Sher Shah Suri

Timeline

1. c. 1486–1527Sasaram · BiharFarid Khan was born into the Afghan Sur tribe. As a youth he ran away from home after his father favored his stepmother, and secured a position under Sultan Jahan Lodi of Bihar. Diligent and studious, he mastered Persian and administrative affairs, and after killing a tiger single-handedly was granted the title 'Sher' (lion/tiger). Gradually accumulating military merit, he rose to become the de facto ruler of Bihar province.
2. 1527–1540North Indian plains · Ganges plainIn the 1530s Sher Khan's power expanded rapidly, controlling Bihar and Bengal. In 1539 at the Battle of Chausa he decisively defeated Mughal emperor Humayun through a surprise attack, and in 1540 at the Battle of Kannauj again crushed Humayun, forcing him into exile and seizing control of all of northern India, laying the foundation for the Sur dynasty.
3. 1540–1545Delhi · Northern IndiaIn 1540 he proclaimed himself emperor, establishing the Sur dynasty with its capital at Delhi. During his five-year reign he carried out large-scale reforms: a land survey system taxing land by quality, a postal relay system, a unified currency (the Sur rupee), and repaired and expanded the Grand Trunk Road connecting Bengal and Punjab, with relay stations and inns along the way. In 1545 he was tragically killed when a powder magazine exploded during the siege of the Kalinjar fortress.