Ala-ud-din Khilji (Urdu/
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
:
علاء الدين الخلجي, real name
Ali Gurshap; died 1316) was the second ruler of the
Khilji dynastyThe Khiljis were a dynasty of Turkic Khalaj origin who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320...
in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. He reigned from 1296 to 1316.
His historic attack on Chittor in 1303 AD, after hearing of the beauty of queen of Chittor,
Rani PadminiRani Padmini was the queen of Chittor and the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh. Her story has been immortalized in Padmavat, an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi In the Awadhi language In the year 1540....
, the wife of King
Rawal Ratan SinghRawal Ratan Singh was the 42nd ruler of Mewar, a state that then covered part of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He ruled from 1302-03 AD. Singh was a rajput belonging to the Sisodia clan.-Wars:...
and the subsequent story has been immortalized in the epic poem
PadmavatPadmavat is an epic poem written In 1540 by Malik Muhammad Jayasi In the Awadhi language. It is the first important work In Awadhi language.- Theme :...
, written by
Malik Muhammad JayasiMalik Muhammad Jayasi was an Indian poet who wrote in the Avadhi dialect of Hindi.He hailed from Jais, presently a city in the Rae Bareli district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh...
in the Awadhi language in the year 1540 .
Biography
Ala-ud-din Khalji was the nephew and son in law of
Jalal-ud-dinJalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji , was the first Indian ruler of the Delhi sultanate and the founder of the Khilji dynasty, who reigned from 1290-1296. He built his capital at Kilughari, a few miles from the city of Delhi and completed the unfinished palace and gardens of Sultan Qaiqabad.) He ruled from...
. His surname is Khilji in Dari/Farsi and Arabic documents, but the original Pashtu is Ghilzai. The obvious difference in spelling and pronunciation arises in lack of letters between Arabic/Dari and Pashtu. At first, Jalal-ud-din appointed Ala-ud-Din as the governor of
KaraKara is an old township situated on the river Ganges, west of Allahabad and was capital of a very big region for centuries under the Muslim Sultanate Rule in India.-Name:...
near the city of
AllahabadAllahabad Allahabad Allahabad , is a city in north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and administrative headquarters of Allahabad District. The ancient name of the city is Aggra (Sanskrit for "place of sacrifice") and is believed to be the spot where Brahma offered his first...
. In 1296 Ala-ud-Din killed his uncle. But Malika Jahan, the widow of Jalal-ud-din, put her younger son Rukn-ud-din Khilji on the throne. Ala-ud-din quickly marched on Delhi from Kara. He entered Delhi with his uncle's head on a pike and on October 3, 1296, proclaimed himself the
King of Delhi. Arkali Khan, Jalal-ud-din's older son, and Rukn-ud-din were
blindedBlinding can refer to:*The act of making someone blind**Metaphorical and extended uses of same: see blindness#Metaphorical uses*Blinding , a technique by which an agent can provide a service to a client in an encoded form without knowing either the real input or the real output*Blinding , an...
. Malika Jahan was imprisoned.
Very soon he went about despoiling the wealth of nobles, frequently blinding, imprisoning or killing them. In 1297, Alauddin sent an army to plunder
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
, under the generalship of Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan. This army looted the temple of
SomnathThe Somnath Temple located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India is the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlings of the God Shiva. Somnath means "The Protector of Moon God"...
and the Shivalinga was broken into pieces and was being carried back to
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
.
Kanhad Dev SongaraKanhad Dev Sonigara was a Rajput Maharaja who ruled Jalore, in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, in the 13th century CE. He belonged to the Sonigara sect of the Chauhan clan of Rajputs....
, the ruler of
JaloreJalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :Jalor is located at . It has an average elevation of 178 metres...
in
RajasthanRājasthān is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan...
attacked and defeated Ulugh Khan and captured the broken Shivalinga which was washed in the
Ganges RiverThe Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal...
, and the fragments were established in various temples in
JaloreJalor, also known as Jalore , is a city in Rajasthan state of western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalor District.- Geography :Jalor is located at . It has an average elevation of 178 metres...
.
Muhammad ShahMuhammad Shah also known as Roshan Akhtar was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah, the 4th son of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at the age of seventeen with the help of the Syed Brothers, he later got rid of them with the help of Nizam...
helped
Kanhad Dev SongaraKanhad Dev Sonigara was a Rajput Maharaja who ruled Jalore, in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, in the 13th century CE. He belonged to the Sonigara sect of the Chauhan clan of Rajputs....
. Muhammad was a general in Khilji's army. After the war, Muhammad Shah went and stayed with
HammirHammir Dev Chauhan was a direct descendant of Prithviraj Chauhan. He was an Agnivanshi Rajput. Hammir ruled over Ranathambore from 1282-1301. Hammir's grandfather Vagbhatta ruled from 1237-1253 and Hammir's father Jaitrasinha ruled from 1253-1281 AD....
at Ranthambore. Ulugh Khan apprised Alauddin who ordered him and Nusrat Khan to conquer Ranthambore. In 1299 they started out with 80,000 cavalry and a large infantry to attack Hammir. Hammir's army repulsed the attack and killed Nusrat Khan. Ulugh Khan escaped and reached
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
. Khilji was taken aback by this defeat and wanted revenge. He finally came himself in 1301, and there was a long siege. Hammir was very well prepared. When the fort would not fall after repeated bloody skirmishes, Khilji resorted to diplomacy. Hammir was very suspicious but he heeded to his councilors who told him that the sword is not always the best recourse. Ratipal and Ranmal, who were close confidants of Hammir, were sent to the Khilji camp. Ranmal's father was hung by Hammir for treachery and his property was confiscated. Ranmal earned the trust of Hammir by being brave in battles that Hammir fought but perfidy was in his blood. Khilji bribed these two generals of Hammir's army and consequently Ranthambore fell. After the annexation of
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
, he took to the practice of making the innocent families of rebels against the government suffer.
Personal life
Alauddin Khilji was a practicing Muslim. His most beloved soldier was a,
Malik KafurMalik Kafur , was a eunuch slave who became a general in the army of Alauddin Khilji, ruler of the Delhi sultanate from 1296 to 1316 A.D. He was originally seized by Alauddin’s army after the army conquered the city of Khambhat. Alauddin Khilji fell in love with the effeminate beauty of Malik...
, originally a slave boy from
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
who was captured in a raid by Alauddin. Kafur was castrated, converted to
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
, and was taken into Alauddin's service. He was commonly referred as
Hazar Dinari Kafur ("Kafur worth thousand
DinarThe Dinar is the name of the official currency in several countries. The Gold Dinar was a coin dating back to the early days of Islam, issued by many rulers, and the Islamic gold dinar is a modern revival of it as a coin or unit of account, separate from the currencies listed below...
s), perhaps alluding to the price at which he was purchased.
Duwa Khan
When
Kublai KhanKublai or Khubilai Khan , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty...
died in 1294, the former
Mongol EmpireThe Mongol Empire was an empire from the 13th and 14th century spanning from Eastern Europe across Asia. It is the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world...
was divided into independent Khanates. One such Khanate was the
Chagatai KhanateThe Chagatai Khanate was a Mongol, and later linguistically Turkicized, khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan , second son of the Great Khan Genghis Khan, and his descendents and successors...
which covered
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
and its leader at that time was
Duwa KhanDuwa was khan of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the second son of Baraq. He was the longest reigning monarch of the Chagatayid Khanate and accepted the Great Khan's supremacy...
. Duwa was active in
AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
, and attempted to extend Mongol rule to
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, but there he was defeated by a formidable foe, General Zafar Khan of the
Delhi SultanateThe Delhi Sultanate was one of many Muslim states that ruled in India from 1206 to 1526. Several Turkic and Afghan dynasties ruled from Delhi: the Mamluk dynasty , the Khilji dynasty , the Tughlaq dynasty , the Sayyid dynasty , and the Lodi dynasty...
in 1296-1297.The two armies met at
JalandharJalandhar , is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. In Hindu mythology, Jalandhar was the eponymous kingdom of a devil in Satyuga...
in 1297. Zafar Khan defeated the Mongols in this first invasion.
Saldi
The Mongols attacked again under the command of Saldi and captured the fort of
SiriSiri may refer to:*Siri, belgian artist famous for her "Zebra" paintings*Siri, one of the Seven cities of Delhi*Alejandro Siri, Argentine field hockey player*Florent Emilio Siri, French film director*Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal...
. Zafar Khan holding the honour of being one of the few undefeated military commanders in history had no problem crushing this army, recaptured the fort and brought 2,000 Mongols prisoners before Sultan Alauddin Khilji. It was one of the worst defeats for the Mongols. Legend has it that Zafar Khan created such great terror in the minds of the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
that whenever their horses refused to drink water, the Mongols would ask them if they had seen Zafar Khan. The first invasion of the Mongols was an abysmal failure with Zafar Khan almost grinding them into the dust. The Mongols thereafter repeatedly invaded northern
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. On at least two occasions, they came in strength. The second time around, they took
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
but could not keep their hold on the Sultanate.
Qutlugh Khwaja
But in 1299, the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
came back. It says much for the tenacious Mongol spirit that they were back so soon and in such strength that they took over the fort of
SiriSiri may refer to:*Siri, belgian artist famous for her "Zebra" paintings*Siri, one of the Seven cities of Delhi*Alejandro Siri, Argentine field hockey player*Florent Emilio Siri, French film director*Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal...
, just beyond Delhi, which Ala-ud-Din Khilji had built. This time they came under a leader who was a legend in his own right,
Qutlugh KhwajaQutlugh Khwaja was a son of Duwa, the Mongolian khan of Chagatai Khanate in the Mongol Empire. He became a chief of the Qara'unas in Afghanistan after Abdullah was recalled by the Khan to Central Asia in around 1298-1299...
, the feared Central Asian warrior and son of
Duwa KhanDuwa was khan of the Chagatai Khanate . He was the second son of Baraq. He was the longest reigning monarch of the Chagatayid Khanate and accepted the Great Khan's supremacy...
now commanding a force of 200,000 Mongols. Ala-ud-Din Khilji realized that the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
meant business. If
Qutlugh KhwajaQutlugh Khwaja was a son of Duwa, the Mongolian khan of Chagatai Khanate in the Mongol Empire. He became a chief of the Qara'unas in Afghanistan after Abdullah was recalled by the Khan to Central Asia in around 1298-1299...
had come himself it meant war, not for gold but for the kingdom itself.
The situation was serious enough for the usually individualistic Sultan Ala-ud-Din Khilji to be forced into taking advice from others. Ala-ud-Din Khilji was urged to sue for peace by his advisors as Qutlugh was virtually wiping his feet at the doorsteps of Delhi. However Ala-ud-Din Khilji did not become the
SultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
via cautious diplomacy. He rejected their advice and said,
Ignoring their advice the young sultan attacked the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
. The advance guard of the army was led by
Zafar KhanZafar Khan was the Muslim Indian general of Alauddin Khilji of the Khilji dynasty, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in northern India.Zafar Khan defeated an invading Mongol army near Jalandhar in 1297 which secured Alauddin Khilji's throne....
himself. He defeated the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
again and went off in hot pursuit of them as they withdrew. However, the wily Qutlugh tricked Zafar into a position where he was first surrounded and then killed by the Mongols. Ala-ud-Din Khilji took this loss calmly. Zafar Khan had been entirely too popular for his comfort anyway. However, the death of the general did not improve matters for the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
. In face of Ala-ud-Din Khilji‘s continued offensives, they had to retreat to the unconquerable heights from where they had come.
Targhi
The Mongols took, what was for them, a long time to rally from this setback. They attacked at the worst time possible for Ala-ud-Din Khilji, when he was busy laying siege to Chittor. This time the Mongols traveled light. An army of 12,000 under Targhi’s leadership trickled into India like a shadow and moved to Delhi at a pace that was astonishing even by Mongol standards. Such was the swiftness of the attack that many governors could not send their troops to Delhi in time.
Ala-ud-Din Khilji was forced to duck into
SiriSiri may refer to:*Siri, belgian artist famous for her "Zebra" paintings*Siri, one of the Seven cities of Delhi*Alejandro Siri, Argentine field hockey player*Florent Emilio Siri, French film director*Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal...
and stay put for about two months. The Mongols stomped through and pillaged not only the surrounding areas, but
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
itself. However they could not get into Siri. Although minor skirmishes were fought, a decisive win eluded both parties. This deadlock dragged on for more than a couple of months. In the end when Ala-ud-Din Khilji was fervently hoping for a miracle to help him, his prayers were answered.
The Mongols were a nomadic restless lot, and Targhi was more impatient than most of them. When Ala-ud-Din Khilji dug in his heels and stayed put in his seemingly impregnable fortress for months, Targhi lost interest in the whole affair, washed his hands of it and ordered his army to withdraw.
BaraniA Barani can refer to:* Barani - a gymnastics move used in gymnastics and martial arts* Barani - a department of the Kossi Province located in the African nation, Burkina Faso* Barani - a newly discovered species of snake...
, the contemporary historian at that time, attributed this marvel to the prayers of the Sufi mystic Shaikh
Nizamuddin AuliyaSultan-ul-Mashaikh, Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya , also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in South Asia, an order that believed in drawing close to God through renunciation of the world and service to humanity. He is one of the great saints of the Chishti...
. Ala-ud-Din Khilji’s defenses were so strong and enduring that the whole situation had really become quite an impasse. He wisely realized that the
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
could not hold out forever and had to go home to
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
some time. That was where the Mongol power was concentrated and they could not afford to be away for too long.
Targhi had to go back with the consolation that he was leaving behind a much disturbed and thoughtful Ala-ud-Din Khilji, The seriousness of the Qutlugh Khwaja and Targhi led Mongol invasions which had left Siri panting for breath, forced Ala-ud-Din Khilji to take stock of the situation. A defensive measure like hiding in Siri till the Mongol storm blew over must have gashed his proud spirit. He had the forts along the border strengthened and equipped with larger garrisons. New, more effective fortifications were built along this area. A whole new army, with its own special governor, was created whose portfolio was managing and guarding the border areas.
Ali Beg et Tartaq
A few months later the Mongols under the leadership of Ali Beg and Tartaq, suddenly appeared in the
PunjabThe Punjab The Punjab The Punjab (pronounced or ; Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], [[Shahmukhi script|, ), also spelled Panjab ' onMouseout='HidePop("68349")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Amroha">Amroha
Amroha is a town in the northwestern Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jyotiba Phule Nagar district. Amroha is located west-northwest of Moradabad, on the Sot River.-Etymology:...
. The Mongols plundered the Punjab and burnt everything to cinders along the way.
But this time Ala-ud-Din Khilji was ready for them. He sent a strong army led by two of his toughest generals
Ghazi MalikGhiyath al-Din Tughluq was the founder and first ruler of the Turkic Muslim Tughluq dynasty in India...
and the famous
Malik KafurMalik Kafur , was a eunuch slave who became a general in the army of Alauddin Khilji, ruler of the Delhi sultanate from 1296 to 1316 A.D. He was originally seized by Alauddin’s army after the army conquered the city of Khambhat. Alauddin Khilji fell in love with the effeminate beauty of Malik...
after them. They surprised the
Mongols on their way back to
Central AsiaAsia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to northern India in the south. It is also sometimes known as Middle Asia or Inner Asia, and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent.Various definitions of its...
with their plunder. The two generals pooled in their immense talents and defeated the Mongols. The Mongol generals were captured and brought back to
SiriSiri may refer to:*Siri, belgian artist famous for her "Zebra" paintings*Siri, one of the Seven cities of Delhi*Alejandro Siri, Argentine field hockey player*Florent Emilio Siri, French film director*Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal...
, along with other prisoners. Ala-ud-Din Khilji had the generals trampled to death by elephants while the other prisoners were put to death and their heads hung from the walls of the fort.Qasim
Kubak
Even after the gory treatment meted out to their last expedition, the Mongols came in again in 1306. They crossed the Indus near
Multanis a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. Multan District has a population of over 3.8 million—according to 1998 census—and the city itself is the sixth largest within the boundaries of Pakistan...
and were moving towards the
HimalayasThe Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow", is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, when
Ghazi MalikGhiyath al-Din Tughluq was the founder and first ruler of the Turkic Muslim Tughluq dynasty in India...
(who was by then the governor of the
PunjabThe Punjab The Punjab The Punjab (pronounced or ; Punjabi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], The Punjab (pronounced or ; [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]: [[Gurmukhī script|ਪੰਜਾਬ]], [[Shahmukhi script|, ), also spelled Panjab intercepted them. About 50,000 Mongols were made prisoners including Kubak, their leader. Ala-ud-Din Khilji put them all to death and sold their wives and children as slaves.
Iqbalmand Khan
The last Mongol invasion took place in 1307-1308 under Iqbalmand. He had just about managed to cross the Indus when Ala-ud-Din Khilji’s armies overtook them and put them all to the sword.
After 1308, the Mongols did not attack
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
again. There were a number of reasons for this. Principal among these was that during their earlier descent from the mountains into the Indus plains, the Mongols became aware of their handicap in an environment of higher temperatures, humidity and their lack of dexterity in riding horses at the speeds they were comfortable at in higher & drier areas. To a lesser extent, of course that Ala-ud-Din Khilji, by repeated ruthlessness, finally managed to drive home the point that he would deal firmly and mercilessly with invaders into his territory. This was one of the greatest achievements of Ala-ud-Din Khilji. He was an original thinker and brilliant as a strategist. If the Mongols had still been serious about an
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n empire, they could have kept sending armies to India. It is to Ala-ud-din’s credit that he drove the idea of an Indian empire from the heads of the Mongols.
But he did not stop there, Ala-ud-Din Khilji had to be sure that the Mongols would never come back .T he only way to do that was to attack them, he sent plundering armies under the veteran general
Ghazi MalikGhiyath al-Din Tughluq was the founder and first ruler of the Turkic Muslim Tughluq dynasty in India...
to
KandaharKandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
,
GhazniFor the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni City is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people. It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet above sea level...
and
KabulKabul , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of over 2.5 million, and is located in the province of Greater Kabul...
. The
MongolsThe name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia.-Definition:...
were already so much in awe of him that they did not even bother to defend their own territories against him. These offensives effectively crippled the Mongol line of control leading to
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
until the arrival of
Timur LaneTimur , also known as Tamerlane , was a 14th-century conqueror of much of western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire and Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, which survived until 1857 as the Mughal...
.
Gujarat
Gujarat was the most powerful and fertile kingdom of all the kingdoms in northern India.Karnadev II of the Baghela dynasty was the king of Gujarat.Alauddin Khilji two of his great generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan.Nusrat Khan starterd for
Gujarat from Delhi on February 24 1299.Ulugh Khan started from Sindh and joined Nusrat Khan near Chitor.The army cross Vanasa river and captured the Ravosa fort.Karnadev was defeated and fled to the kingdom of Devagiri and Gujarat was captured by Alauddin Khilji.
Ranathamvor
Alauddin Khilji once again sent two of his celebrated generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan to Ranathamvor. Hamirdev of the Chauhan dynasty was the king of Ranathamvor. In a valiant counter attack from the Rajputs Nusrat Khan was killed and Ulugh Khan retreated to Delhi. Alauddin Khilji then himself led the expedition to Ranathamvor. After one year of siege the Muslims were able to occupy Ranathamvor due to the treachery of the Rajput general Ranamal. Ironically, later Ranamal was killed by Alauddin Khilji.
Mewar
Mewar was the most powerful kingdom of all the Rajput kingdoms and never had been conquered by the Muslims. On 28 January 1303 Alauddin Khilji started for Mewar. First Alauddin Khilji captured the city of Chitor and besieged the Chitor fort. Rana Ratan Singh fought valiantly with his Rajput army. The Rajputs were able to hold their fort for seven months. But, due to the long siege, there grew a severe shortage of food, drinking water and other rations. Consequently, the Rajputs surrendered. Alauddin Khilji appointed Khidr Khan as the governor of Chitor. But Khidr Khan was forced to retreat due to repeated counter attacks of the Rajputs. Alauddin Khilji then appointed Maldec, a Rajput, as the governor of Chitor. But Mewar was able to regain her independence immediately after the death of Alauddin Khilji.
Malwa
Alauddin Khilji's conquest of Mewar, Ranathamvor and Gujarat stroke terror in the mind of the remaining Rajput Kingdoms. But Mahlak Dev refused to give in to Alauddin Khilji so easily. He gathered 20,000 horsemen and 90,000 infantry to confront Alauddin's army. Harnanda Koka was the general of his army. On the other hand Ain-ul-Mulk Multani was on the head of a 160,000 Muslim army. After a bloody war Harnana Koka was killed by treachery and the Rajput forces retreated. The Muslims were decimated but due to larger numbers were able to prevail. Malwa along with Mandu,Dhara and Chanderi came in the hand of Alauddin Khilji. Ain-ul-Mulk Multani was appointed the governor of Malwa. It was in year 1294 A.D. when he acquired koh-i-noor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor from malwa and brought it to Delhi.
Marwar
Alauddin Khilji invaded Marwar in 1308. Satal Dev was the king of Marwar and the owner of the famous Siwana fort. Alauddin Khilji sent Malik Kamaluddin as the general of his army. After a fierce battle the Marwari army was defeated. Satal dev was captured and was executed.
Jalor
Alauddin Khilji invaded Jalor in. The first expedition was a failure. Alauddin Khilji then sent Malik Kamaluddin. After a hard fought battle the Rajput army was defeated and Jalor was occupied by the Muslims.
Devagiri
Alauddin Khilji invaded Devagiri once when he was the crown prince. Alauddin Khilji once again invaded Devagiri in 1306. The invincible Malik Kafur was on the spearhead of the army. He was accompanied with Khwaja Haji. The governors of Malwa and Gujarat was ordered to help Malik Kafur. The huge army conquered Devagiri almost without a battle. Alauddin Khilji appointed Raja Ramchandra the governor of Devagiri. He was given the title "Rai Rayan" (king of kings).
Warangal
After conquering Devagiri Alauddin Khilji invaded Warangal with Malik Kafur as the General of the Muslim army. Ramchandra helped Malik Kafur in this battle. After a fierce battle Malik Kafur was able to occupy the Warangal fort.King Prataprudradev of the Kakatiya dynasty signed a treaty with Alauddin Khilji. Alauddin Khilji got the famous Kohinoor diamond from Warangal.
Darsamudra
After conquering Devagiri and Warngal Alauddin Khilji sent Malik Kafur against king Vir Vallal of the Hoysala dynasty. Vir Vallal surrendered without a fight. Malik Kafur returned to Delhi with immense booty.
Pandiya
Alauddin Khilji then sent Malik Kafur against king Veera Pandian of the Pandiya kingdom at the southern most tip of India. Malik Kafur vanquished the Pandya king and built a mosque at Rameshwaram.
Death
Alauddin died in January 1316, of
edemaEdema or oedema , formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body...
. It is believed that his lieutenant
Malik NaibMalik Kafur , was a eunuch slave who became a general in the army of Alauddin Khilji, ruler of the Delhi sultanate from 1296 to 1316 A.D. He was originally seized by Alauddin’s army after the army conquered the city of Khambhat. Alauddin Khilji fell in love with the effeminate beauty of Malik...
hastened his death. His tomb and
madarsa dedicated to him, exists at the back of
Qutb complexThe Qutb complex, also spelled Qutab or Qutub, is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India, the most famous of which is the five-storeyed, and 72.5 m high Qutb Minar built in 1192 CE, by Qutbuddin Aibak, viceroy and general in Mohammed Ghori of Ghazni's army to mark their...
,
MehrauliMehrauli is a neighbourhood in the South West district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi...
, in
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
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