Bakht Mal

Who was Bakht Mal?

Raja Bakht-Mal Pathania was a King of Nurpur, who succeeded Raja Bhil Pal in 1513. Raja Bakht-Mal's reign covered an eventful period in Indian history. Like his father he was in good terms with the Lodi dynasty of Delhi. After the conquest of India by Babar in 1526 the Pathania Kingdom must not have come under Mughal control, because on the flight of babar's son Humayun in 1540 and the accession of Sher Shah Suri at Delhi, Bakht-Mal was still in good terms with the Sur dynasty.

The Tarikh-i-Daudi says that the famous fortress of Maukot was erected within the pathania Kingdom by Islam Shah Suri, that is during the reign of Raja Bakht-Mal.

But it cannot be true because the practice of erecting forts in an independent Kingdom was only done after conquering it, which is not the case here because the Pathania kings ruled an independent Kingdom with a minimal submission i.e., to assist the power at Delhi in times of war. Maukot fort was probably built by the predecessors of Bakht-Mal, or he had built it in his own lifetime.