History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c7.9

c7.9

The years 1297, 1298 and 1299 also witnessed two invasions of the Mughals first under Kadar and then under Deva and Saldi. They were successfully repelled. The defeat of the Mughals established the authority and augmented the prestige of the new king still further, and he became more and more ruthless. On the advice of his brother Almās Bēg he punished all those Jalāli Amīrs who just for a handful of silver had deserted the cause of their patron and joined his successor. Many of them were deprived of their eye-sight, while others were thrown into prison and their entire property was confiscated. Only three of them viz. Malik Qutbuddin ‘Alvī, Malik Naṣiruddīn and Malik Amīr Jamāl Khaljī, who had not accepted the murderer's gold or deserted to him, escaped this inquisitional maltreatment. All others were exterminated root and branch. Thus the back bone of the old Turkish aristocracy was broken. The Sultan founded his own order of nobility which was absolutely and unreservedly obedient to him. Incidently he was able to add a cror of rupees to his hoard of wealth.