The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.462

v3.c20.462

At Broach Muhammad found such employment as suited his temper. The collection of the revenue had been neglected for some time past, and the tale of arrears was heavy. Extortionate collectors were appointed, no excuse was accepted and what was due was exacted with the utmost severity. Inability to pay, as well as obstinacy in refusing payment, was punished with death, and the ghastly list of executions was increased by means of a minute and careful investigation of the past behaviour of the people. Whoever had in any way helped the rebels, whoever expressed sympathy with them, whoever bemoaned their fate, was put to death, and as though the rumours of his proceedings in Gujarāt were not sufficient to exasperate his subjects in the south, the king appointed two notorious oppressors to conduct an inquisition into the conduct and opinions of his people at Daulatābād. One of these reached the city, and the other, Zain Banda, Majd-ul-Mulk, travelling less expeditiously, had not passed beyond Dhār when it became evident that a rebellion was on the point of breaking out at Daulatābād. The actual outbreak was accelerated by an act of ill-timed severity. Two officers were sent from Broach to Daulatābād with orders to Maulānā Nizām-ud-dīn, the feeble governor, to collect 1500 horse and to send the ‘centurions’ of his province to Broach under escort. The escort was assembled and the ‘centurions’ were dispatched from Daulatābād, but at the end of the first day’s march took counsel together and, preferring the chances of a rebellion to the certainty of death, slew Malik ‘Alī and Malik Ahmad Lāchīn, who were conducting them to court, and returned to Daulatābād. Here they imprisoned Nizām-ud-dīn, seized the fort, with the treasure which had accumulated in it owing to the insecurity of the roads, which had rendered remittances to Delhi impossible, and proclaimed one of their number, Ismā‘īl Mukh¹ the Afghān, king of the Deccan, under the title of Nāsir-ud-dīn Shāh. The treasure was distributed to the troops, and Mahārāshtra was parcelled out into fiefs which the ‘centurions’ divided among themselves. The rebellion was at its height when the remnants of the ‘centurions’ of Dābhoī and Baroda, who had been imprisoned in Baglāna, escaped and joined their fellows at Daulatābād.