The emergence of Delhi Sultanate, for the first time, marked the development of an autonomous Muslim power in India. The Delhi Sultanate or the `Sultanat-e-Dilli` reigned India from 1290 to 1526 AD. Till this time, Delhi has served just as a base for the Muslim powers to rule while, in truest sense, Lahore remained the capital. The Slave dynasty, undoubtedly, made Delhi their capital but it was the rulers of Delhi Sultanate that strengthened the base. The first ruling empire that was part of the Delhi Sultanate was the Khilji dynasty. However, it would be wrong to assume that the Khilji dynasty did not exist in India before 1290. They had captured Bengal whilst Muhammad Ghori had Delhi in the list of his conquests.

Khilji Dynasty
With the death of Muhammad Ghori, the Mamluk dynasty gradually became weak and finally Jalal-ud-din Khilji captured Delhi, the centre of power and established the Khilji dynasty and set onto expand the empire. Ala-ud-din Khilji inherited the throne and the dynasty thrived under his able rule. His ruling period is marked by market control regulations, innovative administrative and revenue reforms. The period is considered as the golden era of Khilji rule. Ala-ud-din`s most trusted noble Malik Kafur after him succeeded in making Shahab-ud-din Umar as the successor of Ala-ud-din. Qutub-ud-din Mubarik Shah, another son of Ala-ud-din Khilji removed his younger brother Umar after the death of Malik Kafur and became the sultan. With the rise of a Hindu slave, who was given the name Khusrav Khan by Mubarik, Khilji dynasty came to an end. The Khilji dynasty ruled for 30 years from 1290 to 1320.

Tughlaq Dynasty
When Khusrav came into power, he replaced most of the Muslim officers by Hindu officers in the key positions. These Hindu officers openly insulted Islam and this situation was very difficult for the Muslim to tolerate. They gathered around a Tughlaq noble, Ghazi Malik. He killed Khusrav and wanted to give the power back to the Khilji Dynasty. But there were no survivor amongst the decedents of Ala-ud-din. In this situation, he ascended the throne and took the title of Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq. Thus he became the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. After killing Ghias-ud-din, his son Muhammad bin Tughlaq succeeded him. He tried to implement a number of his own schemes. Unfortunately for him, most of his schemes failed and he became unpopular amongst the masses. After him his cousin, Firoz Shah`s long rule of 37 years is known for his marvellous administrative reforms. It was Amir Timur`s that acted as the final nail in putting an end to the Tughlaq dynasty.

Sayyid Dynasty
Tughlaq dynasty eventually came to an end in 1414 when Khizar Khan founded the Sayyid dynasty in Delhi. In 1414, Khizar won the battle against Mahmud Shah, the last Tughlaq ruler and established Sayyid Dynasty. It was during his reign that a number of states and provinces of Delhi Sultanate declared their independence. Kaizar tried to reintegrate them but failed. The Sultanate was, thus, reduced to Sind, Western Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh. Rule of Mubarik Shah, the successor of Kaizar, was full of internal and external revolts. The next successors also faced political instability. The era of Sayyid Dynasty came to an end when Buhlul Lodhi occupied Delhi and established the Lodi Dynasty.

Lodi Dynasty
Buhlul Lodi occupied the province of Punjab and then captured Delhi. After him, his son Nizam Khan established himself as the most capable ruler of the Lodi Dynasty. He took the title of Sikandar Shah. The death of Sikandar Lodi created a disharmony between his two sons: Ibrahim Lodi and Jalal Lodi. A war of succession followed and resulted in the gradual downfall of the Lodi Dynasty. Ibrahim Lodi was the last sultan of the dynasty. He was defeated in the hands of Babur in the battle of Panipat on 1526. This battle brought an end of 320 years rule of the Sultans in Delhi.

Administration of Delhi Sultanate
The King was the head of the Central Administration in Delhi Sultanate. The monarch had the last say in the legislative, executive and judicial matters. For smooth administration, the administration was further divided into provinces. The administration of the Delhi Sultanate primarily depended on the Shariat or the laws of Islam. The finance of the dynasty was largely depended on the revenue system of the Delhi Sultanate.

Culture of Delhi Sultanate
The influence of the Muslim invasion led to a number of cultural changes in the subcontinent. With the emergence of a new religion, Islam, the literature, art and architecture, etc demonstrated considerable changes.

Whilst the Delhi Sultanate survived the invasion of Timur, the coming of Babur gave a final blow to the empire. With the coming of Babur in 1526, the Mughal Empire came into existence.