A historical series of dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate is given with one term missing. Choose the correct alternative from the options that will complete the series. Khilji dynasty, ?, Sayyid dynasty, Lodi dynasty

Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of medieval Indian history, specifically the order of dynasties that ruled the Delhi Sultanate. The series lists three dynasties and leaves a gap where one important ruling house is missing. To fill that gap correctly, candidates must recall the chronological order in which the main dynasties ruled Delhi before the Mughal period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Series: Khilji dynasty, ?, Sayyid dynasty, Lodi dynasty.
• These names refer to ruling houses of the Delhi Sultanate.
• We know that multiple dynasties ruled sequentially: Slave (Mamluk), Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and Lodi.
• The missing term must be one of the dynasties of the Delhi Sultanate that fits chronologically between Khilji and Sayyid.

Concept / Approach:
The Delhi Sultanate was ruled successively by five main dynasties: first the Slave or Mamluk dynasty, then the Khilji dynasty, followed by the Tughlaq dynasty, then the Sayyid dynasty, and finally the Lodi dynasty. In the given series, the Khilji dynasty is already stated at the beginning, and the Sayyid and Lodi dynasties are given later. Therefore, the missing term between Khilji and Sayyid must be the Tughlaq dynasty, which came after the Khiljis and before the Sayyids in historical order.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the standard chronological sequence of the Delhi Sultanate dynasties: Slave (Mamluk), Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and Lodi. Step 2: Compare this with the given series. We already have Khilji dynasty as the first term and Sayyid dynasty and Lodi dynasty as the third and fourth terms. Step 3: Identify which dynasty in the standard sequence comes between Khilji and Sayyid. That dynasty is the Tughlaq dynasty. Step 4: Select Tughlaq dynasty from the options to complete the series as Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodi.

Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to check is to recall some key rulers: the Khilji dynasty included Alauddin Khilji, the Tughlaq dynasty included rulers like Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq and Muhammad bin Tughlaq, the Sayyid dynasty followed, and then the Lodi dynasty ruled until the first Battle of Panipat, which marked the beginning of Mughal rule. Since Tughlaq clearly comes between Khilji and Sayyid, the pattern of succession is fully consistent with choosing the Tughlaq dynasty as the missing term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Mughal dynasty came after the Lodi dynasty and marked the end of the Delhi Sultanate, so it cannot fit between Khilji and Sayyid. The Sur dynasty came still later, after the early Mughal phase, and is not a part of the main Delhi Sultanate sequence given here. The Slave dynasty actually preceded the Khilji dynasty, so it would come before the first term rather than in the middle of the series. The Maratha confederacy belongs to a much later period of Indian history and is not a dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate at all. Therefore, none of these options maintains the correct historical order except the Tughlaq dynasty.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the order of dynasties or mix up Sultanate dynasties with later powers such as the Mughals or Marathas. Another common mistake is to choose the Slave dynasty because it is a familiar name, without recalling that it came before the Khiljis, not after. A clear mental picture of the chronological order of the five main Delhi Sultanate dynasties can prevent such errors.

Final Answer:
The missing dynasty between Khilji and Sayyid in the Delhi Sultanate sequence is the Tughlaq dynasty.