When Qutbuddin Aibak established his independent rule in 1206, he chose Lahore as his capital. Lahore had long served as a Ghurid stronghold and remained strategically ideal for controlling northwestern frontiers and trade routes. Although Aibak also captured and developed Delhi, his administrative activities and military operations were headquartered in Lahore. Only after his death in 1210 did his successors, especially Iltutmish, consolidate Delhi as the long-term power centre of the Sultanate. Thus, Aibak’s selection of Lahore reflects both historical continuity with the Ghurid Empire and practical considerations of frontier defence and communication networks.