History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c12.s1.25.2

c12.s1.25.2

But in the interior of the country, there was little splendour, and Ibn Batūṭah mentions desolate villages and waste lands stretching for miles without a human habitation. The hardships of the rural folk were aggravated by the severe famine that raged in the country and though the administration devised benevolent measures to afford relief, the people suffered and died in large numbers. There was no complete order in the empire, and disturbances and riots were frequent, and sometimes they occurred not far from the capital. To facilitate communication between the various provinces there was a well-regulated post, but outside the capital the police arrangements were not satisfactory, and travellers were exposed to great risk for the highways were not safe. Ibn Batūṭah relates the story of a severe fight between the Hindus and the Muslims of Jalali, a village near Kol, not far from modern Aligarh in which the traveller himself took part.¹³² The Hindus with a force of one thousand horse and 3,000 foot attacked the Muslims, and in the mêlée that ensued, Ibn Batūṭah’s party lost 33 horse and 50 foot. The Sultan was informed of this outbreak of lawlessness and the death of Kafur, the keeper of drinks, but no reinforcement seems to have been sent. The Hindus renewed their attacks and inflicted heavy losses upon the Musalman governor of Jalali. Ibn Batūṭah himself was captured by the rebels and was able to effect his deliverance after much difficulty.