South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c10.15

c10.15

Conquest of Gujarat.—In the early years of the reign of Alau-d-din, among various other expeditions that he sent out either against the Mughals or against states situated in the interior that rebelled against him, he had to send one against Gujarat. This expedition went under the command of Ulugh Khan and Nasrat Khan. Rai Karan, the ruler of Gujarat, was besieged in Nahrwala and after a month's siege he escaped from the fortress which surrendered. Among the booty taken was Kamalā Dēvi, the beautiful wife of the Rai. They proceeded further into Gujarat laid siege to Kambay and in the plunder there, they took a beautiful slave by name Kafur. These two persons Kamalā Dēvi and Kafur attracted the fancy of Alau-d-din so much that he appropriated both of them to himself. He took the former ‘who, for beauty, wit, and accomplishments was the flower of India’ into his harem, where she rose to be his favourite. The other beautiful slave, Kafur, appealed to his fancy equally and began his official career with the king's favour, which in the next few years raised him to the highest position in the state. These two persons each exercised the highest influence upon the Sultan. Kamalā Dēvi, the ill-fated wife of perhaps an iniquitous husband, was pining away for the surviving one of her two little daughters with whom Rai Karan escaped from Nahrwala into the territories of Deogir. A demand was made for the surrender of the little girl Dēval Dēvi, but the father declined to give her up. The mother would not take a refusal and an invasion was necessary to gain possession of her. But for this one necessity, Alau-d-din at the close of the first decade of his reign could look upon his administration as a success and the following words of Barni may be regarded as exhibiting the actual position of affairs in regard to the Sultan :—‘ Wherever Sultan Alau-d-din looked around upon his territories, peace and order prevailed. His mind was free from all anxiety. The building of the fort of Siri was completed, and it became a populous and flourishing place. Devoting his attention to political matters, he made ready his army for the destruction of the Rais and Zamindars of other lands, and for the acquisition of elephants and treasure from the princes of the south.’