Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq (Persian: محمد بن تغلق; 1290 – 20 March 1351), also named Jauna Khan as Crown Prince, also known by his epithets, The Eccentric Prince, or The Mad Sultan, or The Wisest Fool was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the young Muhammad was sent by his father to the Deccan Plateau to fight a military campaign against the Kakatiya dynasty. In 1323, the future sultan successfully laid siege upon the Kakatiya capital in Warangal. This victory over King Prataparudra ended the Kakatiya dynasty.
| Muhammad bin Tughluq | |
|---|---|
| Fakhr Malik | |
Mughal painting depicting the court of Muhammad bin Tughluq | |
| 18th Sultan of Delhi | |
| Reign | 1 February 1325 – 20 March 1351 |
| Predecessor | Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq |
| Successor | Firoz Shah Tughlaq |
| Born | c. 1290 Delhi, India |
| Died | 20 March 1351 (aged 60–61) |
| Burial | |
| Dynasty | Tughlaq Dynasty |
| Father | Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq |
| Religion | Islam |
Muhammad ascended to the Delhi throne upon his father's death in 1325. Accounts by visitors of the Sultan Muhammad describe him as an "inhuman eccentric" with bizarre character. The sultan is said to have ordered the massacre of all the inhabitants of the Hindu city of Kannauj. He is also known for his wild policy swings.
Muhammad bin Tughluq had an interest in medicine. He was also skilled in several languages: Persian, Hindavi, Arabic, Sanskrit and Turkic. Ibn Battuta, the famous traveler and jurist from Morocco, wrote in his book about his time at the Sultan's court.