Muntakhab al-tawarikh 42: SULTĀN MUHAMMAD 'ĀDIL IBN TUGHLAQ SHĀH.
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 42
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SULTĀN MUHAMMAD 'ĀDIL IBN TUGHLAQ SHĀH.
42.1
That is to say Ulugh Khān, by the agreement of the Amīrs and officers of the Court ascended the royal throne in the year 725 A.H. (1325 A.D.), and after performing the ceremonial mourning for the space of forty days, went to the treasure house of the kings of former ages, and gave largesse such as exceeds all bounds of description, and having distributed appointments and offices among the Amirs, he made Malik Firoz his uncle’s son (who is the same person as Sultan Firoz) Naibu-l-Mulk, and advanced the dignity of his near relations in the same manner. Hamid Lawiki, too, was raised to an exalted position and Malik Sartoz obtained the title of 'Imadu-l-Mulk, Malik Khurram that of Zahiru-l- (Inspector of the Forces) Malik Pindar Khalji was given the title of Qadr Khan, and Malik Izzu-d-Din Yahya that of A'zamu-l-Mulk, the district of Satganw being also confirmed to him. And in the year 727 A.H. (1326-1327 A.D.) the Sultan having formed the design of proceeding to Deogir, posted a chain of dhawa, that is to say paiks, or runners, as guards at distances of one kroh along the whole road from Dihli to Deogir, built a palace and a monastery at each stage and appointed a Shaikh to each. They used to keep in constant readiness food and drink, betel-leaf and all provisions for hospitality; and in to all (palaces and monasteries) guides were stationed who were ordered to see that travellers suffered no annoyance. The traces of these (rest-houses) remained for many years.
42.2
He gave Deogir the name of Daulatabad and considering it as the centre of his dominions made it the metropolis, and conveyed Makhduma-i-Jahan his mother, with all his family and relations, the Amirs and Maliks, the notables of the city, his servants and dependents, and all his treasure to Daulatabad; all the Sayyids and Shaikhs and ‘Ulama also proceeded thither in the following of Makhduma-i-Jahan, and the stipends and emoluments of all of them were doubled, but in accordance with the saying “Exile is the greatest of all calamities and banishment is the sorest of all afflictions,” this desolation of Dihli and its desertion was a source of great discomfort to the inhabitants, large numbers of the feeble and widows, the helpless and indigent perished by the way, while even those who arrived in safety, could not settle there; and towards the end of the above-mentioned year Malik Bahadur Gurshasp the Inspector-General of the Forces, raised a rebellion in Dihli, and Malik Aiyaz, who held the title of Khwaja-i-Jahan, fought with Bahadur and defeated him. Bahadur was taken prisoner and brought before the Sultan and met his punishment. After that, Malik Bahram Iba the adopted brother of Sultan Tughlaq raised a rebellion in Multan, and put to death ‘Ali Khatap who had been sent from Dihli to summon him thither.
42.3
The Sultan, in order to put down this rebellion, left Daulatabad for Dihli and thence by uninterrupted marches reached Multan, Bahram having come out against him fought with him, but was defeated and eventually put to death, his head was brought to the Sultan who intended to set the blood of the Multanis flowing like rivers on account of his crime, but when the Shaikhu-l-Islam Qutbu-l-‘Alam Shaikh Ruknu-l-Haqq wau-d-Din Quraishi, may God sanctify his holy resting place, having bared his venerable head presented himself at the Court of the Sultan and made intercession, the Sultan pardoned the offences of the people. Verse. From the earliest times of Adam till the days of the king, Great men have shewn mercy mean men have committed faults. And the Sultan having bestowed Multan upon Qiwamu-l-Mulk Maqbul retraced his steps, but after some little time having turned against him despatched Bahsa to replace him, but Shahū killed the Afghan ... Sultān on his arrival at Dihalpūr found that Shahū had fled into the hill country, so he turned back. And in the year 729 A.H. (1329 A.D.) Tarmashirīn the Ilkhan, the brother of Qutlugh Khwāja the Mughal King of Khurāsān who had formerly invaded Hindūstān, having entered the Dihlī territory with an enormous army, seized the majority of the forts and properties slaughtering and taking captives from Lāhor and Sāmāna and Indrī to the borders of Badāon, and when the victorious troops of Islām came up with him, he retreated as they advanced;
42.4
the Sultān pursued him as far as the frontier of Kalānor and defeated him, and leaving the destruction of that fort in the hands of Majīru-d-Dīn Abū-rajā returned in the direction of Dihlī. At this time the Sultān formed the opinion that in consequence of the refractory conduct of his subjects in the Doāb it was advisable to double the taxes levied on that country; he also instituted numbering their cattle and a house census, and other vexatious and oppressive measures, which were the cause of the complete ruin and desolation of the country; the weak were utterly destroyed and the strong laid the foundations of rebellion. The Sultān gave orders for the remainder of the inhabitants of Dihlī and the adjoining towns to start for Daulatābād, caravan by caravan; the houses were to be purchased from their owners, and the price of them to be paid in cash out of the public treasury, in addition to which large rewards were to be offered. By these means Daulatābād was populated, and Dihlī became so deserted that there was not left even a dog or a cat in the city. The following verse describes its condition;—