Indian Antiquary Vol 51

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

Page 217

NOVEMBER, 19221
THE ADVENT OF ISLAM INTO SOUTHERN INDIA
209
policy was to destroy the hereditary nobles and replace them by promoted slaves and rene.. gade Hindus, which has led some Musalman historians to say that he was aiming at a movement to restore Hindus to power. As this has also been said of a movement later on in the days of Muhammad Tughlak (ond no wonder), the proceedings of Malik Khusrû need examination in greater detail than they have yet received
All this led naturally to rebellion, and it found a leader in Ghazi Malik, Governor of Deobalpûr, whose son, Muhammad Fakhru'ddin Jûnå ( afterwards known as Ulugh Khân and later as the notorious Muhammad Tughlak), Malik Khusrð had tried in vain to conciliato by high office. The end of Malik Khusrû came in two months, and in 1320 Ghânzi. Malik became Saltân Ghyasu 'ddin Tughlak Shâh by general acclamation, and thus founded yet another Dynasty at Delhi.
Ghyâsu'ddin Tughlak was a wise and generous ruler, but all that we are at present concerned with is that Deogiri remained loyal to Delhi, while at Warangal Rudra Deo again became restive, and Ulugh Khân (i.e., the later Muhammad Tughlak) was sent to reduce him to obedience. This was achieved with difficulty, owing probably to dissension in the Muslim camp, and Rudra Deo and his family found their way to Delhi. The fall of Warangal naturally led to the overrunning of Telingana.
The rest of Ghyâsu'ddin's short reign was occupied by repelling Mughal inroads and an invasion of Bengal, which was overrun and handed over to a representative of the Balban Dynasty of Bengal (1282-1388). On his victorious return, Ghyåsu'ddin Tughlak was killed outside Delhi by the fall of a specially constructed pavilion during a feast. The catastrophe may or may not have been accidental. Anyhow, Ulugh Khan, who had been left behind as administrator at Delhi during the expedition, profited by it, and in 1325 ascended the Delhi throne as Sultan Abů'l-Mujahid Muhammad Shah, usually known as Muhammad Tughlak.
Professor Krishnaswami is gentle in his description of this great monarch, but I have not yet read anything to upset a brief summary of him which I had occasion to write some years ago :" A remarkably capable but unbalanced ruler, whoreigned for 20 years (1325-1351) and has been described as learned, merciless, religious and mad.' He certainly tried some wonderful schemes. Without any adequate cause and for a time only, he moved the capital 700 miles from Delhi to Deogiri in the Dakhan, to which he gave the name of Daulatâbâd, forcing the people of Delhi to migrate first there and then back again. He grossly misapplied his armies on vainglorious expeditions, where they suffered unspeakable hardships and accomplished nothing. He tried to oblige his people to accept copper and brass tokens as silver coins, and issued & stamped leather note ourrency without any bullion support behind itschemes which not even his vengeance when opposed could make to succeed. He committed wholesale massacre on altogether insufficient provocation, and finally he ruined his kingdom. All the while his own opinion of himself was that he was a perfectly just ruler and that 'to obey him was to obey God.' But the most remarkable thing about him is that he died undisturbed in his bed, from natural disease, thus proving the awe in which his mad abilities kept those about him. This man of contradictions was eloquent of speech, sober and moral in his life, an acoomplished scholar in Arabic, Persian and Greek philosophy, and lóarning of all kinds, and conspicuously brave." Inter alia be created within India the largest, Empire, nominally at least, ever achieved by a Muhammadan ruler dividing it into twenty-three provinoes stretching from Sunargaon (Dacca) to Gujarat and from Lehor to Ma'abar. It was, however, an Empire always in rebellion, and the life of people of mark must under him have often been a nightmare.