Twilight of the Sultanate c13.s1.14

c13.s1.14

Islām Khan served Khizr Khan loyally and was raised from the position of Malik to that of Khan. During Mubārak Saiyyad's rule his fame and importance continued to rise and he was given the titles of Malikul Sharq and Khan-i-Āzam.¹¹ In course of time Islām Khan, seeing marks of diligence and integrity in his nephew and son-in-law, put a contingent of twelve thousand Afghans under his charge.¹² And although he had a number of intelligent sons, he nominated Bahlūl as his successor.¹³ When in May, 1431, Islām Khan was killed fighting Shaikh 'Alī of Kabul, Bahlūl took possession of Sarhind.¹⁴ This was resented by Islām Khan's son Qutb Khan, who, as has been seen before, appealed to Sultan Muhammad Saiyyad to remove Bahlūl from Sarhind. But the helpless ruler of the weakened Sultanate could do little against him.