History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c14.18

c14.18

The nobility were the props on which the king's authority rested. The nobles were drawn from many races—Turks, Pathans, Indians and Persians. Some of them like Aibak, Iltutmish and Balban rose from the lowest rung. They started as slaves and achieved to eminence and even secured the throne, just through personal merit. Thus, theoritically, there was no limit to the acquisition of the highest position by a nobleman. Consequently all through the Turkish period a struggle for possession of real power continued to rage between the king and his barons. In fact the sultans of India could not evolve a governmental machinery to which the nobles could adapt themselves or under which they could feel secure. If the sultans were suspicious of the nobles' strength, the nobility were also in constant dread of the sultans, on whose goodwill depended their prestige, their honour and even their life. Under weak rulers like Jalāl-uddīn and Quṭbuddīn Khaljī the nobles dominated the government while under strong monarchs like Balban and 'Alāuddīn they were dominated by the king. Under strong rulers the nobles were a source of strength to the king, but during the reign of weaklings they became a real danger to the sovereign and the state.