The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c11.62

c11.62

The old king's courage and ruthless will at last unnerved the rebel. Afraid to offer any frontal resistance he collected his treasure and followers and leaving Lakhnauti, made in all haste for what Barani writes as Jajnagar but which undoubtedly lay towards the south-east¹. He depended on the climate and the waterlogged soil of the province to wear out the Delhi forces and the king's patience when he hoped to emerge from his retreat and reoccupy the capital. Balban pushed on with utmost speed and occupied the evacuated city. Leaving it in charge of Malik Husamuddin with instructions to keep him informed about affairs in Delhi, he immediately set out in Tughril's persuit. It led him to East Bengal and on arrival at Sunargaon he is reported to have met the local *raja* who agreed to co-operate in seizing the rebel¹. Barani calls the Hindu raja by the name of Nauja, who is obviously identifiable with the king of the Deva dynasty, named Danujamadhava Ariraja Dasaratha, one of whose fragmentary grants has been discovered at Vikrampur, Dacca district². Danuja must have been independent, for Balban, according to Yahya Sirhindi, in asking for his co-operation, was obliged to show him respect due to a sovereign prince³. On obtaining from him an assurance to prevent Tughril’s flight by the rivers flowing through his kingdom, Balban resumed the persuit and arrived within 140 miles of the ‘Hajinagar’ frontier⁴. No trace of the rebel being still found he detatched and sent ahead a part of his force under Bektars and himself followed in the rear. A party of scouts from Bektars’s detachment unexpectedly succeeded in locating the rebel’s camp on the Hajinagar frontier. Bektars suddenly fell upon Tughril’s unsuspecting troops resting beside a stream. They all fled in confusion at the sudden attack and the rebel himself was slain while attempting to flee. The triumphant officer returned to Balban with Tughril’s head and received liberal rewards. On the king's return to Lakhnauti, after rewards and promotions were distributed, an exemplary punishment was meted out to the captured adherents of Tughril; every one, suspected of having the slightest connection with him was hanged on gibbets erected along the two sides of the Lakhnauti bazaar. The deserters from the royal army were also rounded up and kept in chains for a similar punishment at Delhi¹.