History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c7.40

c7.40

But my text of the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* does not contain the words 'In the city of Delhi.' support from Hindu sources.²¹ Baha-al-Din who is described by Yahyā and Badāoni as *‘ariz-i-Lashkar* (Commander of the forces) held the fief of Sagar,²² which is at a distance of seven miles north of Sholapur in the Deccan. The cause of the rebellion is described by Ibn Batutah who says that the rebel who was a brave man refused to owe fealty to Muhammad Tughluq on his accession to the throne. The *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* does not mention the cause of the revolt, but Firishta clearly states that his ambition to usurp sovereignty led him to conspire with the Deccan Amirs with whose help he increased his forces, and acquired much influence in the country. Apparently, Bahā-al-Din counted for success upon the distance that divided him from the capital, and the pressure of more urgent engagements upon the Sultan. According to Firishta, some of the nobles who were true to their master's salt opposed him, but his power became so formidable that he compelled them by force of arms to seek shelter in the fort of Mandu. When the news of the revolt reached the Sultan, he sent Khwaja Jahan and Malik Majir with the entire forces of Gujarat at their command to chastise the rebel. The hostile armies faced each other before Devagiri. Bahā-al-Din and his officers fought with great courage, but at last he lost the day owing to the defection of one of his principal commandants Khizr Bahrām with all his men. The royal army followed up its victory, and reduced to sore straits by an unexpected turn of events, Gashtasp fled to Sagar, but finding that the imperialists would not spare him on any account, he fled to the Raja of Kampil,²³ a notable prince in the Deccan, with all his family and belongings and sought shelter with him. In this hilly and inaccessible region, the royal forces pursued the rebel and laid siege to the town. Khwajah Jahan pushed on the siege, but he was defeated in two hotly contested engagements. Soon after reinforcements came from Devagiri, and the hostile armies engaged each other for the third time in battle. The Rai's supplies and treasure were wellnigh exhausted, and he was defeated and taken prisoner.²⁴ Firishta's account is somewhat different from that given by Ibn Batūṭah. Were it not for the fact that Ibn Batūṭah, though no eyewitness of these events, met the surviving sons of the Rai who may have informed him of their father's fate, it would have been difficult to choose between these two authorities in regard to this particular incident.²⁵ The traveller writes that the Rai of Kampil, when he saw escape impossible, caused a funeral pyre to be erected and informed his wives and daughters that he had resolved to burn himself in the flames. One by one the brave matrons came out of their apartments to give proof of their devotion, and having performed their ablution and pasted their bodies with sandal, they kissed the ground and consigned themselves to the flames. Some of the nobles and ministers of the Rai, overpowered with grief at this tragic sight, followed the example of their chief to signify their devotion to him. Last of all, the Rai, having put on his armour, rushed upon the imperialists and lost his life in the encounter. The royal army entered the city and began to harass the inhabitants. Eleven sons of the Rai were captured and brought before the Sultan. They embraced Islam and in recognition of their father's gallantry in the field of battle the Sultan elevated them to the rank of amirs and granted them mansabs. Ibn Batūṭah, who saw three of them on his arrival in India gives the names of two as Nasr and Bakhtiyar and describes the third as Al-muhardar, an officer who used to keep the royal seals.²⁶ Driven to bay, Gashtasp fled to Vir Ballāla III, the Hoysala Prince, who was residing at Tonnur in the Mysore district.²⁷ Frightened by the