Sher Shah Suri
| Sher Shah Suri | |
|---|---|
| Sultan Ustad-I-Badshahan[a] The Lion King | |
 Painting by prominent Afghan artist Abdul Ghafūr Breshna | |
| Sultan of Hindustan | |
| Reign | 6 April 1538 — 22 May 1545 |
| Coronation | First coronation: 6 April 1538 |
| Predecessor | Humayun (as Mughal Emperor) |
| Born | Farid al-Din Khan 1472 or 1486 Sasaram, Delhi Sultanate |
| Died | 22 May 1545 (aged 73 or 59) |
| Spouse | Lad Malika |
| Dynasty | Sur |
Sher Shah Suri (1486 – 22 May 1545) born Farid Khan, was the Afghan founder and Sultan of the Pashtun Sur Empire in the Indian subcontinent, with its capital at Delhi.
The title Sher Khan was impressed upon him after he single-handedly fought against a lion while he was serving the Afghan noble Bahar Khan Lohani. Farid Khan was a talented and fearless soldier. His father Hasan Khan was a jagirdar under Bahar Khan Lohani, a noble who served under the ruler of Delhi. Farid Khan succeeded his father to become the Jagirdar and soon he rebelled and successfully overthrew the Mughal Emperor Humayun in 1540.[1][2]
He ruled until 1545 when he died in a gunpowder explosion. He left a strong empire to his son Islam Shah Suri, who ruled for nine years and was succeeded by his son Firoz Khan who was murdered. His son and followers could not keep for long the control of the kingdom and in 1555 the Mughal ruler Humayun recaptured the lost Mughal territory and reinstates himself as Emperor after defeating Islam Shah in Punjab, thus effectively ending the Surid dynasty.[3]
Background
[change | change source]Sher Shah Suri hailed from the Sur tribe of the Lodi confederacy.[4]
Military Campaigns
[change | change source]Sher Shāh defeated the Mughal Emperor Humayun twice and captured Delhi. Soon after becoming king, Sher Shah Suri raised a large army and captured Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab and areas as far north as Kashmir and as eastwards as Burma.
Achievements
[change | change source]Sher Shah was one of the greatest generals and administrators. He introduced a new currency, a silver coin known as 'Rupia' in use today by 1/4 of the world. He reduced custom duties and built an excellent connection of roads, including Grand Trunk Road in Bihar, which was 1,600 miles (2500 Kilometers) long. Sher Shah was a secular ruler who practiced religious tolerance. Sher Shah was also a devote Muslim ruler who prayed 5 times a day.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Qanungo, Kalika Ranjan (1965). Sher Shah and His Times. Orient Longmans.
- ↑ "Sur Dynasty". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ↑ Mikaberidze, Alexander (2011). Conflict and Conquest in the Islamic World: A Historical Encyclopedia: A Historical Encyclopedia. Vol. 1–2. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-337-8.
- ↑ Khan, MD I. A. (2022-07-04). Medieval History (Emergence of Islam to downfall of mughal empire). Blue Rose Publishers.
- ↑ Humayun, the rival of Sher Shah Suri, referred to Sher Shah as Ustad-I-Badashan, meaning "Teacher of Kings".