ABSTRACT
Following the death of Firoz Shah Tughluq, the political focus of the Delhi Sultanate shifted to Panjab and remained so for several decades. Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud Shah, who was enthroned on 23 March 1394 and ruled for twenty years, sought to establish his authority over distant provinces in the west and east. Amir Timur’s army travelled across Chaul-i-Jalali and reached the bank of Jhelam, where he clashed with Shihabuddin Mubarak Shah Tamimi who ruled over an island in the river. Timur crossed the Jamuna on 16 December 1398 and, choosing Firozabad as the site of his camp, made elaborate arrangements for its protection. After the retreat of Timur, Mallu Iqbal Khan began to enjoy unbridled power in Delhi as Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud was unable to assert himself beyond the city of Kanauj and Nusrat Shah had died. Mahmud Hasan dispatched Sultan Shah Lodi as advance guard to assess the situation.
