South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c10.23

c10.23

From this it is clear that there were two convenient roads by which an army starting from Delhi could reach the Dekhan, one seems to be an eastern road coming down the western bank of the Jamna to Agra and possibly even Allahabad, proceeding by way of Chanderi along the main railway line from Allahabad to Hosangabad and breaking southwestwards from there across the Vindhya Mountains, which are much broken at the place southwestwards to Elichpur. The actual convenience of this route seems to have been that in spite of its being in certain parts the ‘razor-bridge of hell’ according to Amir Khusru, it avoided the Narbada in its lower course; but when Malik Kafur returned he returned by another route equally well known and along another line of railway of the present day across the country of Malva, and through the less arid parts of Rajputana straight to Delhi. There was a high road leading from Deogir to Dhar and straight across from there, through the western margin of Rajputana to Delhi. Elichpur is a convenient centre from which to march southward upon Deogir or south and then south-east upon Warangal. As a matter of fact on the occasion that Malik Kafur invaded Warangal he did go to Kandahar, which is some way northwards of Bidar and proceeded to the frontier of the country of Telingana and thence to Kunarpal; therefrom he marched a short distance and came within sight of Warangal. This line of march has to be borne in mind in connection with another line that Malik Kafur took from Deogir on his invasion of the farther south.