The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c22.s3.t4: Suppression of Jalal Khan’s rebellion

c22.s3.t4.1

Ibrahim’s reign was distracted by party rivalry. Soon after his accession, a party of selfish nobles advocated partition of the kingdom and managed to secure the elevation of Ibrahim’s younger brother, Jalal Khan, to the throne of Jaunpur. The Sultan was compelled under pressure to agree to the partition. Even before Jalal could establish himself at Jaunpur, Ibrahim repented and one of his important nobles, Khan-i-Jahan Lohani, strongly condemned the foolish policy of dividing the kingdom and pressed for Jalal Khan’s recall. Ibrahim entrusted the task to Haibat Khan. Having failed in the policy of persuading Jalal to return to Delhi, Haibat Khan had recourse to diplomacy. By a clever policy he seduced most of Jalal Khan’s followers which compelled the latter to abandon Jaunpur and establish himself at Kalpi where he asserted his independence and assumed the title of king. He won over Azam Humayun Sarwani who was at the time besieging Kalinjar on behalf of his master, Sultan Ibrahim. Having united their forces, Jalal and Azam Humayun Sarwani attacked Awadh. Ibrahim was obliged to march against the rebels. But, fortunately Azam Humayun abandoned Jalal and returned to the side of Ibrahim. Jalal Khan, having thus been abandoned, returned towards Agra and attacked the garrison there. Ibrahim deputed Malik Adam to reinforce the garrison at Agra. This officer was able to persuade Jalal to give up his pretensions to sovereignty on the promise that he would be allowed to retain possession of Kalpi. Ibrahim, however, refused to ratify the terms and decided to bring about complete submission of his brother. Jalal had, therefore, to flee to take refuge with the raja of Gwalior. Ibrahim thought it necessary to attack that fortress with the double object of securing the person of his brother and occupying the fortress. As he approached near, Jalal Khan fled from Gwalior to Malwa. While the siege was in progress, Jalal, tired of the ill-treatment of the Sultan of Malwa, fled from there to the Gond principality of Garha Katanga. But the Gonds arrested him and sent him a prisoner to Ibrahim. The Sultan ordered him to be imprisoned in Hansi; but the prince was murdered on the way to that place. Ibrahim now became the undisputed ruler of the kingdom without any rival to intrigue against him.