History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c8.69

c8.69

Tarmāshirīn is described by Ibn Batūtah who met him in his own country sometime towards the close of 1332 A.D. or the beginning of 1333 A.D. as a just and powerful prince, whose dominions were surrounded by four great kingdoms—China, India, 'Iraq, and the country of the Uzbegs. He wistfully looked around in search of conquest, and the decline of the Persian monarchy under the degenerate 'Abū Sa'id encouraged him in his ambitious designs. He attempted a conquest of Khorasan and in 1326 A.D. crossed the Oxus, but he was defeated near Ghazni by Amir Hasan, son of Chaupān. To find an outlet for his ambitions probably, he turned towards India, where much confusion had been caused by famine and the transfer of the capital. The change of such an important capital as Dihli was a momentous event in those days, and we may believe Hājji-ad-Dabīr when he says that it was one of the causes of the Mughal invasion.³⁵ Having subjugated Lamghan, Multan and the northern provinces, the Mughals harried the entire plain extending from Multan and Lahore to the outskirts of Dihli. The districts of Samana, Indari³⁶ and Badāon also suffered at their hands. It appears that the outposts of the empire were not as effectively garrisoned; as they had been under Ghiyas-al-Din Tughluq and that is why the Mughals found it easy to plunder the whole country right up to the confines of the capital. The manner in which Muhammad met this invasion is variously described. According to the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* the Sultan collected his troops between Dihli and the *Hauz Khas*, and when the Mughals had retreated from the bank of the Jamna and crossed the Indus, he went out with his army in pursuit of them, as far as Kalanor and then returned.³⁷ There is no mention of any engagement between the Mughals and the Dihli troops. Only Tarmāshirin is described as شکسته a vanquished enemy. The fort of Kalanor which was in a dilapidated condition was entrusted to Majīr-al-Din Abū Rajā who carried out its repairs. The Sultan also sent some brave and reputed warriors in pursuit of Tarmāshirin and himself returned to Dihli. Badāoni follows the *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi*, and instead of describing the enemy as شکسته he describes the Dihli forces as عساکر منصور اسلام (the victorious army of Islam). Ranking does not give us an exact translation of the text in-as-much as he says that the Sultan pursued him as far as the frontier of Kalanor and defeated him, leaving the destruction of that fort in the hands of Majīr-al-Din Abū Rajā.³⁸ The text has only the following.³⁹