Twilight of the Sultanate c11.s3.1

c11.s3.1

In August, 1433 (late Zilhijja, 836 H)⁵¹ Malik Kamāluddīn, entitled Malikul Sharq Kamālul Mulk, arrived in the capital with his troops. Of late his credit had risen with the Sultan. He had done excellent work and had exhibited extreme loyalty during the past few months. All historians bear testimony to his sobriety, sagacity and experience.⁵² On the contrary Sarwarul Mulk, who had ever basked in the sunshine of royal benignty and held the two highest offices of the Vazīr (Prime Minister) and the Dīvān (Finance Minister), had been remiss in the performance of his duties.⁵³ He was an extremely intriguing man and as early as September 1422, taking advantage of the absence of the Vazīr, Sikandar Tuhfā, in the Punjab against Jasrat Khokhar, had induced the Sultan to transfer the Vazārat to him and give the governorship of Delhi to his son Malik Yūsuf. Sikandar was made governor of Lahore from where Mahmūd Hasan, whose record of work against Jasrat Khokhar had been simply excellent, was shifted to Jalandhar. As Sir Wolseley Haig rightly observes: "These changes bred much discontent; to which may be traced the assassination of Mubārak Shāh which took place twelve years later".⁵⁴