The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.327

v3.c20.327

The news of these successive rebellions augmented the king’s disorder, remedies failed of their effect, and he wasted away daily until, on January 2, 1316, he died, his end, according to the generally accepted belief, having been hastened by his favourite, who, two days later, assembled the nobles present in the capital and read to them his will. This document, possibly authentic, but certainly procured by misrepresentation and undue influence, disinherited Khizr Khān and made Shihāb-ud-dīn ‘Umar, a child of five or six, heir to his father. The infant was enthroned and Malik Nāib acted as regent. He caused Khizr Khān and Shādī Khān to be blinded and, eunuch though he was, he pretended to marry ‘Alā-ud-dīn’s widow, possessed himself of all her jewellery and private property, and then again imprisoned her. His object was to destroy the whole of ‘Alā-ud-dīn’s family and ascend the throne himself. He had already imprisoned Mubārak Khān, ‘Alā-ud-dīn’s third son, a youth of seventeen or eighteen years of age, and now sent some men of the corps of infantry on guard at the Palace of the Thousand Pillars, which he had chosen as his residence, to blind him. The prince reminded the soldiers of the duty which they owed to his house, bribed them with some jewellery, and sent them back to the palace on another errand. That night, thirty-five days after the death of ‘Alā-ud-dīn, they slew Malik Nāib and his companions. The nobles then recognised Mubārak as regent for his infant brother, and for two months he acquiesced in this obviously temporary arrangement, but on April 1 blinded the unfortunate child and ascended the throne with the title of Qutb-ud-dīn Mubārak Shāh.