History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c6.191

c6.191

Thus the fact of strained relations between the Shaikh and the Sultan is definitely established. The *Haft Iqlim*, a work composed in 1593 A.D. shortly after the *Tabqāt* does not mention the fall of the pavilion through lightning. On the contrary, the language employed by its author creates a suspicion that the Sultan's death was due to some sort of conspiracy.⁸² Badaoni who used the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* and the *Tabqāt* writes:—" We should not lose sight of the fact that from having built a palace such as this, which was quite unnecessary there is a suspicion that 'Ulugh Khan may have built the palace without foundations as was currently rumoured, but the author of the *Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi* makes no mention of this although this may possibly be due to a desire to flatter Firuz Shah out of regard for him.⁸³ In this matter Badaoni does not follow as is his wont, the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi*, but accepts the view expressed by the author of the *Tabqāt*. Firishta rejects Nizam-al-Din's statement and regards it most unreasonable.⁸⁴ He writes:— ' But it will occur to all unbiassed persons that these accusations are far from probable. For it must be recollected that the Prince had been for sometime with his father in the building during the entertainment. How, then, was he to effect, as if by a miracle, that the house should fall at the very moment he left it? He repeats the account of Sadrjahan Gujarati who asserted that the palace was built by a talisman and of Hajji Muhammad Qandhari who held that it was struck by lightning. Firishta thinks that the latter event does not seem at all improbable. But not being a critical historian, he feels uncertain about his conclusions and expresses his doubt in a characteristic oriental fashion: ' God only knows the real truth ' Hajji-ad-Dabīr who relies upon Barani and Husām Khan records two different versions without expressing his view one way or the other. He is more explicit than Barani in saying that all of a sudden lightning fell on the roof of the verandah and down it came with a crash upon the Sultan who at once attained martyrdom. Husām Khan corroborates Ibn Batūṭah and Nizam-al-Din and gives two explanations. One of these is that the Sultan, while he was seated in the pavilion ( خرجة ) ordered the elephants to be brought, and as soon as this was done the building trembled and fell down to the earth, and the Sultan was crushed to death. The other explanation relates to the differences between the Sultan and Shaikh Aulia over the question of music. According to Husām Khan when the Sultan sent word to the Shaikh that he had reached near Dihli and that he should stop music the Shaikh replied *Hinoz Dihli durast.* The author of the *Khulāsat-ut-tawārīkh* who is merely a compiler follows the *Tabqāt* and charges the Prince with conspiracy.⁸⁵