تحفة النظار في غرايب الامصار وعجايب الاسفار 11.10.1

11.10.1

When he had killed his uncle he took sole possession of the kingdom. Most of his uncle's troops fled to him, while some returned to Dihlī and rallied around Rukn al-Dīn. He went out to repel him, but they all fled to Sultan ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn, and Rukn al-Dīn fled to Sind. ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn entered the royal residence and the rule remained firmly his for twenty years. He was among the best of sultans, and the people of Hind praise him greatly. He used to look into the affairs of his subjects in person and ask about their prices, and he had the muḥtasib — whom they call the raʾīs — brought before him every day for that purpose. It is related that one day he asked him the reason for the dearness of meat, and he told him it was because of the heavy dues levied on cattle at the toll stations. He ordered these abolished, had the merchants summoned and gave them money, saying to them: "Buy cattle and sheep with this and sell them; the proceeds will go to the treasury, and you shall have a fee for selling them." They did so, and he did likewise with the cloths brought from Dawlat Ābād.