sultanate · South Asia
Malwa Sultanate
Origins
Dilawar Khan Ghuri, appointed governor of Malwa by the Tughluqs in 1392, ruled independently after Timur's sack of Delhi in 1398 and formally declared independence around 1401. His son Hoshang Shah moved the capital from Dhar to the plateau fortress of Mandu, which he fortified and adorned.
Rule and society
Mahmud Khalji, who seized the throne in 1436 and founded the Khalji line of Malwa, made it a major power, fighting Mewar, Gujarat and the Bahmani Sultanate; he built a victory tower at Mandu. Mandu's Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal, Jama Masjid and Hoshang Shah's marble tomb show a distinctive Afghan style. The plateau's wealth came from agriculture and trade routes to Gujarat.
Decline and legacy
The Gujarat Sultanate conquered Malwa in 1531, and Sher Shah Suri later took it. Baz Bahadur, the last independent ruler, was defeated by Akbar's general Adham Khan in 1561, and Malwa was incorporated into the Mughal Empire by 1562.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Malwa Sultanate was conquered by Gujarat Sultanate1531 CE
- Malwa Sultanate was conquered by Mughal Empire1562 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Malwa Sultanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/malwa-sultanate
- MLA
- “Malwa Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/malwa-sultanate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Malwa Sultanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/malwa-sultanate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Malwa Sultanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/malwa-sultanate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻