South India and her Muhammadan Invaders c13.2

c13.2

*Foundation of the Sultanate at Madura.*—At the time of death of the Sultan, Muhammad Tughlak, India south of the Vindhyas was divided into four well-marked divisions as before. The first might well be called the Dakhan with its capital at Deogir till recently under the Muhammadan governors of the empire, but asserting during the last four years of the Sultan's life, a defiant independence. Along side of it and occupying the other half of the Dakhan plateau and the corresponding coast districts, was the tributary Hindu kingdom of Telingana with its capital still at Warangal. South of the Krishna extended the territory of another tributary Hindu ruler, but more nominally subordinate than Warangal. This was the Hoysala kingdom which stretched from sea to sea and from the river Krishna almost to the Kaveri. South of this was the Pāṇḍya country in the days of its widest expansion; but at the time, divided among a number of petty Pāṇḍyan rulers, members in all probability of the main ruling family of the Pāṇḍyas. In the heart of this country was established a definite Musalman state which up to the year A.D. 1335 was subordinate to Muhammad Tughlak. In that year the Muhammadan governor of Madura threw off the yoke and declared himself independent. This Muhammadan ruler of Madura laid claim to authority over all Ma'bar, that is the whole of the Coromandel coast extending from Quilon to Nellore—in other words all the Tamil country. The actual extent of his territory, however, seems to have been limited to the territory of the Pāṇḍyas and the southern part of that of the Cholas, the Kaveri, possibly the southern Peṇṇār, marking the limit between them and the Hoysalas. These four states remained independent at the time that Muhammad Tughlak died.