History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c4.2

c4.2

After making adequate preparations ‘Alāuddīn left Kara for Devagiri with 8,000¹ horse on Saturday the 19th of Rabiul-Akhir 695 (26th February 1296).² He kept his real intentions a secret and gave out that he was marching out to the conquest of Chanderi³—a Rajput fortress in Central India, about a hundred miles north of the Vindhya mountains. Malik ‘Alāulmulk, uncle of Ziyā Baranī, was the prince’s confidant in his project. He was appointed to look after the administration of Kara during the latter’s absence as well as to send fabricated news to the sultan about the movements of the prince. ‘Alāuddīn went as far as Chanderi openly, and therefrom his movements became obscure. From Chanderi he dashed on to Bhilsa. He had taken special care to see that no time was wasted on this march and had scoured all the roads in his last expedition to Bhilsa.⁴ He tackled the Vindhya mountains with great assiduity. Marching through irregular hills and crossing swift flowing rivers⁵ he arrived at Ellichpur.cont His plan from the very start was to return from the expedition as soon as possible. Indeed, in those circumstances the time-factor was of great importance. ‘Alāūddīn could not have stayed in the Deccan longer than warranted by his professed intention of the campaign to Chanderi lest he should have aroused opposition of powerful Hindu kings in the Deccan as well as of the barons at Delhi. He had undertaken the expedition without the king’s permission, and his failure to return to Kara in time would have given a handle to his enemies to misrepresent him. He, therefore, marched straight to Ellichpur without taking rest or disturbing rulers on the way.* At Ellichpur, however, he halted for two days to allow the troops to shake off the fatigue of the long and toilsome journey, and to reorganise his forces for now Devagiri was not far. To lull the suspicions of the neighbouring towns ‘Alāūddīn set a rumour afloat that he was a disaffected nobleman of the court of Jalāluddīn, and had come to seek service with the Raja of Rājmundri in Telingāna, a vassal of the Yadava king.