The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c11.85

c11.85

"The *maliks* in grief at Balban’s death," remarks Barani, "tore their garments and threw dust on their heads as they followed, barefeet, the king’s bier to the burial ground at Darul Aman. For forty days they mourned his death and slept on the bare floor"². That the austere and terrible monarch was popular, is hard to believe; respect for his abilities and a fear for his power would be more natural. Enough has perhaps been said to evaluate his contributions to the making of the Delhi Sultanate. In continuing Aibak and Iltutmish’s work be applied an energy and calculation that brought forth warm tributes even from his adversaries. To him, unquestionably, is to be attributed the preservation of the state’s integrity at a time when unrestricted expansion threatened to overstrain its resources. By consolidating the conquered areas, and destroying the forces of anarchy, he fulfilled a historical need, namely, preparing the Sultanate for further territorial expansion as the next stage of its development. Balban’s greatest single achievement lay in the revival of the monarchy as the supreme factor in the state. By the centralisation which it involved—although detailed instances are lacking—Balban’s work thus definitely shortened the period of administrative improvisations that marked the 13th century Sultanate. In a large measure he prepared the ground for the Khalji state-system.