History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c8.59

c8.59

thoroughness with which the evacuation was carried out in his usual hyperbolical fashion by saying that " not a cat or dog was left in any of the buildings of the city, in its palaces or its suburbs," and his statement is endorsed by all later writers who mostly copied him. European scholars unaccustomed to the oriental style of writing have put a literal construction upon the passage to prove Barani's falsity, but it should be understood that such forms of speech are still common amongst the people of India, and if literally interpreted, they would convey an absurd meaning. It is true, the Sultan's order was carried out vigorously, but, as has been shown before, a wholesale evacuation was never accomplished. When the Sultan saw the failure of his scheme, he brought back the court to Dihli, and not long afterwards when he went to the Deccan to suppress the rebellion of Jalal-al-Din Ahsan Shah, he gave a general permission to the inhabitants of Dihli to go back to their old homes, if they wished to do so. The expenses of the journey were provided by the state and great generosity was shown. Two or three caravans started towards Dihli, and many with whom the climate of Devagiri agreed preferred to stay there. Dihli lost much of its former glory and grandeur, and though the Sultan brought learned men, landholders, and other famous men from far and wide to take up their abode in the old capital, no inducement proved of any avail. The old prosperity did not return; and Dihli did not recover its former greatness for a long time, as is proved by Ibn Batūtaḥ's testimony. The Sultan carried out a sound measure in a most egregious manner. Nothing can obviate the eccentricity which attaches to the execution of the plan, but in apportioning blame it should be remembered that he lived in an age, when rulers hardly felt any scruples in sacrificing the interests of their subjects for the gratification of their desires. The failure of the scheme and the loss of money which it entailed embittered the Sultan's disposition, and, as Barani puts it, caused a great harm to the kingdom.