The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans v3.c20.474

v3.c20.474

Having definitely abandoned the idea of recovering the Deccan he was able to devote the whole of his attention and resources to the suppression of Taghī's rebellion and to the re-establishment of his authority in Gujarāt and Kāthiāwār. He spent the rainy season of 1348 at Mandal and Pātrī, engaged in re-organising his army and in improving the administration of Gujarāt. At its close he marched into Kāthiāwār with the object of subjugating the raja of Girnār, who had harboured the rebel. The raja, with a view to averting his vengeance, was preparing to seize and surrender Taghī, but the latter, being apprised of the design, fled from Kāthiāwār to Sind. The rainy season of 1349 was spent in the neighbourhood of Girnār, which fortress Muhammad captured, establishing his authority in all the ports of the Kāthiāwār coast. Not only the raja of Girnār, but Khengār, raja of Cutch, whose dominions extended into Kāthiāwār, and the minor chieftains of the peninsula appeared before him and made their submission to him, acknowledging him as their over-lord. From Girnār he marched to Gondāl, in the centre of Kāthiāwār, where he was attacked by a fever which prostrated him for some months. Here he spent the rainy season of 1350, and here he received news of the death of Malik Kabīr at Delhi, which deeply grieved him. Khvāja Jahān and Malik Maqbūl were sent to Delhi to carry on the administration of the kingdom and Muhammad ordered the nobles at Delhi to join him with their contingents, to reinforce the army with which he purposed to invade Sind and punish the Jām, who had harboured the rebel Taghī. Contingents were likewise summoned from Dīpālpur, Multān, Uch, and Sehwān, so that it was at the head of a great host that the king, in October, 1350, set out for Sind. After crossing the Indus he was joined by a force of four or five thousand Mughul auxiliaries under Ūltūn Bahādur, who had been sent by the Amīr Farghan to his assistance. He then marched on towards Tattah, and was within thirty leagues of that town on Muharram 10, 752 (March 9, 1351) which, being a day of mourning, he observed by fasting. He broke his fast with a hearty meal of fish, and the fever from which he had suffered in the previous year returned. He still, however, travelled on by boat, but was obliged to rest when within fourteen leagues of Tattah, and as he lay sick fear fell upon his great army, held together by his personal authority alone. Far from home, encumbered with their wives and families, within reach of the enemy, and attended by allies whom they feared hardly less, they knew not what should become of them on the death of their leader. On March 20, 1351, the event which they dreaded came to pass, ‘and so,’ says Budaunī, ‘the king was freed from his people and they from their king.’