Textbook
History of Medieval India
The go-to single volume on the Sultanate, Mughals and regional kingdoms.
Delhi Sultanate & Regional Kingdoms
1206 – 1526
Map layer: Sultanates & Kingdoms
Five successive dynasties rule from Delhi while many regional kingdoms and sultanates flourish.
Who ruled when
Move along the chart to see which powers existed in any year; click a bar for its page, or empty space to open the map.
Main polities of this period
| Name | Type | Span | Region | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malla Dynasty of Nepal ★ | Kingdom | 1201 – 1769 | Himalaya | Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur |
| Delhi Sultanate ★ | Sultanate | 1206 – 1526 | North | Delhi |
| Ahom Kingdom ★ | Kingdom | 1228 – 1826 | Northeast | Charaideo, later Garhgaon / Rangpur |
| Mewar (Sisodia) ★ | Kingdom | 1326 – 1949 | West | Chittorgarh, later Udaipur |
| Zamorins of Calicut | Kingdom | c. 1124 – 1766 | South | Kozhikode |
| Jaffna Kingdom | Kingdom | c. 1215 – 1619 | Sri Lanka | Nallur |
| Marwar (Rathore) | Kingdom | c. 1226 – 1949 | West | Mandore, later Jodhpur |
| Madurai Sultanate | Sultanate | 1335 – 1378 | South | Madurai |
| Kashmir Sultanate | Sultanate | 1339 – 1586 | North | Srinagar |
| Samma Dynasty | Dynasty | 1351 – 1524 | Northwest | Thatta |
| Bengal Sultanate | Sultanate | 1352 – 1576 | East | Pandua / Gaur |
| Timurid Empire (Herat) | Empire | 1370 – 1507 | Northwest | Samarkand, later Herat |
| Malwa Sultanate | Sultanate | 1392 – 1562 | Central | Mandu |
| Jaunpur (Sharqi) Sultanate | Sultanate | 1394 – 1479 | Gangetic Plain | Jaunpur |
| Gujarat Sultanate | Sultanate | 1407 – 1573 | West | Ahmedabad |
| Kingdom of Kotte | Kingdom | 1412 – 1597 | Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Gajapati Kingdom | Kingdom | 1434 – 1541 | East | Cuttack |
| Chutia Kingdom | Kingdom | c. 1187 – 1524 | Northeast | Sadiya |
| Dambadeniya Kingdom | Kingdom | c. 1220 – 1345 | Sri Lanka | Dambadeniya / Yapahuwa |
| Reddy Kingdom | Kingdom | 1325 – 1448 | Deccan | Kondavidu / Rajahmundry |
| Gampola Kingdom | Kingdom | 1341 – 1412 | Sri Lanka | Gampola |
| Khandesh Sultanate (Faruqi) | Sultanate | 1382 – 1601 | Deccan | Burhanpur |
| Tripura (Manikya) | Kingdom | c. 1400 – 1949 | Northeast | Udaipur, later Agartala |
Also existing during this period
Kalachuris of Tripuri
Central · c. 675 CE – 1212
Paramara Dynasty
Central · c. 800 CE – 1305
Chandela Dynasty
Central · c. 831 CE – 1315
Portuguese Cochin
Coastal · 1503 – 1663
Portuguese Estado da Índia
Coastal · 1505 – 1961
Kakatiya Dynasty
Deccan · c. 1163 – 1323
Seuna (Yadava) Dynasty
Deccan · c. 1187 – 1317
Bahmani Sultanate
Deccan · 1347 – 1527
Ahmadnagar Sultanate (Nizam Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1636
Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1686
Berar Sultanate (Imad Shahi)
Deccan · 1490 – 1574
Bidar Sultanate (Barid Shahi)
Deccan · 1492 – 1619
Golconda Sultanate (Qutb Shahi)
Deccan · 1518 – 1687
Sena Dynasty
East · c. 1070 – 1230
Eastern Ganga Dynasty
East · c. 1078 – 1434
Khasa Malla Kingdom
Himalaya · c. 1100 – c. 1400
Sultanate of the Maldives
Islands · c. 1153 – 1968
Mughal Empire
North · 1526 – 1857
Koch Kingdom (Kamata / Cooch Behar)
Northeast · 1515 – 1949
Soomra Dynasty
Northwest · c. 1026 – 1351
Ghurid Empire
Northwest · c. 1175 – 1206
Chola Empire
South · c. 848 CE – 1279
Hoysala Empire
South · c. 1026 – 1343
Pandya Empire (Second Empire)
South · c. 1190 – 1345
Vijayanagara Empire
South · 1336 – 1646
Kingdom of Mysore
South · 1399 – 1950
Polonnaruwa Kingdom
Sri Lanka · c. 1070 – 1232
Kingdom of Kandy
Sri Lanka · c. 1469 – 1815
Guhilas of Medapata
West · c. 728 CE – 1303
Chaulukyas (Solankis) of Gujarat
West · c. 940 CE – 1244
Kachwahas of Amber (Jaipur)
West · c. 1128 – 1949
Events
| Year | Event | Polity |
|---|---|---|
| 1206 | Delhi Sultanate founded | Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| 1211 | Iltutmish becomes sultan | Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| 1221 | Chinggis Khan pursues Jalal ad-Din to the Indus Jalal ad-Din escaped across the Indus and Iltutmish refused him asylum. |
|
| 1228 | Sukaphaa founds the Ahom kingdom | Ahom Kingdom |
| 1229 | Iltutmish receives caliphal investiture | Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| 1236 | Razia Sultana ascends the throne | Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| 1240 | Razia Sultana deposed and killed Power passed to the Turkish nobles known as the 'Forty'. |
Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| c. 1250 | Konark Sun Temple built | Eastern Ganga Dynasty |
| 1266 | Balban becomes sultan | Mamluk (Slave) Dynasty |
| 1279 | End of the Chola dynasty The Pandyas became the dominant Tamil power. |
Chola Empire |
| 1290 | Khalji revolution | Khalji Dynasty |
| 1292 | Marco Polo visits the Pandya coast | Pandya Empire (Second Empire) |
| 1296 | Alauddin Khalji raids Devagiri | Khalji Dynasty |
| 1296 | Alauddin Khalji becomes sultan | Khalji Dynasty |
| 1299 | Mongols defeated at Kili Alauddin Khalji's army repelled Qutlugh Khwaja's Mongol invasion. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1301 | Alauddin Khalji takes Ranthambore Hammiradeva Chauhan was killed. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1303 | Siege of Chittorgarh Chittor fell to Alauddin Khalji after a long siege. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1310 | Malik Kafur takes Warangal The Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra became a tributary of Delhi. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1311 | Malik Kafur's southern campaign reaches Madurai The Pandya capital was plundered and its treasure carried to Delhi. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1316 | Death of Alauddin Khalji Malik Kafur briefly seized power; the Khaljis fell four years later. |
Khalji Dynasty |
| 1320 | Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq founds the Tughlaq dynasty | Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1323 | Fall of the Kakatiyas Warangal was annexed and the Kakatiya dynasty ended. |
Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1327 | Capital shifted to Daulatabad The move caused great hardship and was reversed within a few years. |
Tughlaq Dynasty |
| c. 1329 | Muhammad bin Tughlaq issues token currency Widespread forgery forced the coins to be withdrawn. |
Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1334 | Ibn Battuta arrives in Delhi | Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1336 | Vijayanagara founded | Sangama Dynasty |
| 1343 | Ibn Battuta serves as qadi in the Maldives | Sultanate of the Maldives |
| 1347 | Bahmani Sultanate founded | Bahmani Sultanate |
| 1351 | Firuz Shah Tughlaq becomes sultan | Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1352 | Ilyas Shah unifies Bengal | Bengal Sultanate |
| 1378 | Vijayanagara annexes the Madurai Sultanate Kumara Kampana's campaign ended the Madurai Sultanate. |
Sangama Dynasty |
| 1382 | Jayasthiti Malla's reforms in Nepal | Malla Dynasty of Nepal |
| 1398 | Timur sacks Delhi Delhi was devastated and the Tughlaq sultanate never recovered. |
Tughlaq Dynasty |
| 1407 | Gujarat Sultanate becomes independent | Gujarat Sultanate |
| 1411 | Ahmedabad founded | Gujarat Sultanate |
| 1412 | Parakramabahu VI unifies Sri Lanka from Kotte | Kingdom of Kotte |
| 1414 | Khizr Khan founds the Sayyid dynasty | Sayyid Dynasty |
| 1420 | Nicolò de' Conti visits Vijayanagara | Sangama Dynasty |
| 1443 | Abdur Razzaq's embassy to Vijayanagara | Sangama Dynasty |
| c. 1450 | Kabir's poetry in Varanasi | |
| c. 1450 | Sixty Dome Mosque at Bagerhat | Bengal Sultanate |
| 1451 | Bahlul Lodi founds the Lodi dynasty | Lodi Dynasty |
| 1459 | Rao Jodha founds Jodhpur Mehrangarh fort became the Rathore capital. |
Marwar (Rathore) |
| 1469 | Birth of Guru Nanak | |
| c. 1469 | Kingdom of Kandy emerges | Kingdom of Kandy |
| 1482 | Nepal valley divides into three Malla kingdoms | Malla Dynasty of Nepal |
| 1490 | Bijapur and Ahmadnagar break from the Bahmanis | Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi) |
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut The direct sea route from Europe to India was opened. |
Zamorins of Calicut |
| 1504 | Sikandar Lodi founds Agra Agra became the Lodi and later Mughal capital. |
Lodi Dynasty |
| 1505 | Portuguese reach Sri Lanka | Kingdom of Kotte |
| 1509 | Krishnadevaraya's accession | Tuluva Dynasty |
| 1509 | Battle of Diu Portuguese naval supremacy in the Arabian Sea was established. |
Portuguese Estado da Índia |
| 1510 | Portuguese capture Goa Goa became the capital of the Portuguese Estado da Índia until 1961. |
Portuguese Estado da Índia |
| 1520 | Krishnadevaraya takes Raichur Vijayanagara won the Raichur doab from Bijapur. |
Tuluva Dynasty |
| 1526 | First Battle of Panipat Ibrahim Lodi was killed and Babur founded the Mughal Empire. |
Mughal Empire |
📚 Recommended reading for this era
Reference
Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals (2 vols)
The detailed two-volume treatment for readers who want more than the single-volume textbook.
Reference
The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History
A scholarly history of the Sultanate and its wars with the Mongols.
Reference
A History of Sri Lanka
The standard history of Sri Lanka from Anuradhapura to independence.
We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See all recommended books →
📄 Research papers
Paper🏛 Library access
Inscribing the Other, Inscribing the Self: Hindu-Muslim Identities in Pre-Colonial India
Uses Andhra inscriptions to show how identities were described in the Kakatiya and Sultanate era.
Paper🏛 Library access
Temple Desecration and Indo-Muslim States
A documented, case-by-case study of temple destruction and its political context, 1192–1760.
Paper🏛 Library access
🇮🇳 Indian scholarship
The Pursuit of Persian: Language in Mughal Politics
How Persian became the language of Mughal government and of Hindu and Muslim elites alike.
Paper🏛 Library access
🇮🇳 Indian scholarship
Early Use of Cannon and Musket in India: AD 1442–1526
Firearms in Indian warfare before Babur — the evidence from 1442 to 1526.
🕸 Connections 26 links
Explore connections full screen ↗Everything on YugMap linked to this page — and why. Hover a dot in the graph, or pick from the list.
🗂 Era 1
- Medieval IndiaPart of this era
⏳ Periods 2
- Regional Kingdoms & Ghaznavid/Ghurid ExpansionCame before
- Vijayanagara EmpireCame after
🏛 Kingdoms & empires 8
- Malla Dynasty of Nepal 1201 – 1769A main power of this period
- Delhi Sultanate 1206 – 1526A main power of this period
- Ahom Kingdom 1228 – 1826A main power of this period
- Mewar (Sisodia) 1326 – 1949A main power of this period
- Zamorins of Calicut 1124 – 1766A main power of this period
- Jaffna Kingdom 1215 – 1619A main power of this period
- Marwar (Rathore) 1226 – 1949A main power of this period
- Madurai Sultanate 1335 – 1378A main power of this period
👤 People 6
- Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti c. 1141 – c. 1236Lived in this period
- Chinggis Khan c. 1162 – c. 1227Lived in this period
- Kamban active c. 1180Lived in this period
- Jayadeva active c. 1180Lived in this period
- Chand Bardai active c. 1190Lived in this period
- Nizamuddin Auliya 1238 – 1325Lived in this period
⚔ Events 6
- Delhi Sultanate founded 1206Happened in this period
- Sukaphaa founds the Ahom kingdom 1228Happened in this period
- Vijayanagara founded 1336Happened in this period
- Bahmani Sultanate founded 1347Happened in this period
- Timur sacks Delhi 1398Happened in this period
- Birth of Guru Nanak 1469Happened in this period
📄 Research 3
- Inscribing the Other, Inscribing the Self: Hindu-Muslim Identities in Pre-Colon… Cynthia Talbot · 1995Research on this topic
- Temple Desecration and Indo-Muslim States Richard M. Eaton · 2000Research on this topic
- The Pursuit of Persian: Language in Mughal Politics Muzaffar Alam · 1998Research on this topic