History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c8.82

c8.82

shirīn had been defeated by the Dihli forces. He was, perhaps, placated by the Sultan, as Firishta writes, with costly gifts and presents. Again, if as Yahyā and Badāoni suggest, Tarmāshirīn had been defeated by the Dihli troops, Barani would have mentioned the fact with pleasure, for in that case he would have had no fear of giving offence to Firuz. But this argument holds good, only if we draw the inference from Barani's silence as Firishta does that he deliberately omitted to tell of this incident, an incident which does not reflect much credit upon Muhammad Tughluq. Besides, Dihli was depopulated at this time, and the Sultan had not forces enough at his command to fight the Mughals. The Doab was in the throes of a severe famine, and most of the great officials and nobles of the empire were at Devagiri. Plunder was the ruling passion of the Mughal barbarian, and the Sultan drove him off by attacking him in this most vulnerable quarter. In any case the invasion of the Chaghtai Prince was a passing storm, which soon disappeared.