In one of his famous works, Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi claims that the founder of _____ was a descendant of the Prophet.

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

RRB NTPC Graduate Level CBT-I Official Paper (Held On: 09 Jun, 2025 Shift 1)

Answer 1

The correct answer is Sayyid Dynasty.

Key Points

The Sayyid Dynasty ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1414 to 1451 CE and was established after the decline of the Tughlaq Dynasty.
Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi, in his famous work Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi, claimed that the founder of the Sayyid Dynasty, Khizr Khan, was a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
Khizr Khan was appointed as the governor of Multan by Timur (Tamerlane) and later established his rule in Delhi in 1414 CE.
The dynasty is called "Sayyid" due to the belief that its rulers were Sayyids, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, which is a title signifying high religious and social status in Islamic tradition.
After Khizr Khan, his successors, including Mubarak Shah, Muhammad Shah, and Ala-ud-Din Alam Shah, ruled until the dynasty was overthrown by the Lodi Dynasty in 1451 CE.

Additional Information

Delhi Sultanate
- The Delhi Sultanate refers to a series of Muslim dynasties that ruled over large parts of India from 1206 to 1526 CE.
- The Sultanate saw five main dynasties: Slave (Mamluk), Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and Lodi dynasties.
- The Sayyid Dynasty was the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate.
Khizr Khan
- Khizr Khan was the founder of the Sayyid Dynasty and ruled from 1414 to 1421 CE.
- He did not assume the title of Sultan and continued to acknowledge the suzerainty of Timur's successors in Central Asia.
- He focused on consolidating power in Delhi and surrounding areas rather than expanding the empire.
Significance of Sayyid Title
- The title "Sayyid" denotes a person who claims direct lineage to the Prophet Muhammad through his grandsons Hasan and Husayn.
- This lineage is considered sacred in Islamic culture and conveys religious and social prestige.
Decline of the Sayyid Dynasty
- The Sayyid Dynasty faced continuous challenges, including revolts and weakened central authority.
- The last ruler, Ala-ud-Din Alam Shah, voluntarily abdicated the throne in favor of Bahlul Lodi in 1451 CE, marking the end of the dynasty.