Who was ruling india before mughals?
Before the Mughals established their empire in 1526, India was ruled by several different dynasties and kingdoms. The immediate predecessor to the Mughals in North India was the Delhi Sultanate, which had been ruling since 1206.
The main ruling powers before Mughals: - Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) - This included five dynasties: Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and Lodi - Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646) in South India - Bahmani Sultanate (1347-1527) in the Deccan region - Gajapati Empire (1434-1541) in Odisha - Various Rajput kingdoms across Rajasthan and surrounding areas
The Mughals under Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi (the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate) in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, which marked the beginning of Mughal rule in India.
It's important to remember that "India" as we know it today didn't exist as a unified country - it was a collection of different kingdoms and empires, each with their own rulers and territories. The political landscape was incredibly diverse and complex!
Great question! The period right before the Mughals arrived is particularly interesting because it sets the stage for why Babur was able to establish his empire.
In North India, the Lodi Dynasty (part of Delhi Sultanate) was in power but weakening. Ibrahim Lodi faced significant internal opposition from his own nobles, which made his kingdom vulnerable to invasion.
Meanwhile in other regions: - Gujarat was ruled by the Muzaffarid dynasty - Malwa had its own sultanate - Bengal was under the Hussain Shahi dynasty - Kashmir had the Shah Mir dynasty
In the South, the magnificent Vijayanagara Empire was at its peak under Krishna Deva Raya - this was actually one of the richest and most powerful empires in Indian history, known for its incredible architecture and administration.
What many people don't realize is that Babur didn't just randomly decide to invade India - he was actually invited by some of Ibrahim Lodi's dissatisfied nobles who wanted to replace him. The political fragmentation of the Delhi Sultanate created the perfect opportunity for the Mughals to establish themselves.
The transition from Delhi Sultanate to Mughal Empire wasn't instantaneous either - it took several generations of Mughal rulers to fully consolidate control over the subcontinent.
To add some regional perspective to the previous answers - my family is from South India, and we always learned about the Vijayanagara Empire as the major power in the south before and during the early Mughal period.
While the Delhi Sultanate controlled much of the north, the Vijayanagara Empire (based in Hampi, Karnataka) was the dominant force in the south from 1336 to 1646. They were famous for: - Incredible architecture (the ruins at Hampi are UNESCO World Heritage site) - Efficient administration - Patronage of arts and literature - Military strength that resisted northern invasions for centuries
The empire reached its golden age under Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529), which actually overlaps with Babur's early years in India. So for people in South India, the "who ruled before Mughals" question has a very different answer than for people in North India!
It's also worth mentioning that several smaller kingdoms like the Ahom Kingdom in Assam resisted both Delhi Sultanate and Mughal influence for centuries. Indian history is so much more complex than we often learn in school textbooks!