History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c12.4

c12.4

On a previous occasion Devagiri had provided 'Alāuddīn with a large amount of treasure. The greed of gold and the lust for glory—the two incentives of all conquerors—now prompted him to invade all the kingdoms of the Deccan one after the other. Once the plan of conquest of the south had been thought of, a pretext, if a pretext was necessary, was also got at hand. Ram Chandra of Devagiri, who had submitted to 'Alāuddīn in 1296 and had promised to send yearly tribute, had not forwarded anything to Delhi for some time past. Consequently Malik Kāfūr was ordered to lead an expedition into Devagiri and recover arrears of tribute. But this expedition of 1308 was only a prelude to a number of others like it. It is necessary, therefore, to have a glimpse of the then political condition of the south to understand them in their proper perspective.