal title. He was now formally declared heir-apparent (1387). Soon after the prince got Khan-i-Jahan killed and assumed all power of the state in his own hands. But instead of looking into the administration he gave himself up to pleasure. The administration naturally becomes lax and everything was in confusion. Some of the nobles who were loyal to the crown tried to rouse Muhammad Khan to his responsibilities, but to no purpose. They therefore organized a rebellion Muhammad was now obliged to throw off his lethargy and fight the nobles. But the nobles brought the old Sultan Firuz Tughlaq to the battled field and brought a sense of nervousness on the side of Muhammad Khan who fled for life. Firuz Shah Tughlaq died on Sept. 20, 1388.
They placed Abu Bakr, son of Zafar Khan, second son of Firuz Shah on the throne on February 19, 1389. But Firuz’s third son Muhammad Khan reappeared to assert his claim to the throne. With the support of some powerful nobles he proclaimed himself king at Samana on April 24, 1389.
A struggle for the throne of Delhi began between the two claimants and ultimately Abu Bakr was compelled to leave the throne to Muhammad Shah in 1390. Sultan Muhammad’s intemperate life and excessive indulgence told upon his health and he died in January 1394.
Muhammad was succeeded by Humayun under the title Sikandar Shah who could rule for barely a year, for he died in March 1395. He was succeeded by Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Shah Tughluq who became the sultan.
Nusrat Shah, a son of Fateh Khan disputed his claim to the throne and for some time both of them became Sultans one at Delhi and the other at Firuzabad.
Sources:
http://www.importantindia.com/12839/firuz-shah-tughlaq-2/
Immediately on his accession he restored order in the army and after three days he sent army against the Mongols which defeated and drove them away and freed the Indians who had been captured by them.
Next task of the Sultan Firuz was to raise the “Delhi Sultanate from the state of decrepitude and demoralization into which it had fallen since the closing years of his predecessor’s reign”. This could be done by spectacular military achievements and by recovering the Deccan, Bengal Sind and Rajasthan.
Deccan Policy of Firuz Shah
During the last years of the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, south India had torn off from the Delhi Sultanate and became independent. Firuz was advised by his counselors to reduce Bahamani kingdom. Firuz Tughlaq who followed a vacillating military policy, evaded he issue on the plea that he was against shedding of Bahamani Muslim blood which was bound to take place if any attempt to recover Bahamani kingdom was made.Bengal:
In 1338, Bengal had declared herself independent of Delhi. Haji Iliyas, who assumed the title of Shams-ud-din Ilyas Shah, had brought the whole of the province of Bengal under his rule by 1352. Ilyas Shah even invaded Tirhut. Firuz Shah marched against Iliyas Shah in order to bring Bengal under the rule of Delhi. Iliyas Shah took shelter in his well protected fort Ekdala. Firuz shah failed to take the fort and retired with his army. Whatever might have been the real cause of his withdrawal from Bengal, this expedition revealed the lack of military talent on the part of Firuz Shah (1353).Firuz Shah again invaded Bengal in 1359. The ruling Sultan of Bengal, Sikandar, like his father, fled to fort Ekdala and ultimately Firuz Shah had to recognize his independence and return to Delhi without achieving anything.Conquest of Nagarkot:
Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq led an expedition against Nagarkot in 1360. After a prolonged siege of six months the fort surrendered and the Raja submitted to the Sultan. He was received honorably by the Sultan. The Sultan acquired a great booty which included 1,300 Sanskrit manuscripts, some of which were got translated by the Sultan into Persian.Conquest of Sind:
In 1361-62 Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq proceeded with 90,000 horses, a large number of infantry and 480 elephants, supported by a navy of many boats. The ruler of Sind opposed the Sultan with an equally strong army. In the engagement, the Sultan’s army suffered great loss and he was compelled to retreat to Gujarat for reinforcement. But he was misled by the guides into the Rann of Kutch. It took long six months for the sultan and his army to emerge from the Rann of Kutch and there was no information about him during this period in Delhi.Mongol Raids:
The reign of Firuz Tughlaq was free from the Mongol menace. It is said that there were only two raids during his reign by the Mongols but both were beaten off.Firuz Shah took great interest in increasing the number of his slaves. He issued instruction to the governors in different parts of the kingdom to send him slaves. Under him the number of slaves totaled one lakh eighty thousand out of which forty thousand been put in the service of the Sultan’s palace. A separate officer with necessary staff was in charge of the slaves and a large sum of money was allocated for the expenses of this department. Slaves would also be posted in different provinces.
Mahammad now began to assist his father Firuz Shah in the administration and was allowed to share the royal title. He was now formally declared heir-apparent (1387). Soon after the prince got Khan-i-Jahan killed and assumed all power of the state in his own hands. But instead of looking into the administration he gave himself up to pleasure. The administration naturally becomes lax and everything was in confusion. Some of the nobles who were loyal to the crown tried to rouse Muhammad Khan to his responsibilities, but to no purpose. They therefore organized a rebellion Muhammad was now obliged to throw off his lethargy and fight the nobles. But the nobles brought the old Sultan Firuz Tughlaq to the battled field and brought a sense of nervousness on the side of Muhammad Khan who fled for life. Firuz Shah Tughlaq died on Sept. 20, 1388.
Successors fo Firuz Shah Tughlaq:
On the death of Firuz Shah in September, 1388, his grandson Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq II, son of Fateh Shah, eldest son of Firuz Shah, ascended the throne. He was inexperienced as given to pleasure and merry-making. The maliks and the amirs were all offended at the conduct of Ghiyas-ud-din and they combined to depose him.They placed Abu Bakr, son of Zafar Khan, second son of Firuz Shah on the throne on February 19, 1389. But Firuz’s third son Muhammad Khan reappeared to assert his claim to the throne. With the support of some powerful nobles he proclaimed himself king at Samana on April 24, 1389.
A struggle for the throne of Delhi began between the two claimants and ultimately Abu Bakr was compelled to leave the throne to Muhammad Shah in 1390. Sultan Muhammad’s intemperate life and excessive indulgence told upon his health and he died in January 1394.
Muhammad was succeeded by Humayun under the title Sikandar Shah who could rule for barely a year, for he died in March 1395. He was succeeded by Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Shah Tughluq who became the sultan.
Nusrat Shah, a son of Fateh Khan disputed his claim to the throne and for some time both of them became Sultans one at Delhi and the other at Firuzabad.
Sources:
http://www.importantindia.com/12839/firuz-shah-tughlaq-2/