South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c12.14

c12.14

Financial needs and revenue measures.—The government of this vast empire called for qualities which were not among those possessed by Sultan Muhammad. Such good influences as could be brought to bear upon him, could not prevail against his own schemes for the extension and maintenance of his empire. At the very outset of his reign he adopted a wrong policy in regard to the Mughals. When they first invaded under Tumarshirīn, instead of leading an army against them as Alau-d-din did before, he bought them off by a heavy payment which only tempted them to appear again.² He was naturally liberal and rewarded those that sought his patronage lavishly. This liberality together with the price which he had to pay for purchasing peace from the Mughals emptied his treasury. To make up for this depletion he adopted methods for enhancing the land revenue which had grave consequences. If Barni is to be believed, the Hindus abandoned cultivation and fled to the jungles, a procedure which they adopted only in great extremities. It was in this extremity that he had recourse to the mad project of going on a hunting excursion against these ryots, and carrying it out literally.