The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c13.34

c13.34

Of different calibre was Jalāl-u'd-dīn Fīrūz Khaljī whose reign was a worthy precursor of the literary glories of his nephew's régime. The old sultan himself, like several Muslim rulers, wrote poetry of some merit; his personal retinue contained men like the immortal Khusraw, Malik Sa'd-u'd-dīn, the logician; Tāj-i-Khaṭīb, the historian and political writer.³ 'Alā-u'd-dīn was singularly fortunate in the brilliance of his reign. The need which drove him to his great economic policy has led some historians to accuse him of niggardliness; yet he paid regular emoluments to the learned men of his empire, though on a reduced scale. Allowance should be made for the fact that a tankah bought much more in his reign than under normal conditions.⁴ No branch of religious or secular science was neglected at Dehlī; Baranī gives the names of forty-six professors in different subjects who excelled, according to the historian, any man in Turkistān, Persia, Turkey or Egypt. Foreigners of distinction in their own lands discovered that they had yet to learn a great deal at Dehlī.⁵ Baranī devotes more than fourteen pages to distinguished scholars and artists; the list contains pedagogues, poets, preachers, philosophers, physicians, astronomers and historians.⁶ Amīr Khusraw wrote some of his best works in this reign. Another famous poet was Amīr Ḥasan Sanjarī, who was styled the Sa'dī of India.⁷ There were several other authors whose works have mostly perished. Of the historians Amīr Arsalān Kohī and Kabīr-u'd-dīn have been mentioned; the latter is reported to have written an official history of 'Alā-u'd-dīn's reign which has unfortunately not survived. Nor were music and such arts as calligraphy neglected; some artists are mentioned by name. The sultan himself took a pride in the brilliance of his court and the enlightenment of his people.¹ Quṭb-u'd-dīn Mubārak Shāh could compose verse; he increased the scholarships and emoluments which had been curtailed in his father's time.²