Alauddin Khalji
Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
, the ruler of the
Delhi Sultanate in India, faced three rebellions in 1301 while engaged in the
conquest of Ranthambore. The first rebellion was led by his nephew Akat Khan, who tried to assassinate him during a hunting expedition at
Tilpat
Tilpat is a census town in Faridabad district in the Indian state of Haryana that comes under the Capital Region. It is famous for the revolt against Mughals. It also has the Tilpat 1 & 2 ranges of Indian Air Force on the banks of Yamuna. and was beheaded as a punishment. The second was also led by his nephews, this time Malik Umar and Mangu Khan, who started recruiting soldiers to overthrow Alauddin's rule in
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
. The rebellion was crushed by Alauddin's loyal officers, and the rebels were executed. The third was staged by an officer named Haji Maula in Delhi. It was crushed by Alauddin's loyal officer Malik Hamiduddin, and once again the rebels were killed.
Earlier, in 1299, Alauddin's generals
Nusrat Khan and
Ulugh Khan
Almas Beg (died c. 1302), better known by his title Ulugh Khan, was a brother and a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He held the iqta' of Bayana in present-day India.
Ulugh Khan played an important role in Alauddin's a ...
had also faced a
mutiny near Jalore. Alauddin held meetings with his council of ministers to determine the causes of these rebellions. Based on their advice, he took several measures to prevent any further uprisings: he set up an
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be des ...
and
surveillance network, instituted
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
in Delhi, prevented the nobles from networking with each other and confiscated wealth from the residents of Delhi. After these steps were taken, no serious rebellions took place during Alauddin's reign.
Akat Khan's rebellion
After his generals
Ulugh Khan
Almas Beg (died c. 1302), better known by his title Ulugh Khan, was a brother and a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He held the iqta' of Bayana in present-day India.
Ulugh Khan played an important role in Alauddin's a ...
and
Nusrat Khan failed to capture
Ranthambore, Alauddin decided to lead a stronger force there in 1301. He ordered his other officers from various provinces to bring their armies to
Tilpat
Tilpat is a census town in Faridabad district in the Indian state of Haryana that comes under the Capital Region. It is famous for the revolt against Mughals. It also has the Tilpat 1 & 2 ranges of Indian Air Force on the banks of Yamuna. near Delhi. While these armies were on their way to Tilpat, he spent his time
hunting
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...
. During one such expedition, his nephew Sulaiman Shah Akat Khan (or Ikat Khan) conspired to kill him in the Badah village near Tilpat. Alauddin had ordered his horsemen to form a circle in order to drive the
game towards him. Akat Khan and some Mongol Muslims in his service rode towards Alauddin, shouting "Tiger!", and started shooting arrows at the Sultan. A slave named Manik (or Nayak) threw himself in front of Alauddin, and received four arrow wounds. Then Alauddin's bodyguards came forward and protected him with shields. Despite these efforts and his heavy winter clothing, Alauddin received two deep arrow wounds in his arm and fell unconscious. When Akat Khan came closer, Alauddin's guards told him that the Sultan was dead.
Akat Khan then went to the royal camp, announced that he had killed Alauddin and proclaimed himself the new Sultan. Several officers welcomed him, but
Malik Dinar
Malik Dinar ( ar-at, مالك دينار, Mālik b. Dīnār, Malayalam: മാലിക് ദീനാര്) (died 748 CE)Al-Hujwiri, "Kashf al-Mahjoob", 89 was a Muslim scholar and traveller. He was one of the first known Muslims to have co ...
, the officer in-charge of Alauddin's
harem
Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...
, resisted him. When Akat Khan tried to enter the harem, Malik Dinar asked him to present Alauddin's head as evidence of his claim of having killed him.
Meanwhile, Alauddin regained consciousness, and decided to flee to Ulugh Khan's camp, suspecting a deeper conspiracy by many nobles. However, his loyal officer Malik Hamiduddin advised him that his presence at the camp was necessary to quell the rebellion. Alauddin then proceeded to the camp with 500-600 horsemen. Akat Khan fled to Afghanpur, but two officers pursued him and killed him. They brought his head to Alauddin, who remarked that he often had that head in his lap. Akat Khan's head was paraded on a spear: first in Alauddin's camp at Tilpat, then throughout the imperial capital Delhi, then in
Ulugh Khan
Almas Beg (died c. 1302), better known by his title Ulugh Khan, was a brother and a general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji. He held the iqta' of Bayana in present-day India.
Ulugh Khan played an important role in Alauddin's a ...
's camp at
Jhain. Alauddin then ordered the killing of Akat Khan's younger brother Qutlugh Khan.
Over the next few days Alauddin stayed at Tilpat to recover from his wounds. He also made inquiries into the conspiracy against him, and ordered severe punishments against those found guilty. Their wives and children were imprisoned and their property was confiscated.
Rebellion of Malik Umar and Mangu Khan
Some days after Akat Khan's death, Alauddin marched to Ranthambore. While he was busy besieging Ranthambore, two of his nephews conspired to usurp power in Delhi. These were Malik Umar (the governor of Badaun) and Mangu Khan (the governor of Awadh). Both were sons of a sister of Alauddin.
The rebellion started in Awadh, but the cause is not certain. The two brothers started recruiting soldiers to overthrow Alauddin's rule. However, before they could cause any serious damage, Alauddin sent his officers to arrest them. The two brothers were brought to Ranthambore and had their "eyes carved out like slices of melon" before being killed. Their family members and followers were also killed.
Rebellion of Haji Maula
![Siri Fort wall at Panchsheel Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Siri_Fort_wall_at_Panchsheel_Park.jpg)
A third rebellion happened during Alauddin's Ranthambore campaign. Bayazid Tirmizi, who succeeded Ala al-Mulk as the
kotwal
The Kotwal also spelled as Cotwal, or Kotval was a title used in medieval India for the leader of a Kot or fort. Kotwals often controlled the fort of a major town or an area of smaller towns on behalf of another ruler. It was similar in functio ...
of Delhi, had become very unpopular in the city because of his harshness. Taking advantage of his unpopularity, and of Alauddin's absence from Delhi, an officer named Haji Maula decided to take control of Delhi. He was the ''shunah'' (superintendent of crown lands) of Bartol, a town in the Doab region. He had earlier served Malikul Umara Fakhruddin, a former kotwal of Delhi, and enlisted the support of the
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
-era kotwali staff.
At that time Bayazid was supervising repairs to the
Badaun Gate and had taken up residence in a small house nearby. During the month of
Ramadan (May–June) in 1299, when most residents of Delhi were taking a siesta, Haji Maula arrived at Bayazid's residence, accompanied by four armed men. They summoned Bayazid to hear a message from Alauddin. When Bayazid came out Haji Maula ordered his killing. Haji Maula then produced a ''
firman'' before the public, claiming that Alauddin had issued an order to kill Bayazid. He also summoned Alauddin Ayaz, the kotwal of the under-construction
Siri Fort
Siri Fort, in the city of New Delhi, was built during the rule of Alauddin Khalji, second ruler of Khalji Dynasty, of Delhi Sultanate
to defend the city from the onslaught of the Mongols. It was the second of the seven cities of medieval Delhi bu ...
. However, Ayaz refused to oblige, and protected himself by ordering the closure of the Siri gates.
Haji Maula and his soldiers then took control of the royal Red Palace, the treasury, the armory, the horse stables and the prison. To gain supporters, he distributed the money from the treasury among the people of Delhi. He also freed the state prisoners, some of whom joined him.
Alauddin heard about the events in Delhi three days after the beginning of the revolt. He kept the news a secret from his soldiers at Ranthambore, but sent his loyal officer Malik Hamiduddin to quell the rebellion Delhi. Hamiduddin, who held the post of ''amir-i-koh'', arrived in Delhi the next day, and entered through the Ghazni Gate.
Meanwhile, Haji Maula felt that his position was insecure, as he had no claim over the royal throne. He decided to install a
puppet ruler
A puppet ruler is a person who has a title indicating possession of political power, but who, in reality, is either loyal to or controlled by outside individuals or forces. Such outside power can be exercised by a foreign government, in which case ...
. He abducted a man named Alavi, who was a descendant of a daughter of the earlier Sultan
Iltutmish
Shams ud-Din Iltutmish ( fa, شمس الدین ایلتتمش; died 30 April 1236, ) was the third of the Mamluk dynasty (Delhi), Mamluk kings who ruled the former Ghurid Empire, Ghurid territories in northern India. He was the first Muslim sove ...
, "appointed" him the new Sultan of Delhi and forced the nobles to pay him homage. He also appointed his fellow rebels to various royal offices.
When the news of Alavi's appointment reached Alauddin, he sent his brother Ulugh Khan to Delhi. By the time Ulugh Khan reached Delhi, Hamiduddin had already quelled the revolt, defeating Haji Maula's forces after two days of fighting. He was supported by some of Zafar Khan's Amroha-based followers, who had come to Delhi for some court-related work. Haji Maula retreated to the Bhandarkal Gate, where Hamiduddin dragged him from his horse and killed him. He then killed Alavi at the Red Palace and had his head paraded around Delhi on a spear.
Hamiduddin's forces took control of the treasury and brought back the money that had been distributed by Haji Maula. All the surviving rebels were brought before Ulugh Khan and killed. The grandsons of Haji Maula's former master Fakhruddin were also killed, although they had not played any part in the rebellion.
Measures for preventing rebellions
While engaged in
siege of Ranthambore, Alauddin held meetings with his council (''majlis-i khas'') to determine the causes of these rebellions. The council consisted of Alauddin's loyal officials, including Malik Ainul Mulk Multani, Malik Hamiduddin and Malik A'izzuddin. According to 14th-century chronicler
Ziauddin Barani
Ziauddin Barani (1285–1358 CE) was a Muslim political thinker of the Delhi Sultanate located in present-day Northern India during Muhammad bin Tughlaq and Firuz Shah's reign. He was best known for composing the ''Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi'' (also c ...
, the council listed the four main causes of rebellions:
# The ignorance of the king about the good and bad acts of the people;
# Liquor, which allows people to form alliances and hatch conspiracies at drinking parties;
# Closeness and relationships among the nobles: if one of them is punished, the others join him because of blood ties and friendships;
# Money: When people have money they have time to think about rebellions and conspiracies; when they don't have money, they are busy earning their livelihoods.
After returning from Ranthambore, Alauddin stayed in the suburbs of Delhi, where he spent a month on hunting expeditions. Contemporary chroniclers state that he was unhappy with the residents of Delhi, who had displayed their disloyalty during the recent rebellions. However, historian
Kishori Saran Lal
Kishori Saran Lal (1920–2002), better known as K. S. Lal, was an Indian historian. He is the author of several works, mainly on the medieval history of India.
Career
He obtained his master's degree in 1941 at the University of Allahabad. In ...
theorizes that Alauddin did not enter the city, because ''he'' was distressed as a result of the rebellions. His predecessor Jalaluddin had also avoided entering Delhi under similar circumstances.
Subsequently, Alauddin took steps to remove the four causes of rebellions outlined by his council, as detailed below. These steps had the desired outcome and prevented any serious revolts against Alauddin in the following years.
Intelligence and surveillance system
To ensure that he was not ignorant of the happenings in his kingdom, Alauddin organized an
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can be des ...
and
surveillance system network comprising spies (''munhis''), publicly known intelligence officers (''
barids'') and their officer-in-charge. These people were assigned to report on everything that happened in the houses of the nobles and the public markets. This fear of spies intimidated the nobles, who took great care in not saying or doing anything that could attract punishment.
Prohibition
Per his council's advice, Alauddin instituted a total
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
on alcohol in Delhi. This was motivated by political, rather than religious, considerations. He gave up drinking himself and ordered the royal drinking vessels to be broken in front of the
Badaun Gate. The formerly licensed
tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...
s and
distilleries
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...
were asked to move out of Delhi, although this meant a loss of revenue for the state. Alauddin also banned
gambling
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three el ...
and consumption of
bhang
Bhang (IAST: ''Bhāṅg'') is an edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant originating from the Indian subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BC in ancient India. Bhang is traditionally distribu ...
.
Amir Khusrau
Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian sub ...
also claims that Alauddin forced
prostitutes to get married, although the veracity of this statement is doubtful.
Alauddin's elephant-mounted officers patrolled the streets of Delhi, reading out the prohibition orders. Some people disobeyed them by preparing illicit liquor at their houses and selling it at high prices. Some also tried to sneak liquor into Delhi from outside the city. Alauddin ordered all these people to be thrown into dry wells dug near the Badaun Gate. Most of them died, and those who survived were severely injured.
As a result of these steps, liquor became unavailable not only in Delhi but also in its suburbs. The prohibition was unpopular, and ultimately Alauddin had to make some concessions. He issued an order allowing people to distill liquor in their own homes for private consumption. However, the ban on selling alcohol and organizing drinking parties continued.
Control over the nobles
According to Barani, Alauddin issued an order preventing the nobles, aristocrats and important officials from visiting each other's houses and gathering at
banquets. They were also forbidden from inviting the general public to their houses. Marital relations among their families were allowed only with prior permission from the Sultan. According to
Firishta
Firishta or Ferešte ( fa, ), full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah Astarabadi ( fa, مُحَمَّد قاسِم هِندو شاہ), was a Persian historian, who later settled in India and served the Deccan Sultans as their court historian. He was ...
, if a noble wanted to put up a guest or arrange a marriage, he had to obtain the Sultan's permission by writing to Sayyid Khan Wazir.
Barani further states that there was strict enforcement of these rules. Even when the nobles met each other at the royal palace, they could not talk with ease. They took great care to avoid people with bad reputations.
Confiscation of wealth
After ascending the throne of Delhi, Alauddin had made a number of state grants (''milk''), state gifts (''
inam'') and charitable endowments (''
waqf
A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or '' mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitab ...
''). Per the council's suggestions, he canceled all these grants to control the monetary supply. The villages that had earlier been granted as ''milk'', ''inam'' or ''waqf'' were re-designated as ''khalisa'' (a territory whose revenues go directly to the royal treasury). However, there were many exceptions to this order; for example, 14th-century chronicler
Isami writes that the villages grants to his ancestors were not canceled.
Barani gives an exaggerated account of Alauddin's seizure of money from his subjects. According to him, after Alauddin's orders had been carried out, little gold was left in the houses of Delhi. The only exceptions were the houses of the nobles, the aristocrats, state employees and Hindu merchants and bankers.
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{Alauddin Khalji
Alauddin Khalji
Alauddin Khalji
Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrativ ...
Battles involving the Delhi Sultanate