Origins & Early Life

Fakhr-ud-Din Muhammad Shah (Persian: فخر الدین محمد شاہ), better known as Muhammad bin Tughluq (Persian: محمد بن تغلق; Persian pronunciation: [mu.ham.ˈmad bin tuɣ.ˈlaq]; 1290 – 20 March 1351), or Muhammad III, also known by his epithets, The Eccentric Prince, and The Mad Sultan, was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in March 1351. Muhammad 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.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1323, the future sultan successfully laid siege upon the Kakatiya capital in Warangal. This victory over King Prataparudra ended the Kakatiya dynasty. Named Jauna Khan as Crown Prince, Muhammad ascended the throne of Delhi upon his father's death in 1325. Muhammad bin Tughluq had an interest in medicine. He was also skilled in several languages: Persian, Hindavi, Arabic, Sanskrit and Turkic.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Ibn Battuta, the famous traveler and jurist from Morocco, wrote in his book about his time at the Sultan's court. Exhibiting traits of paranoid personality disorder, Muhammad was nicknamed the Wisest Fool....

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alexius, Metropolitan of Kiev — Contemporary (Born in 1290) (1290): Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', guiding Muscovite government through turbulent times.
• Ambrogio Lorenzetti — Contemporary (Born in 1290) (1290): Master painter of the Sienese school, known for allegorical and naturalistic works.
• Gajah Mada — Contemporary (Born in 1290) (1290): Mahapatih and general who unified the Majapahit Empire and Nusantara.
• Alex Gorsky — Shared historical date (03-20 · Born) (1960): American businessman, former Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson.
• B. F. Skinner — Shared historical date (03-20 · Born) (1904): Pioneering behaviorist who developed operant conditioning and radical behaviorism.
• Amir Khusrau — Historical peer (Died in 1325) (1325): Iconic Indo-Persian Sufi poet, musician, and scholar of the Delhi Sultanate.
• Hafez — Historical peer (Born in 1325) (1325): Master Persian lyric poet and mystic whose works remain central to Iranian culture.
• John Hawkwood — Historical peer (Born in 1321) (1321): English mercenary leader and condottiero whose exploits remain shrouded in myth.
• Yunus Emre — Historical peer (Died in 1321) (1321): Influential Turkish Sufi and folk poet whose works shaped Anatolian culture.
• Bobby Orr — Shared historical date (03-20 · Born) (1948): Revolutionary defenseman who redefined the sport with unmatched speed and scoring prowess.
• 1290 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1290
• 1351 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1351
• March 20 (03-20) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on March 20