Twilight of the Sultanate c12.s2.14

c12.s2.14

If Shāh 'Ālam was not quite happy with his Empire, he had genuine reasons for being so. But even for the Sultan of this Sultanate from "Delhi to Palam" there was no peace. The neighbouring rulers wanted to derive the fullest advantage from the Sultanate grown so weak while Bahlūl, in whose mind "the egg of royalty was hatching", was more aggressive than ever before. In A.D. 1447 (851 H) he once again marched to Delhi, invested Sīrī, and went back only at the intercession of Qutb Khan Lodī and Rai Pratap Singh.⁶⁵ The Sultan's nerves were greatly strained under the stress of this invasion and he went to Badaon for a change. The climate of the place had a spell on him, and he developed a deep desire to stay there. 'Alāuddīn had neither the capacity nor the inclination to rule, and he finally left for Badaon in A.D. 1448 (852 H) leaving the management of the government in the hands of his wife's two brothers one of whom he appointed as Shahnā-i-Shahr (Superintendent of the City) and the other as Mīr-i-Kuī (Superintendent of the Highways).⁶⁶ The existence of double courts—one at Delhi and the other at Badaon—disintegrated the Central Government. Worse still, the two brothers-in-law of the Sultan soon fell out at Delhi. One of them killed the other, and other was killed by the people in revenge for the first one.⁶⁷ 'Ālam Shāh consulted 'Īsā Khan, Qutb Khan and Rai Pratap "as to how he might re-establish his authority".⁶⁸ They promised to help him only on the condition that he would put Hamīd Khan, the Vazīr, to death, alleging that Hamīd was in secret correspondence with Sultan Mahmūd of Mandu with a view to placing him on the throne.⁶⁹ 'Īsā Khan and Qutb Khan hoped to gain if a strong Vazīr like Hamīd Khan was done to death, while Rai Pratap bore a personal grudge against him as Hamīd's father, Fatēh Khan, had laid waste the Rai's territories and killed his old father. "Sultan 'Alāuddīn who had no acquaintance with the administration of an empire, gave the orders for the death of Hamīd Khan without deliberation or delay".⁷⁰ But Hamīd proved too smart for him. He collected his friends and supporters, occupied the fort of Sīrī, captured the royal treasure and turned out the members of the royal family, including the ladies, with great insult.⁷¹