History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c6.29

c6.29

Born of an Indian mother, Ghazi Malik typified in his character the salient features of the two races—the modesty and mildness of the Hindu and the virility and vigour of the Turk. Again and again he had fought the Mughals and effectively guarded the frontiers of the empire. Ibn Batūtah has translated for us an inscription of Ghazi Malik, which he saw on the Jam-i-masjid at Multan, which records that he had defeated the Tartars on twenty-nine occasions and won the title of Malik-al-Ghazi.¹⁸ When 'Ali Beg and Khwajah Tash invaded Hindustan and ravaged Multan in 705 A.H. (1350 A.D.), and devastated the plains as far as the Sewalik range, Ghazi Beg led his forces against them and by vigorous attacks succeeded in defeating them. Later, when Iqbal Mandā another Mughal warrior, made his appearance in Hindustan, Ghazi Malik marched against him and inflicted a crushing defeat upon him. Periodically from his post at Dipalpur, situated in a highly important part of the empire, he used to advance at the head of a spirited corps to the frontiers of the Mughal territory, and throw the gauntlet of war before the Mughal leaders. The provinces of Kabul, Qandhar, Ghazni and Gurumseer were ravaged, and the inhabitants were subjected to a heavy blackmail. These repeated encounters with the Mughals, attended by unprecedented success, established the fame of Ghazi Malik as a redoubtable captain of war all over Hindustan and Khorasan. The dynastic revolution which occurred at Dihli in 720 A.H. gave Ghazi Malik the opportunity to carve out a career for himself.