The title "Sher Khan" was impressed upon him after he single-handedly fought against a lion while he was serving the Afghan noble Bahar Khan Lohani. Farid Khan was a talented and fearless soldier. His father Hasan Khan was a jagirdar under Bahar Khan Lohani, a noble who served under the ruler of Delhi. Farid Khan succeeded his father to become the Jagirdar and soon he rebelled and successfully overthrew the Mughal Emperor Humayun in 1540. 