History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c1.30

c1.30

Jalāluddin’s flight created consternation in the Turkish ranks. Their game was out. They decided to strike the first blow and finish Jalāluddin. To disarm him of all suspicion Aitmar Kachhan and Aitmar Surkhah sent him a memorial addressing him as emperor Jalāluddin. Aitmar Kachhan started with a small band of troopers to decoy him from Bahārpur, carry him off to Kilughari and kill him in the presence of the infant king Shamsuddin. Jalāluddin had scented the plot from before and as soon as Kachhan arrived at the former’s mansion he was pulled down from his horse and instantly beheaded by ‘Alāuddin.²⁹ The murder of Kachhan further inflamed feelings of animosity on both sides. Jalāluddin’s brave and gallant sons now rode post haste to Delhi with a company of fifty horse,³⁰ forcibly seized the infant king and carried him off to Bahārpur together with the sons of Malik Fakhruddin.³¹ Aitmar Surkhāh started in their pursuit and overtook them near Bahārpur. A hand to hand scuffle ensued in which Ikhtiyāruddin, the eldest son of Jalāl, fell from his horse and Surkhah dealt upon him two or three blows with his sword. Luckily none of them proved effective and this gave time to Ikhtiyāruddīn, who drew his sword and struck off the head of Aitmar Surkhah.³²