The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c20.14

c20.14

In the chronicler’s exultant descriptions there was more than mere religious zeal. To talk exaggeratingly of the destruction of “temples and the establishment of the abode of God” had a definite propaganda value; it facilitated recruitment in central Asia and held out prospects both of religious glory and of worldly riches. The pompously phrased *Fathnamah*, prepared more with an eye to effect than accuracy, served a similar purpose and, when broadcast among the potential adventurers, brought in an uninterrupted flow of fighting personnel.