The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.145

v3.c20.145

The king’s next task was the recovery of his first fief, Gwalior, which, since the death of Aibak, had been captured by the Hindus, and was now held by the raja Mangal Bhava Deo, son of Māl Deo¹, and in February, 1232, he invested the fortress, which he besieged until December 12, when the raja fled by night and succeeded in making his escape. Iltutmish entered the fortress on the following morning and, enraged by the stubborn resistance which he had encountered and by the raja’s escape, sullied his laurels by causing 700 Hindus to be put to death in cold blood. On January 16, 1233, he set out on his return march to Delhi, where, in this year, he purchased the slave Bahā-ud-dīn Balban, who eventually ascended the throne as Ghiyās-ud-dīn Balban.