History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c13.5

c13.5

On the 24th of Jamadiul-Ākhir 710 (20th November 1310²) Malik 'Izzuddaulah Naib-Barbak Kāfūr started with a large army towards M'abar, which lay on the sea and which was "so far from Delhi that a man travelling with an expedition can only reach it after a journey of twelve months." The army marched southwards by the bank of Jumna and halted at Tankal or Natgal,³ a village on the river. They halted there for a fortnight and when all the soldiers had arrived and got enrolled they resumed their march southwards. They traversed difficult roads and arrived at a place named Kaithun⁴ after which they crossed Narbada and two other rivers smaller than that. At the end of this march the imperial commander received envoys of Pratap Rudra Deva, who had sent twenty three elephants as a present for the Sultan. The army halted at Gurgam (Khargon)⁵ where a muster of troops was held and the elephants of the king of Telingana were sent to Delhi. The river Tavi (Tapti) was crossed and Devagiri was reached on the 13th of Ramzān 710 (February 4th, 1311). Here Malik Kāfūr halted for some days to obtain spears and arrows and other weapons of war "for overthrowing Bilal Deo and other deos (demons)."