Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 214

206
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ NOVEMBER, 1922
far round to the West (Malabar) as Kolam (Quiton). Ma'abar was to these eerly Muhammadın sailors and settlers 'the Key of Hind,' from which they extended their communications further to the Eastward, sending thence an ambassador to China as early as 1297, in the person of the Fakhru'ddin Ahmad, bin Ibråhimu'th-Thaibi, and so a relative of the Marzabân. When not long afterwards the notorious Malik Kafür swept down on Ma'abor, ho found there Muhammadan settlers "half Hindus," just as were, in a sense, the Navůyats of the N.-W. Indian Coast, and the Mâpillas (Moplahs) of Malabar. Is it possible that here we have the origin of the Labbais (Lubbays) of to-day in modern Mo'o bar and Ceylon? But the interesting point here, as brought out by Professor Krishnoswami, is that Malik Kâfår found a Musal. man settlement at Kandur - Kannanûr near Srirangam, who were not of North Indian origin, in the army of Vira BallAla ("the yellow-faced Bir" of the Muslim chroniclers), his opponent. Taking these as the bare historical facts, it would be well worth while to explore in detail the history of the mixed Arab-Tamil inhabitants, or shall we say Musalmân families and even castes, of the Coast, from say Calicut to say Nellore, and try and ascertain how far they owe their origin to direct overseas trade settlements. However, so much were these people foreigners to the followers of Melik Kafar and the like from the North, that there was not much to choose between the sufferings inflicted on them and those that the "infidel " Hindus themselves had to endure.
It is necessary to bear the above facts in mind in considering the Muhammadan warlike incursions into the South. In the course of one of the frequent Court revolutions in the days of the Slave-Kings of Delhi, whom I am very pleased to find Professor Krishnaswami is not afraid to call by their right name of Mamlak (I should like to see Slave-King disappear from Indian History), Jalalu'ddin Khiljî, a Turki mamldk of Afghanistan, succeeded to the throne at Delhi occupied by the feeble successor of the mamlak Ghiyåsu'ddîn Balban. He had as nephew and son-in-law 'Alau'ddin Khilji, who, according to Professor Krishnaswami, was goaded into seeking independence, owing to the irritation caused by the lofty and contemptuous ways of his wife, who never let him forget that she was Sultan Jalâlu'ddin's daughter. In order to find ways and means for undermining the position of the Sultân, his uncle and father-in-law, he sought them in the wealth offered him in the sack of the Hindu States of the Dakhan, which adjoined the Government of Allahabad conferred on him by his trusting uncle. Gratitude towards the man who had made bim fell, as the Professor remarks, before the anxiety to be even with his wife. Thus it was that the 01.g.nal invason of the South from the North was more the result of accidental circunstances than of mere lust of conquest, the whole object being plunder of the safest type of victim in Muslim eyes, i.e., a Hindu kingdom.
The first objective across the mountains was Deogiri, then a wealthy Hindu State, the army of which had gone southwards under Sankar Deo, the son of the ruler, Ramachandra or Ram Deo. By dint of real military capacity combined with a series of ruses and deceptive proclamations, at which a man of 'Alâu'ddin Khilji's training would be an adept, he managed to surround Deogiri and defeat Sankar Deo on his return to the resoue of his father. and finally to secure what he went for, an immense ransom from the unfortunate Ramachandra.
Aldu'ddin was true to his racial origin and his training in the adopted country of his family, and no atrocity wes too great to stand in the way of his now high ambitions. His unolo, in spite of reasonable suspicion, trusted him and was induced to visit him at the seat of his Government at Karra. There he was murdered. The gold acquired from Deogiri not stood 'Alau'ddin in good stead, and he was soon on the throne of Delhi. He was a