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Bahlol Lodhi was the founder of the Lodhi Dynasty. In 1419, Sultan Shah, his uncle was appointed the Governor of Sarhind by Khizar Khan and given the title of Islam Khan. Farishta tells us that Islam Khan married his daughter to Bahlol and although he had his own sons, he nominated Bahlol as his heir on account of his ability. After the death of Islam Khan Bahlol became the governor of Sarhind. He was allowed to add Lahore to his charge. Thus he became a very important governor in Sayyid empire on account of the strength of his forces.
Bahlol Lodhi who had been dreaming of the throne for years, he took early steps to consolidate his position and reassert the authority of Delhi. One of his first acts was to overthrow the Wazir, Hamid Khan who had called him to the throne, and whose influence might have endangered his position. He was very patient with his Afghan tribesmen, and tried to run the government as a tribal chief.
Energetic, ambitious, and vigilant, Bahlol overlooked no opportunity of extending his dominion. He tried to take Multan from Hussain Langah, but did not succeed. He subdued the Hindu chiefs of Mewat and the Doab. An attempt to subdue the Raja of Etawah brought him in conflict with the Sultan of Jaunpur, who claimed suzerainty over the territory but a truce was arranged between the two kingdoms. In 1458, Sultan Hussain Sharqi came to the throne of Jaunpur. His wife Jalilah instigated him to attack Delhi. This led to hostilities which ultimately ended in the capture of Jaunpur by Bahlolin 1479.
Bahlol was not only the founder of the Lodhi dynasty but was responsible for its strength and glory. He was successful in subduing the various chiefs who could defy the central power. He was able to nestablish the prestige of the empire on a firm footing. His great achievement was the annexation of Jaunpur which defied him for many years. Bahlol was forced to spend most of his time in fighting wars and consequently there was hardly any time left for civil administration