History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c12.183

c12.183

The Sultan's revenue system was seriously dislocated by the severe famines that marred the glory of his reign, and frustrated all hope of good government. The author of the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* writes that famine continued for seven years and not a drop of rain fell from heaven and his statement is faithfully reproduced by Badāoni.⁷⁶ We may leave this aside, for much light is thrown upon the subject by the writings of contemporary observers. According to Barani, there was famine when the Sultan enhanced the land-tax in the Doab in 727 A.H. This lasted for some years and thousands of people died of want. In 735 A.H. when the Sultan left for Ma'bar to suppress the revolt of Jalal-al-Din Ahsan Shah, famine began and prices rose.⁷⁷ When he returned from Ma'bar and proceeded towards Dihli by way of Malwa and Chanderi, he found famine in Dihli and the price of grain was 16 or 17 Jitals per sīr.⁷⁸ The Sultan made efforts to restore cultivation but in vain. The severity of famine obliged him to remove his court to Saragdwārī in the Farrukhabad district, where he remained for two and a half years engaged in mitigating the hardship of his subjects. Till 741 A.H. the year in which ‘Ain-al-Mulk was suppressed, famine continued, and on his return to Dihli the Sultan again busied himself with measures to promote agriculture. This he did for three or four years. Four years later, when he went to Devagiri to quell the revolt of the ‘Centurions,’ famine began to be felt in the Deccan, and the Sultan, when he marched from Devagiri to Broach on hearing the news of Taghi's revolt, found grain dear in consequence of which his army suffered great privations. This means that there was famine in 727 A.H. lasting for some years, and again from 735-36 A.H. till 741 A.H., and its severity did not abate, for the Sultan was busy for three or four years during his stay at Dihli after his return from Saragdwārī in distributing Sondhār (taqāvi) and organising the office of Amir Koh (Director of Agriculture) which means that from 741 A.H. till the close of 744 A.H. the conditions were again unfavourable in the north. Towards the close of the year 745 A.H. famine was felt in Gujarat, but this seems to have been a temporary depression. Ibn Batūtah materially supports Barani. He agrees with Barani in saying that when the Sultan left for Ma‘bar, famine began and grain became dear. Once again he mentions famine in Hindustan and Sindh, but he does not give the date. Then comes the royal migration to Saragdwārī on account of famine and Ibn Batūtah like Barani mentions the prosperity of Kanauj and its vicinity and the loyal assistance rendered by ‘Ain-al-Mulk and his brothers. Firishta in this respect follows Barani rather than the Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi and mentions the first famine which synchronised with the introduction of the enhanced cess in the Doab. He speaks of the second famine which the Sultan found raging at Dihli on his return from Ma‘bar and the last which continued from the time of the king's removal to Saragdwārī till a few years after the revolt of ‘Ain-al-Mulk, and he refers to the Sultan's organisation of the agricultural department which is alluded to by Barani. In another place in his history Firishta writes that during the reign of this king there was famine on two occasions, and each time for three years;