Sher Shah Suri (1486 - May 22, 1545), birth name Farid Khan, also known as Sher Khan (The Lion King), is an Afghan (Pashtun) who conquers the Delhi Sultanate in northern India.

He serves as a private before rising to become a commander in the Mughal army under Babur and then as the governor of Bihar.

In 1537, when the new Mughal leader Humayun is elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah Suri overruns Bengal and becomes the new emperor after establishing the Suri Empire.

A brilliant strategist, Sher Shah proves himself a gifted administrator as well as an able general.

His reorganization of the empire lays the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably Akbar, son of Humayun.

During his five year rule from 1540 to 1545, he sets up a new template for civic and military administration, issues the first Rupee and reorganizes the postal system of India.

He further develops Humayun's Dina-panah city and names it Shergarh and revives the historical city of Patna which had been in decline since the 7th century CE.

He is also famously remembered for killing a fully-grown tiger with his bare hands in the Indian jungle.