Twilight of the Sultanate c9.s2.1

c9.s2.1

With Khizr Khan’s accession the Punjab, Sindh and Uttar Pradesh were reunited to the Sultanate of Delhi. But these were not quite submissive. Specially the whole of western Uttar Pradesh, accustomed to rebellion for more than a decade, hardly paid any revenue. It was then the granary of Hindustan, and like Iqbāl Khan, Khizr Khan decided to fight for the recognition of his authority in the western Uttar Pradesh first. In the very year of his accession²³ he sent the Vazīr, Tājul Mulk Tuhfā, against Rai Virama Singh (Har Singh of Chronicles) of Rohilkhand, called Katehār²⁴ after its inhabitants the Katehriya Rajputs. Crossing the Jumna near Ahār, situated between Bulandshahr and Moradabad,²⁵ and the Ganga at the ford of Pirāha,²⁶ Tājul Mulk entered Katehār, pillaged the countryside and compelled Virama Singh to pay taxes and tribute.²⁷ The Vazīr then proceeded to Badaon where he obtained the submission of its ruler Mahābat Khan. From there, marching by the side of the river Rahāb, he recrossed the Ganga at the ford of Saragdwārī²⁸ and entered the Farukhābād district. Turning westward, he fought the zamindars of Khor²⁹ and Kāmpil³⁰ and then went to Saket³¹ and Bādham.³² His lightning march was quite impressive, for Hasan Khan, Amīr of Rapri,³³ and his brother Malik Hamza, readily joined him. Thus encouraged, he turned southward to Gwalior and exacted revenue and taxes from Gwalior, Seori³⁴ and Chandwār. Jalesar was wrested from the zamindar of Chandwār and handed over to the Muslims who had formerly held it.³⁵ Tājul Mulk once again turned to the east and marching along the Āb-i-Siyāh or Kālī Nadī, he sacked Etawah of Rai Sumer. He then returned to Delhi.