History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c15.s1.2

c15.s1.2

At the time of his accession 'Alāuddīn had to bestow gold and amās upon barons and influential people to secure their sympthy and support. But the moment he found himself firmly seated in the regal saddle, he punished all such turncoats on the charge of their being disloyal to their former king Jalāluddīn. Besides other punishments which included blinding and execution, they were deprived of all the wealth that they had received from 'Alāuddīn. Even their household goods and private properties did not escape confiscation. Their houses were appropriated for the royal use and their estates were annexed to the crown lands. In 1297 these steps were confined only to a certain section of Maliks and Amīrs; but on the king's return from Ranthambhor the scope of their application was considerably widened. They were now directed against all the rich people of the state, nobles, traders and even petty zamindārs, in short whosoever possessed any property. The king ordered that all the estates, villages and other lands which the people held as *milk* (property), *in‘ām* (remuneration or reward) and *vaqf* (gift), should forthwith be resumed and turned into the *khālsa* or crown lands. It is probable that all assignments were not confiscated, but their management was taken over by the government.² The state officials were asked to treat the people as tyrannically as possible, and try to extort money from them on any and every pretext, so that nobody should be left in possession of much wealth. These instructions were literally carried out and people were compelled to surrender their property. After a short time, says the contemporary chronicler, matters had gone so far that in the houses of the nobility and the Multānī (merchants) not much money remained. All pensions, grants of land and endowments were confiscated, and the people had to earn their livelihood by the sweat of their brow. In such circumstances "no one even had time to pronounce the word 'rebellion'."³