History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c12.s1.26

c12.s1.26

Having received these instructions, Malik Kāfūr left Delhi with the Red canopy and a large force under his command. He first went to Rabri (Rewari), his own fief, and then took the road to the south. He marched on the old route through Chanderi, crossing many fast flowing streams like Chambal, Kuwari, Sindh and Betwa³⁶ and traversing hilly tracts. On the way many rajas and governors joined the forces of Kāfūr. The army reached Irijpur,³⁷ otherwise known as Sultanpur, after fifteen marches. As Malik Naib was already acquainted with the road to Devagiri he marched straight towards that kingdom *en route* to Warangal. The army arrived at Khanda³⁸ in the first week of December 1309 (Rajjab 709) where it stayed for a fortnight. In the next march the royal forces reached a place called Nilkanth³⁹ by Amir Khusrau, and said to be lying on the borders of Devagiri. From there they marched quietly, for the Vazīr Kāfūr, "acting according to the emperor's orders, protected the country from being plundered by the troops," because they were passing through the territories of the Rai Rayan Ram Deva, an ally of the Sultanate of Delhi.⁴⁰ Ram Chandra on his part looked to all the conveniences of the imperial army while they were marching towards Warangal on a path "narrower than a guitar-string and darker than a beauty's lock." He established markets on the way through which the army passed so that the soldiers might buy the necessaries of life for themselves at rates fixed by the Sultan at Delhi.⁴¹ He even reinforced the Muslim army with some of his Maratha forces, and made adequate arrangements for provisions and other necessaries of the advancing forces. He himself went for some distance with Malik Kāfūr, and then returned to Devagiri.