History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c10.109

c10.109

titles he must have received during his long public career especially by rendering service to Sultan Firuz Tughluq. The first mention of ‘Ain-al-Mulk is in Zia Barani’s list of the officers of ‘Ala-al-Din Khilji, where he is described as ‘Ain-al-mulk Multani.⁷⁶ He was consulted by ‘Ala-al-Din along with other officials, when he set himself to the task of ascertaining the causes of revolt and sedition in the state, and was afterwards appointed to the governorship of Malwa and Dhar.⁷⁷ He seems to have possessed a great skill in drafting official documents, for Barani mentions him as Dabīr or secretary to ‘Ulugh Khan.⁷⁸ Under Qutb-al-Din Mubarak Shah he was selected by reason of his ripe judgment and wide experience to put down a local insurrection which he did with conspicuous success. But these services mattered little to a shameless debauchee like Qutb-al-Din who treated the old nobility with contempt, and allowed the women of his harem to insult distinguished nobles and officials. ‘Ain-al-Mulk’s name is mentioned among the unfortunate men who were thus maltreated. After the murder of Qutb-al-Din, Khusrau tried to win the favour of the leading officers, and conferred the title of ‘Alam Khan upon ‘Ain-al-Mulk.⁷⁹ The latter was on the side of Khusrau, when he marched to fight against Ghazi malik, but deserted him on the eve of battle and went away in the direction of Dhar and Ujjain.⁸⁰ The defection of such an important ally gave an irreparable blow to the cause of Khusrau who was defeated, and the kingdom of Dihli passed into the hands of Ghazi malik. ‘Ain-al-Mulk paid homage to the new monarch, and he is mentioned as a prominent noble at the opening of the reign of Tughluq Shah,⁸¹ and in the next reign he is described for the first time by Zia-al-Din Barani as ‘Ain-al-Mulk Māhrū.⁸² With a brilliant record of public service extending over a period of more than forty years. ‘Ain-al-Mulk was appointed by Sultan Muhammad as governor of Oudh and Zafrabad. He was a man of wide learning, fully conversant with public affairs. His literary gifts were of no mean order, as is proved by his own work the Munshāti-Māhrū. Barani describes him as a man of amiable disposition, skilful in business, suitably prudent and famed for his upright judgment—a man whose eminent scholarship fitted him for high rank. Shams-i-Siraj ‘Afif who followed Barani describes him as a wise, accomplished, excellent clever man, full of judgment and intelligence devoted to the interests of the state and the good of the people.⁸³ He ascribes to him the authorship of several excellent works one of which was the ‘Ain-al-mulki which the same authority describes as a “popular and approved work.” Amir Khusrau in his ‘Ashiqā’ speaks of him as a man famous both as a soldier and an accomplished writer.⁸⁴ Gifted with a versatile mind, ‘Ain-al-Mulk was a man of generous disposition, liberal even towards his opponents. His delicate and high-strung nature did not allow him to play the second fiddle to any one, and in his dealings with Khan-i-Jahan, the famous minister of Firuz, he never compromised his dignity nor sacrificed his independence. But he was not vindictive; he behaved chivalrously even towards those who tried to injure him. When Firuz consulted him about Khan-i-Jahan who was his uncompromising opponent, and who was responsible for his banishment from the court, he praised the minister’s abilities and pleaded with the Sultan to keep him in office.