Muntakhab al-tawarikh 33.3
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 33.3
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33.3.1
196. In the year 700 H. he ordered ‘Ainu-l-Mulk Shihab Multani to proceed to Malwa with a large army [and Koka the Rani who had forty thousand cavalry and 100,000 infantry, not being able to stand against him fled]. ‘Ainu-l-Mulk ravaged and pillaged that country and returned victorious with countless spoils. The Khusru of poets has described this in the ‘Ashiqa, in these words: He gave ‘Ainu-l-Mulk a signal with his brow To turn his face towards the kingdom of Malwa; From the clear-sightedness which ‘Ainu-l-Mulk possessed. That which he ordered was brought into sight. He marched with an army drawn up in array, And placed round them sentinels like the eyelashes. And in the year already mentioned the Sultan set out for Sorath on a hunting expedition, and despatched to hell Satal Dev a rebel who had taken refuge in that fortress with a huge army, the Sultan’s army having before been unable to reduce it, but it now fell into their hands. And in the year 701 H. (1301 A.D.) the fort of Jalor was reduced by Kamalu-d Din Kark and he sent Kanhar Dev, a headstrong rebel to the lowest abyss of hell. And in the year 703 H. (1302 A.D.) he sent Malik Kafur Naib with a large army and complete equipment towards Tiling and Marhat and an immense quantity of treasure with elephants and horses, jewels and cloths, fell as spoil into the hands of the troops.
33.3.2
And in the year 709 (1309 A.D.) Malik Naib Kafur went a second time to Arankal and having taken much treasure and several fine elephants and seven thousand horses as a present from Rai Nadar Dev the Governor of Arankal made him a regular tributary. And in the year 710 H. (1310 A.D.) the country of Ma‘bar as far as Dhor Samundar came into the possession of the Muslims. And in the year 711 H. (1311 A.D.) Malik Naib brought to court and presented his spoils consisting of three hundred and twelve elephants, and twenty thousand horses, ninety-six thousand mans of gold, and many chests of jewels and pearls besides other booty beyond the limits of computation; Amir Khusru who was with that army has given full particulars in the Khazainu-l-Futuh: some attributed these victories to respite before punishment, and some to the miraculous powers of Sultan ‘Alau-d-Din, while others held that the peace and security of that reign were due to the unbounded blessings of the Sultanu-l-Mashaikh Nizamu-l-Auliya — may God sanctify his resting-place.
33.3.3
At length when the Sultan’s mind was satisfied, and he gained some leisure from the administration of the State, he set himself to provide for the future of his two sons, allotting to each one a province in the neighbourhood, and setting apart districts for them. Among other events was the marriage of Khizr Khan to Dewal Rani, and Mir’s account is of a nature to last to all eternity, and those who have the taste may read the account of that in the ‘Ashiqah; then having bestowed upon Khizr Khan the canopy and staff of office, and having made him his heir the Sultan sent him away to Hatnapur and the foot of the hills. When affairs were settled, and the heavens began to act with their ingrained natural deceit, and commenced displaying those evil traits, and old age overcame the Sultan’s health, his followers deserted him; Verse. In the world, when a king becomes advanced in years His worshippers grow weary of him; His head, which is worthy of a crown, He must recline on musk not on ivory.
33.3.4
198. Various disorders affected him, and hectic fever which leads to ill-temper, and bad causes the health to become deranged, gained the mastery over him, and when only such a small amount of health remained that it was like a single lamp to light the whole house, Khizr Khan in fulfillment of a vow he had made, in singleness of heart and sincerity of spirit set out from Hatnapur barefooted upon a pilgrimage to the holy men of Dihli, and performed his thanksgiving for the restoration of his father’s health, but it is a very strange fact that he never once went to visit the Sultanu-l-Masha’ikh wal-Auliya, “Shaikh of the sects, Pillar of the faith, Nizamu-d Din Like Khizr and Masih with a breath brings bones to life,” with whom he was connected by bonds of affection and sanctity. And Malik Naib informed the Sultan of the coming of Khizr Khan with considerable embellishment, saying that Alp Khan, the maternal uncle of Khan, who had arrived from Gujrat, out of policy and prudence, having regard to the affairs of the State and in his desire to become Naib and Vakil, had himself summoned his sister’s son, and further remarked that if this crude idea and immature desire had not fixed itself in the mind of Khizr Khan, why had he come unbidden to the Court?
33.3.5
The Sultan whose health was upset and his brain disordered and disposed to entertain absurd prejudices in according with the saying “When a man’s health is disordered his fancies are disordered,” from his great lack of discrimination taking this suggestion as the actual fact, and regarding this assertion as the truth, instantly gave orders for the execution of Alp Khan. Malik Naib and Malik Kamalu-d-Din Gurg seizing that unhappy wretch like a meek lamb, cut him to pieces inside the Royal palace. After that Malik Naib induced the Sultan (on the ground that Khizr Khan had taken alarm at the murder of his uncle and that it was not expedient for him to return to his own place in the court), to issue instructions that, to allow of the restoration of order in the State, he should go for some time to Amroha till a command should issue summoning him to the presence. In the meantime he might engage in hunting, and he was to return to the Court his canopy and staff of office, and all the other insignia of royalty. Khizr Khan having obeyed this order with a sad and distracted heart, after a little while relying upon the sincerity of affection he entertained for his father and the confidence between them, wrote to him to this effect, that he had never committed any breach of trust which could cause the Sultan to be so wroth with him; then overcome by sorrow he determined to leave Amroha for Dihli.
33.3.6
When he arrived to do obeisance to his father, the chord of fatherly affection was stirred in the heart of the Sultan, he clasped his son to his breast, and kissed him several times on the forehead, and motioned to him to go and see his mother. Khizr Khan went thither, and Malik Naib out of villainy, on the instant went back to the Sultan and filled his ears with lies, saying, ‘Khizr Khan has now come for the second time to the palace with evil intentions without orders, and the Sultan takes no notice of the matter.’ The Sultan upon this occasion gave orders to send both brothers, Khizr Khan and Shadi Khan, to the fortress of Gwaliar. Malik Naib, after these two heirs had been deported, and the way was clear for Malik Shihabu-d-Din, the son of the Sultan by another mother, who was yet a lad of tender years, made him heir-apparent and exacted from him an agreement. After two or three days the Sultan’s life became intolerable through his affliction, and he would willingly have purchased a breath at the price of a world, but it was not to be had. Verse. Sikandar, who held sway over a world, At the time when he was departing, and was quitting the world. It could not be as he wished, though he would have given a world could they have given him in return the brief respite of a moment. The mint of existence was emptied of the coin of life. This event took place in the year 715 H. (1316 A.D.). The duration of the reign of Sultan 'Alau-d-Din was twenty-one years.
33.3.7
‘Alau-d-Din who struck his stamp upon the golden coin Subdued a world beneath the palm of his gold-scattering hand. By the revolution of the sky, that stamp became changed, but that gold Remained the same in appearance, and you may see it now passing from hand to hand.