The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c19.s5.1

c19.s5.1

Ala-ud-din was determined to conquer the Dakhin also. He was the first Sultan of Delhi to cross the Vindhya mountains and to attempt to subjugate the southern peninsula. Mention has been made of his success against Rama Chandra of Devagiri in 1294. At that time there were four powerful kingdoms in southern India. They were : (1) the Yadava kingdom of Devagiri in the west, comprising Maharashtra, with its capital at Devagiri (modern Daultabad) ; (2) the Kakatiya kingdom of Telingana in the east, with its capital at Warangal; (3) the Hoysala kingdom, with its capital at Dwarasamudra, lying south of the river Krishna and comprising the whole of modern Mysore besides some other districts; and (4) the Pandya kingdom of the far south, with its capital at Madura. Unlike his policy in northern India, which he wanted to annex and rule directly, Ala-ud-din only desired to compel the rulers of southern India to acknowledge his supremacy and to send him annual tributes. He wanted to leave their dominions in their hands on condition of vassalage. His chief object was to get as much wealth from that region as possible.