The Administration of the Sultanate of Dehli c8.31

c8.31

had his victims executed only when he had overwhelmed the jurists, who were asked to give the legal ruling, with his relentless and superior logic.¹ Even then there were instances of courageous protests, which ultimately inflamed public opinion and cost him the stability of his empire. ‘Alā-u’d-dīn Khaljī is accused of transgressing the *shar‘* in public affairs; but this accusation should be treated with great caution. As mentioned before, Baranī was exceedingly strict in his notions of legal propriety, and the slightest lapse on the part of the monarch condemned the ruler in the eyes of the historian. Besides, Baranī was hostile to ‘Alā-u’d-dīn Khaljī, because some of his measures had resulted in hardship to the official class to which Baranī belonged. Khusraw and Ḥasan give an entirely different impression of this sultan.²