Abstract
The Afghans have a long history in India as migrants. Under the Delhi Sultans,
they worked as petty soldiers who gradually rose to power and became a
strategically placed minority in the power structure. Bahlul Lodhi's ascendancy to
the throne of Delhi marked the culmination of Afghan political power in the Delhi
Sultanate. It is generally understood that Bahlul Lodhi governed on tribal
egalitarian model that was the reason behind the stability and longevity of his
reign. His son Sikandar Lodhi maintained a delicate balance between tribal model
of governance and kingship. However, Ibrahim Lodhi lost the balance and his
attempts for extreme centralization backfired. This article provides a brief history
of Afghans as a strategically placed minority in the Delhi Sultanate and argues that
Bahlul Lodhi did not aim to establish a tribal egalitarian system. Many of the
practices that are associated with him as attempts of introducing egalitarianism
were simply efforts not to confront with the already empowered political and
military factions. Governance model of Bahlul Lodhi was not a break from the
past. Nor was it an Afghan exclusive system. Furthermore, the governance model
of Lodhi dynasty had legitimacy issues which were same as his predecessors.
Fouzia Farooq Ahmed. (2020) The Myth of Tribal Egalitarianism Under The Lodhis (800-932/1398-1526), Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, Volume 57, Issue 1.
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