History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c10.154

c10.154

By the year 1342 A.D. the rebellions of Hindustan had been put down. The north had hitherto claimed the lion's share of the Sultan's attention on account of the dreadful famine and the disorders that prevailed in the country. Starvation caused misery and ruin and the unbroken succession of rebellions exhausted his energy and substantially crippled his resources. Though his punitive measures were successful, their effect was to exasperate the public mind which had already begun to chafe and fret under the pressure of over-government. He had re-established his authority in the north but the eastern possessions of the empire had slipped away from his control. The scene of conflict was now to shift from the north to the south and the remaining years of the Sultan's life were consumed in a feverish attempt to put down disorder and rebellion in that part of the empire. To a suffering world passing through the agonies of a severe famine and ill-responding to the measures which he devised to promote its well-being, Muhammad presented the spectacle of an injured Titan who stretched out his giant limbs in all directions to keep down his enemies, but the old energy and strength was gone and with it the chance of success against foes who had silently gathered strength and organised their forces for a more determined trial of strength.