History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c6.78

c6.78

The Punjab had always been the most vulnerable part of the empire of Dihli. The Mughals had harried its plains again and again and inflicted untold misery upon the people. Every year at the head of myriad hosts they poured into that unfortunate country and caused enormous loss of life and property.. Balban and 'Ala-al-Din had strained every nerve to create an effective barrier against their recurring raids. The two outposts of Multan and Depalpur were maintained to guard the frontier, and the present ruler had held the post of the Lord of the Marches at Depalpur for a long time. But the Punjab as a whole was not yet definitely included in the empire of Dihli, for the Mughals, who had settled there, had a tendency to look back to their ancestral homes. Revolts and intrigues were too common amongst them, and vigorous measures were needed to keep in check their turbulent spirit. Besides, the Khokhars³⁵ and other tribes who had not emerged out of their primitive state were always ready to stir up strife and insurrection. Sindh had been conquered by ‘Ala-al-Din and soon after his accession he had placed Nusrat Khan in charge of Ucch, Bhakkar, Siwistan and Thatta with ten thousand horse with a view to establish order in the province. The province was afterwards given to Ghazi Malik along with Multan and Ucch as a jagir with ten thousand horses under his command. As long as ‘Ala-al-Din lived, he held the local tribes in check, and the sovereignty of Dihli was in the south of Sindh more real and effective than before. When the Sumrah chief Amar, son of Rai Dūdā, called ‘Umar by Muhammadan writers, carried off the wife of an Arab Chief Umar the Tammimi, the injured husband appealed to 'Ala-al-Din for redress. The emperor summoned Amar Sumrah and the latter, knowing full well the consequences of disobedience, obeyed the imperial mandate. He was cast in prison and it was long afterwards through the intercession of powerful friends that he regained his liberty in 1305-06 A.D. 'Ala-al-Din's death seriously affected the unity of the empire, but Ghazi Malik successfully contended against the forces of reaction. When he left Depalpur to fight against Khusrau in 720 A.H. (1320 A.D.) the tribe of Sumrah got their long-desired opportunity and their chief Amar recovered possession of lower Sindh.³⁶ He seized Thatta and declared his independence. Ghiyās-al-Din placed Multan in charge of Taj-al-Din, Bhakkar under Khwajah Khatīr and Siwistan under Malik 'Ali Sher, but it does not appear that the Sumrahs were dislodged from the position they had occupied, and though Sindh was treated as a part of the empire, the imperial authority had suffered a collapse at least in the southern part of the province.