After the death of Muhammad bin Tughluq, the condition of the army became terrible. So, thereafter, Firuz Shah, the cousin of Muhammad bin Tughlaq assumed the command after some hesitation. He succeeded in withdrawing the army without serious disaster to Delhi. The citizens of Delhi also supported him and he was also supported by Malik Makbal Khan, an able Hindu convert from Telingana who was made the minister.

It was declared by both Barani and Shamsi-Siraj Afif that Firuz was nominated by Muhammad as his successor and an infant son of the late Sultan who was set up on the throne in Delhi, was quickly set aside. Firuz Shah Tughluq was well trained in administrative work by his cousin Muhammad and had gained experience of government. But, it is said that he was lacking in courage and was a man of undetermined character, will and possessed indecisive temper. Firuz Shah was an intolerant and narrow-minded Mussalman, who was very regular in his religious performances. He followed the straightest path of orthodoxy and in the management of government employed the theoretic principles of the Quran. He pursued both heretics and infidels and largely encouraged conversions to Islam. He would never execute any dealing without consulting the Kazis and the Maulvis. Moreover, he was very superstitious and frequently looked to the Quran for an omen.

But apart from this, Firuz Shah had some very good qualities. He disliked bloodshed, eliminated torture by royal diktat and discouraged spying. Firuz Shah was a lover of learning and a patron of scholars and built and endowed colleges where Muslim theology was studied. He was apprehensive in introducing administrative reforms and had a soft feeling for the peasants. He cut several canals and provided facilities for irrigation and built a hospital at Delhi. Firuz Shah Tughluq was a lover of buildings and gardens and erected several new cities. In this process, he founded the Firuzabad town on the Jumna, ten miles from Delhi where he used to reside frequently. He also constructed the fort of Hissar Firuza and Fathabad, both in the province of Delhi, then built Firuzpur near Badaon and the new city of Jaunpur in honour of his cousin, Sultan Muhammad Juna.

Firuz Shah Tughluq also set up one of the two Asoka Pillars at Firuzabad, which he removed from their original sites. He cut a canal from the Sutlej in 1355 and in the next year excavated another canal from the river Jumna to Hansi, near which he built Hissar Firuza. He was also credited with building numerous canals, bridges, baths, forts, colleges and serais. He planted numerous gardens near Delhi, entrusted the construction of canals to skilled engineers, levied on the cultivators a special water rate and reclaimed large areas for cultivation. All these works done by him made the Muslim chroniclers bound to praise him. Most of all, he was always available and ready to help those who needed him. He had resolute and capable advisers like Makbal Khan, the Wazir and his son.

It is said that Firuz Shah Tughluq was highly praised by some writers. His marking as a new rule of gentleness and consideration towards the peasants was duly true. But, his influence in secular matters praised by historians was due to the high ideals of a royal race, which his Rajput mother, Bibi Naila had taught him. It is said that she married Rajab Tughluq willingly to save her people from the cruelty of the Tughlak captain who demanded her hand in marriage for his brother on pain of punishing the Rajputs if she should refuse.

The foreign policy of Firuz Shah Tughluq was a failure to a large extent. But it is indeed that he brought the army safely from Sind to Delhi. His virtues as a man and as a king were attributed to his training at the hands of his ancestors and his devotion to Islam. The reign of Firoz Shah was a failure and it is displayed in his two campaigns to Bengal (1353-54 A.D. and 1359-60 A.D.) and in his eventual fall of Thatta (1371-72 A.D.). This proves his lack of strategical skill and military ability. In his second expedition to Bengal against the son of Ilyas Shah, the Sultan gave up the struggle when the enemy was about to surrender in his fort of Ikdala. However, returning back to Delhi, he marched against Jajnagar of Orissa and pursued its Brahman ruler who fled, and he robbed the Jagannath temple there. In his Nagarkot expedition in 1360-61 AD, Firuz Shah robbed the famous temple of Jwalamukhi and the ruler submitted before him.

After failing in the Thatta expedition, Firuz Shah Tughluq moved to Gujarat for the purpose of getting reinforcements. He was misled on his way by his guides into the Rann of Cutch and his army had to suffer great hardships for six months. During this time, no news of Firuz reached Delhi, where the Wazir kept order only with great difficulty. However, he renovated his army in Gujarat and marched with reinforcements a second time against Thatta and the Raja submitted.

During Firuz Shah`s administration period, mild taxation was applied and unlawful dues were stopped. So, nobody was in dearth of food and shelter. The cultivation area was increased and land revenue was decreased. He renovated the land, the old gardens and planted numerous orchards, all of which yielded a large income.

The Sultan improved the coin system and introduced a larger and more systematic supply of gold and silver coins. He struck also half and quarter jitals of mixed copper and silver which were largely used by the poorer classes of the people and remained in circulation for a long time afterwards. Firuz Shah Tughluq also reorganized the royal households. All were provided with separate offices and accounts. He employed large bodies of artisans, who worked under trained superintendents. Many slaves were imported from various parts of the country and separate office was created for their proper management. These slaves were then trained as artisans and craftsmen or devoted themselves to the study of literature and religion.

Firuz Shah Tughluq used to provide pensions and jaghirs to learned men. He established the famous royal Madrasa of Firuzabad. He liked history very much and invited learned professors of theology from distant Muslim countries and had some Sanskrit works translated into Persian. He created a large fund for the relief of the poor and gave work to a large number of unemployed men. He got married the daughters of poor and respectable citizens at his own expense.

There were also some evil sides of his administration. His huge slave-establishments were very dangerous. He was intolerant towards the Hindus, forbade public worship of idols and the painting of portraits of the gods. He destructed several temples and promoted the process of conversion to Islam. Firuz Shah Tughluq reigned peacefully for thirty-seven years.

The last days of Firuz Shah were very painful. His elder son died in 1374 AD and the conflict started between his next son, Prince Muhammad, and the Wazir, Khan-i-Jahan owing to the latter`s usurpation of all power in the state. The Wazir was discredited and put to death and Firuz made his son his successor and retired into private life. He died in October 1388 at a very old age.