South AsiaAsiaMajor empire

Delhi Sultanate

1206 – 1526 CE · about 320 years

The Delhi Sultanate was a series of five Muslim dynasties (Mamluk, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi) that ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from Delhi. It repelled several Mongol invasions. Babur defeated the last sultan at Panipat in 1526.

Key facts

Dates	1206 – 1526 CE
Region	South Asia
Continent	Asia
Capitals	Delhi, Daulatabad, Agra
Founder	Qutb ud-Din Aibak
Religion(s)	Sunni Islam
Peak extent	≈ 3.2 million km² (c. 1312 CE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Ghurid dynasty Kakatiya dynasty Paramara dynasty Chandela dynasty Gahadavala dynasty Seuna (Yadava) dynasty Jaunpur Sultanate

Followed by

Mughal Empire Bahmani Sultanate Vijayanagara Empire Bengal Sultanate Gujarat Sultanate Jaunpur Sultanate Malwa Sultanate Samma dynasty Langah Sultanate Khandesh Sultanate (Farooqi dynasty) Madurai (Ma'bar) Sultanate

In the Islamic timeline

Major Sufi Orders (Qadiriyya, Chishtiyya, Suhrawardiyya, Naqshbandiyya) — The Chishti order spread widely in the subcontinent during the sultanate.

Sources

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.