Twilight of the Sultanate c13.s1.23

c13.s1.23

To surmount these difficulties and to steer his ship successfully, Bahlūl had to act with alertness and discretion. As a first step towards meeting his difficulties he gave all key-posts in the treasury, stores, and stables of elephants and horses to his trusted Afghan officers. He also bestowed important iqt'ās in and around Delhi on his loyal adherents.¹⁷ The fort itself was garrisoned by the pick of the Afghan soldiery. Ni'āmatulla and Ahmad Yādgār say that he even "freed of factious men some districts around Delhi,¹⁸ which again goes to show that he wanted to "Afghanise" the administration and curb all disaffected elements.