Twilight of the Sultanate c8.s2: Mahmūd Shāh Once More

Twilight of the Sultanate c8.s2

Language: English

Mahmūd Shāh Once More

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On receipt of the news of Iqbāl Khan’s death, Daulat Khan, Ikhtiyār Khan and other leading nobles of the metropolis sent a deputation to Sultan Mahmūd at Qannauj inviting him to Delhi.⁶⁰ Accordingly he arrived in the capital in December, 1405 (Jamadiul Ākhir, 808 H)⁶¹ and once more ascended the throne. He sent the family of Iqbāl Khan to Kol (modern Aligarh), but did not harm it in any way.⁶² Such treatment was indeed commendable in that age. Daulat Khan and Ikhtiyāruddīn received befitting rewards; the former was appointed governor of the Doab and the latter of Fīrōzābād.⁶³ About this time Iqlīm Khan, son of Bahādur Nāhar, brought presents and tendered his submission to the Sultan.⁶⁴

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⁶⁰ T.M.S., 174.

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⁶¹ T.M.S., 174; T.A., I, 260; Badaonī, Ranking, I, 363. Only Ferishta, I, 160, has Jamadiul Avval.

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⁶² T.M.S., 175; T.A., I, 260.

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⁶³ T.M.S., 175; T.A., I, 260.

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⁶⁴ T.M.S., 175; T.A., I, 260.

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Sultan Mahmūd had at last recovered control of Delhi after a lapse of seven years, but he had also inherited the problems of Iqbāl Khan. He was opposed by Ibrāhīm Sharqī on the east and Khizr Khan on the west, and he decided to settle scores with both. Delhi and Jaunpur had ever been suspicious and scared of each other, for the latter had come into being at the cost of the former and in spite of it. Delhi had never recognised the independence of Jaunpur, and, on the other hand, not a few Sharqī kings were keen to incorporate Delhi in their kingdom. Thus perennial conflict between the two became inevitable. Worse still, Ibrahīm had personally insulted Mahmūd by refusing him asylum and support.

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Qannauj, an appendage of the Sharqī kingdom, had been occupied by Sultan Mahmūd in A. D. 1401-2 (804 H). On the eve of his departure for Delhi he placed it in the charge of Malik Mahmūd Tarmatī. Ibrāhīm Sharqī thought it an excellent opportunity to retake Qannauj, and advanced upon it. Sultan Mahmūd was not slow to accept the challenge and in October-November, 1406 (Jamadiul Avval, 809 H)⁶⁵ he marched out to meet the king of Jaunpur. While Mahmūd's advance made Ibrāhīm think caution to be the better part of valour, Mahmūd was rightly reluctant to start the war. Therefore, as had happened on a previous occasion, their armies lay facing each other on the two banks of the Ganga for some time and then they returned to their respective capitals.⁶⁶

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⁶⁵ T.M.S., 175.

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⁶⁶ Ferishta, II, 305; T.A., I, 261. T.M.S. 175 has چون سلطان (محمود) نزديك قنوج رسيد سلطان ابراهيم مقابل قنوج گذارا آب گنگ آمده نزول كرد (At the approach of Sultan (Mahmūd) to Qannauj, Sultan Ibrahīm (also) arrived opposite to Qannauj at the ford of the river Ganga, and encamped.) In a foot-note the editor of the text says that one of the MSS. even omits the word آب (river). There is thus no reason to agree with Badaonī, Ranking, I, 363, that he crossed the Ganga.

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Mahmūd had refrained from fighting because he had too many irons in the fire. Before marching to Qannauj, he had sent another strong force under Daulat Khan Lodī against Bairam Khan Turkbachchā of Samana, another of Fīrōz Tughlaq's Turkish slaves, who now governed the place as Khizr Khan's deputy after Bahrām Khan's tragic end. This division of the royal army had weakened both the forces. While Mahmūd dared not fight Ibrāhīm, Daulat Khan fared still worse in Samana. In a battle fought on Wednesday, 22 December, 1406 (11 Rajab, 809 H)⁶⁷ at about 2 *kurohs* from Samana, Daulat Khan had come off victorious. But since Bairam Khan owed fealty to Khizr Khan, the latter on hearing of the fall of Samana marched out of Multan to the rescue of his deputy. At this, Daulat Khan's courage failed him, and as Khizr Khan approached Fatehābād, he precipitately crossed the Jumna for the Doab.⁶⁸ Not only that, his officers who had been left behind, went over to Khizr Khan.⁶⁹ The whole of the region west of the Jumna thus passed into the hands of Khizr Khan, who bestowed large chunks of territory on officers close to him.⁷⁰ Thus, owing to his hasty and impolitic plan of action, Sultan Mahmūd's prestige and power received a severe setback, and Ibrāhīm Sharqī once again made preparations to attack Delhi. He wrested Qannauj without much difficulty, and making it his headquarters spent the rainy season there making feverish preparations for seizing Delhi. His hopes were shared by many Delhi nobles who deserted Mahmūd and joined the Sharqī king at Qannauj.⁷¹ Encouraged by these desertions, Ibrāhīm marched towards Delhi in October-November, 1407 (Jamadiul Avval, 810 H)⁷², leaving Qannauj in charge of Ikhtiyār Khan, grandson of Malik Daulat Yār Khan of Kampil. On the way he captured Sambhal in Rohilkhand and then by forced marches he arrived near Delhi and encamped on the Jumna. Delhi's fall seemed a matter of moments, when suddenly the situation took a different turn. As Ibrāhīm was about to cross the Jumna, information reached him that Zafar Khan of Gujarat was marching to attack Jaunpur.⁷³ Without wasting time or thought Ibrāhīm Sharqī retreated post-haste to save Jaunpur. Learning of his retreat, Zafar Khan did not proceed further. But Sultan Mahmūd took full advantage of the situation. In April, 1408 (Zilq'ada, 810 H) he defeated and killed Malik Marhaba whom Ibrāhīm had posted at Baran and then proceeding to Sambhal recaptured it.⁷⁴

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⁶⁷ T.M.S., 177 and Basu, 182. T.A. has 5 Rajjab but agrees in month and year, Ferishta and Badaonī have 810 and 812 H respectively.

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⁶⁸ T.M.S., 177.

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⁶⁹ *Ibid.*

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⁷⁰ Hisār Fīrōzā was given to Qawām Khan, Samana and Sunnam were taken away from Bairam and bestowed upon Majlis-i-Ālā Zirak Khan while Sarhind with the adjoining parganas was given to Bairam. T.M.S., 177.

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⁷¹ T.M.S., 176.

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⁷² *Ibid.*, 175. Malik Daulat Yār was probably the same person who had been given the title of Daulat Khan and made ‘Imādul Mulk and Āriz-i-Mumālik in the year of Mahmūd Shāh's accession. T.M.S., 156. Kāmpil is 60 miles N.W. of Qannauj and 28 miles N.W. of Fatehgarh. District Gaz. Farrukhābād.

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⁷³ Zafar Khan had first invaded Malwa to avenge the death of his friend Dilāwar Khan at the hands of his son Alp Khan, who had ascended the throne with the title of Hoshang Shāh. He had imprisoned Hoshang and occupied Dhar (Commissariat, *I*, 58). Similarly, true to his loyalty to Sultan Mahmūd to the last, Zafar Khan had planned to help him against Iqbāl Khan, and had stopped only on learning of his death at the hands of Khizr Khan. Now hearing that Sultan Mahmūd was threatened by the Sharqī king, Zafar Khan was bound for Jaunpur after settling scores with Hoshang Shāh. Ferishta, *I*, 160; Bayley, *Gujarat*, 85.

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⁷⁴ T.M.S., 176; Ferishta, *I*, 160, 161, has Malik Marziā.

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Success in the east encouraged Sultan Mahmūd to retrieve his position in the west. Daulat Khan's debacle had cost him all his territory west of Delhi. Even Hisār Fīrōzā was in the hands of Qawām Khan, a governor appointed by Khizr Khan. Sultan Mahmūd's ambition was justifiable, but instead of making adequate preparations to fulfil it, he only incited his enemies into action. In November-December, 1408 (Rajjab 811 H) he attacked Hisār Fīrōzā, and having reduced Qawām Khan to submission⁷⁵ returned to Delhi via Dhatrath.⁷⁶ This was not a great victory, but it provoked Khizr Khan into action. He marched to Fatehābād and punished all those who had joined Sultan Mahmūd. From there he sent Malik Tuhfā to ravage the Doab and himself proceeded to Delhi via Rohtak and, on 1 February, 1409 (15 Ramzān, 811 H),⁷⁷ besieged Mahmūd at Sīrī and Ikhtiyār Khan at Fīrōzābād. The fall of Delhi seemed to be a matter of days but the countryside, wasted by several years of famine, was no longer capable of supporting an army of invasion, and Khizr Khan was compelled to raise the siege due to scarcity.⁷⁸

Cites (2)

Tārīkh-i Firishta — Muḥammad Qāsim Hindū Shāh Firishta 1606, Persian
Tārīkh-i Mubārakshāhī — Yaḥyā b. Aḥmad Sirhindī