When Madhukar Shah, Chandra Shah's successor committed suicide, Prem Narain, his eldest son who was in Delhi at the imperial court, rushed back to Garha. While going, he left his eldest son Hirde Shah lodhi at the court. Jhujhar Singh of Orchha invaded and killed Prem Narain by treachery and his cunning.[2] However, Hridayshah lodhi retook the kingdom from Jhujhar Singh with Mughal interference and help.[2][1]
Hridayshah was a great and able lodhi ruler.[7] He maintained friendly relations with the Mughals, he spent days at the imperial court in Delhi as well.
As Eyre Chatterton describes-
He had a keen interest in taking care of animals, especially tigers, of whom he had 16. A genealogy of the Gond kings of Mandla was prepared by a Hindu named Jaya Govinda on his orders in Sanskrit on a tablet, now found on the walls of the Gond royal palace at Ramnagar, near Mandla.[1] During the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Pahad Singh Bundela of Orchha attacked Hirde Shah lodhi, hence he shifted his capital to Mandla.[8][9] This was the second time the Bundelas of Orchha had attacked Garha.
He was a descendant of the great Sangram Shah and a close relative of the valiant Gond queen, Rani Durgavati's family.[10] Moti Mahal was built by him 350 years ago, which is a wonderful example of the architecture of that time. He also built 'Begum Mahal' for the queen and 'Badal Mahal' for the generals.[11] The Gond royal palace at Ramnagar was built by Hriday Shah lodhi around 1630 AD, when he made Ramnagar his capital.[6]