خلفاء فيروز شاه | أسرة طغلق | التاريخ الهندي
On the death of Firuz Shah, his grandson, the son of Fath Khan, formally ascended the throne under the title of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq Shah II. Malik Firuz 'Ali was appointed wazir and re- ceived the title of Khan Jahan. Prince Muhammad, the son of Firüz, who was once the joint ruler with his father under the title Nasir- ud-din Muhammad Shah, but was driven away, as mentioned above,1 and was now residing at Sirmur, made preparations to contest the throne. An army was sent against him under the wazir and Bahādur Nähir, a Rajput chief of Mewat, who had embraced Islām. On the approach of the royal army Muhammad fled to the mountains and occupied a strong position, but being defeated and driven from one position to another, he shut himself up at the strong fort of Nagarkot (Kangra). The royal army did not besiege that fort, but returned to Delhi.
Ghiyās-ud-din
proved to be a worthless ruler. He gave him- self up to pleasure and
debauchery, and neglected the affairs of State. His conduct produced laxity in
administration and dissatis- faction among the amirs. Matters came to a head
when the Sultan treated with cruelty and imprisoned his own brother, Sälär. His
cousin, Abû Bakr, the son of Zafar Khan, the third son of Firüz, dreading the
same fate, fled and organized a conspiracy against the Sultan.2 Their cause was
supported by Rukn-ud-din, the deputy wazir, who had a large following among the
household troops, the famous Ghulāmān-i-Fīrūz Shāhī (Slaves of Firüz Shah).
Several other chiefs of high rank also joined the conspiracy. The conspi-
rators rushed into the palace and killed Malik Mubarak Kabir, the
amir-ul-'umra'. Ghiyās-ud-din Tughluq, thus surprised, fled with his wazir
through a gate opening towards the Yamuna. They were pursued by Rukn-ud-din
and, being overtaken, were immediately put to death (February 18, 1389). Next
day the conspirators put Abu Bakr on the throne, and Rukn-ud-din became the
wazir.
Abu
Bakr could not enjoy the throne for long. The amīrān-i- sadah of Samana rose in
revolt, and having killed their leader, Malik Sultan Shah Khushdil, who was
loyal to Abu Bakr, invited Prince Muhammad to join them and assert his rights
to the throne. Muhammad collected an army and proceeded to Sämäna. There he
proclaimed himself king (April, 1389) and marched towards Delhi.
On
the way he was joined by several amirs and entered Delhi at the head of 50,000
horse. Delhi now became the seat of the civil war, and the nobles of the court
joined one side or the other accord- ing to their interests or inclinations.
Bahadur Nahir of Mcwat joined Abu Bakr, and with his help the Sultan succeeded
in inflict- ing a crushing defeat upon Muhammad. The latter fled to the Doab
and fixed his head-quarters at Jalesar, where he was joined by many nobles of
the court, chief among whom were Malik Sarvar, lately the kotwal of Delhi, and
Nasir-ul-Mulk. The former was ap- pointed his minister under the title Khvāja
Jahān, and the latter received the title Khizr Khān. Encouraged by the support
Muham- mad again marched towards Delhi, but was again defeated and fell back on
Jalesar. But in spite of this reverse, his authority was acknowledged in many
districts to the north and west of Delhi, including Lahore, Multan, Sāmāna, Hissar,
and Hānsi. Chaos and confusion prevailed on all sides, and the troops of
Muhammad oppressed the people of the Doab. The Hindu chiefs there, who had
proved refractory even under earlier Sultāns, now openly defied the authority
of the Sultan. Humayun, son of Muhammad, advanced from Sāmāna and plundered the
country almost up to the walls of Delhi, but he was defeated at Panipat and
fled to Sämäna. Encour- aged by this success Abu Bakr now decided to take the
offensive and attack Muhammad at Jalesar. But as soon as he left Delhi,
Muhammad, assured of the support of a strong faction of nobles at the court,
cleverly eluded the forces of his enemy, and occupied Delhi. Thereupon Abu Bakr
retraced his steps and Muhammad made a precipitate retreat to Jalesar. But
shortly afterwards Islām Khan, the Commander of the household troops, opened
communi- cation with Muhammad. The knowledge of this conspiracy so alarmed Abu
Bakr that he left Delhi and fled to Bahadur Nähir of Mewat. Taking advantage of
this Muhammad again occupied Delhi, and ascended the throne at Firūzābād under
his old royal title Nasir- ud-din Muhammad Shah (August, 1390).
Islam
Khan was appointed wazir, but the household troops were provoked into rebellion
by a royal order to take back all the ele- phants which had been seized by
them. Most of them joined Abū Bakr, and a large number, found at Delhi, were
put to death.
The
Sultan now recruited a new army and sent it against Abū Bakr under his son
Humayun and wazir Islam Khan. Abu Bakr was defeated and captured, and kept a
prisoner in the fort of Mirāt where he died.
The
prolonged civil war, the worthless character of the rulers who succeeded Firuz,
and the disloyal and selfish activities of theofficials and amirs had brought
the Sultanate on the verge of rum. Though the new Sultan showed some energy, he
could not stem the tide of decline. Farhat-ul-Mulk, the governor of Gujarāt,
threw off his allegiance in A D. 1390, and ere long the province was lost to
the empire as will be related later. Nearer home the Rajput chiefs of Etawa
refused to pay tribute and declared independence. In A.D. 1391 Islām Khān
proceeded with a large army and defcated the Rathor Räjput Narsingh Bhän, the
leader and the most power- ful of the rebellious chiefs, and made peace with
him. The other two important chiefs, the Räthor Sarvadharan, and Bir Bhän, the
chief of the Vais Rajputs, also offered submission. But as soon as Islām Khān
returned to Delhi with Narsingh Bhan, the chiefs again rose up in arms under
Sarvadhāran and ravaged Bilgram4 and the adjacent districts. The Sultan marched
in person, defeated them, and 'levelled the fort of Etawa with the ground'. He
then proceed- ed via Kanauj to Jalesar, and built a fort there, which was
called after him Muhammadābād.
The
Sultan hastened back to Delhi as reports reached him that the wazir, Islam
Khan, was planning a rebellion. Islam pleaded innocence, but his own nephew, a
Hindu, gave evidence against him, and he was condemned to death. According to
Firishta, the charge was a false one and the whole affair was planned by Khvāja
Jahān, who took the place of Islâm Khân as wazir.5 Malik Muqarrab-ul- Mulk, who
later distinguished himself as Muqarrab Khần, was ap- pointed governor of
Muhammadābād.
In
A.D. 1393, the Rajput chiefs of Etawa again rebelled, but most of them were
treacherously killed by Muqarrab-ul-Mulk, when they visited Kanauj at his
invitation. The Sultan himself proceed- ed to Mewat to quell the rebellion
there and, having laid waste the country, proceeded to Jalesar. There he fell
ill when news reached him that Bahadur Nahir of Mewat had plundered the country
up to the gates of Delhi. Though the Sultan was still suffering from fever, he
hastened to Mewät, attacked Bahadur Nahir at Kotla and totally defeated him.
After this, he returned to Muhammadābād and sent his son Humayun to crush
Shaikhä, the Khokar, who had rebelled and captured Lahore. But before the
Prince left Delhi, the Sultan died at Jalesar (January, 1394). He was succeeded
by Prince Humayun who assumed the title of 'Ala-ud-din Sikandar Shah. But he
died within six weeks of his accession,
On
the death of Humayun his younger brother, Nasir-ud-din Mahmud Shah, was
installed on the throne by a party of nobles in the court headed by
Muqarrab-ul-Mulk who became Vakil-us- sultanat and received the title Muqarrab
Khan. But the Sultanate had now reached
the last stages of disintegration. The provincial governors and Hindu chiefs
openly defied the authority of the Sultan and became de facto sovereigns. Malik
Sarvar Khvājā Jahān, who still continued in the post of the wazir, received the
title of Malik-us-Sharq or King of the East, and was sent to subdue the
rebellious chiefs of the east. He left Delhi in May 1394, and sub- dued the
districts of Koil, Etawa and Kanauj. He then occupied Jaunpur and founded an
independent kingdom with this city as his capital. Sarang Khan Lodi, governor
of Dipalpur, expelled Khizr Khan, the governor of Multan, defeated the
turbulent Khokars, and placed his own brother Adil Khan in charge of Lahore.
In
the meanwhile, the Sultan, leaving Muqarrab Khan in charge of Delhi, proceeded
to Gwalior in the company of Sa'adat Khân, Mallu Iqbal Khan Lodī (brother of
Sarang Khan), Malik ‘Alā-ud- din Dharwal, and others. When they arrived near
Gwalior, some of the amirs, led by Mallu, made a conspiracy against Sa'adat
Khan, as they were jealous of him for his great influence with the Sultan. The
plot leaked out and some of the conspirators were put to death, but Mallu fled
to Delhi and sought the protection of Muqarrab Khan. The latter, on learning
that Sa'adat Khãn had sworn vengeance against him, closed the gates of Delhi
against the Sultan when he returned with Sa'adat Khan. The royal army laid
siege to the city, but after three months, the Sultan's party, being convinced
that "the war not only originated, but was prosecuted solely on account of
Sa'adat Khän", accommodated matters with Muqarrab Khan, and was admitted
into the city of Delhi. Sa'adat, unable to conquer the fort of Delhi, and finding
the rainy season to be near, marched to Firūzābād and raised Nusrat Khän, son
of Fath Khan, to the throne under the title of Nusrat Shah. But the household
troops of Firuz Tughluq, who had joined Sa'adat Khãn, was incensed at his
conduct towards them and drove him from Firüzābād. He thereupon sought shelter
with Muqarrab Khan who put him to death in 1394.
There
were now two Sultāns in Delhi and the result was a protracted civil war. The
amīrs of Firūzābād, Doāb, Sambal, Panipat, Jhajhar and Rohtak supported Nusrat
Shah, while those of Delhi espoused the cause of Mahmud Shah. But none of the
competitors for the throne could claim any real allegiance from any of the
chiefs and nobles who all looked to their own interests alone. The situa- tion
is tersely, but very correctly, described by Firishta in the following words:
"The government fell into anarchy: civil war raged every- where; and a scene was exhibited, unheard of before, of two kings in arms against each other residing in the same capital. Tätär Khän, the son of Zafar Khan of Gujarat, and Fazlullah Balkhi, entitled Kutlugh Khan, joined the Prince Nusrat at Firūzābād. Muqarrab Khan and other chiefs espoused the cause of Mahmud Tughluq; while Bahadur Nähir and Mallu Iqbal Khan, with a strong body of troops, occupied the fort of Siri, and remained neuter, (sic) but were prepared to join either party according to circumstances. Affairs remained in this state for three years, with astonishing equality; for if one monarch's party had at any time the superiority, the balance was soon restored by the neutral chiefs.
"The
warfare thus continued as if it were one battle between the two cities, wherein
thousands were sometimes killed in a day, and the casualties occasioned by the
slain were supplied by fresh reinforcements from different parts. Some of the
governors of the provinces took little share in these civil dissensions, hoping
to make advantage of them, by becoming independent in the end".
This
state of things continued for three years. In the mean- while Mallu Iqbal Khân,
having quarrelled with Muqarrab Khän, deserted Sultan Mahmud Shah and joined
the party of Nusrat Shah, But a few days later he formed a conspiracy against
Nusrat Shāh, who fled to Pänipat and joined his wazir Tātār Khan. Mallu, now in
possession of Firūzābād, strove to expel Sultan Mahmud and Muqarrab Khan from
the old city, At length, through the media- tion of some nobles, peace was
concluded between the rival parties. But Mallu Iqbal, perfidious as he was,
attacked Muqarrab Khän in his own house and killed him. Mallu then exercised
royal authority in the name of Sultan Mahmud, who was deprived of all but the
name of the king and became a mere tool in his hands. Mallu march- ed along
with the pageant King from Delhi to Panipat, the head- quarters of Nusrat Khan
and Tātar Khan. Tātār Khān evaded him, arrived at Delhi, and besieged it. In
the meantime Mallü Khān captured Panipat and took possession of the baggage and
elephants left there by Tatār Khan, and hastened back to Delhi. Thereupon Tätär
Khan fled to his father Zafar Khan, who had practically as- sumed independence
in Gujarat, while Nusrat Shah took refuge in the Doab. Mallu Iqbal entered
Delhi in October 1398, but before he could settle down to restore order, news
reached him that Timür (Tamerlane) had crossed the Sindhu, the Chenab, and the
Rāvi, and captured Tulamba and Multan. Before we trace the subsequent history
of the Tughluqs it is necessary to go back a little to relate, from the very
beginning, the invasion of Timur, which ultimately swept away the Tughluq
dynasty, and put an end to the Turkish rule in India.7
Foot
Notes
2.
TMB, 150, where the name of the Sultan's brother is given as Aspdar Shah
According
to Firishta, both Sālār and Abu Bakr were thrown into prison, but effected
their escape (Briggs, I, 467).
3.
Jatesar, according to TM. (TMB, 156).
4.
This is situated to the east of the Ganga and it is doubtful if the rebel
zamindā, s of the Doab would advance so far. Hence some prefer the alternative
reading Talgram, and identify it with a place of that name in the Doab. (cf.
CHI, III, 192 f.n.).
5.
Briggs, 1, 476.
6.
Ibid, 481. The modern spellings of proper names have been given in the passage
quoted.
7.
The history of the successors of Firüz, as given in this chapter, is
principally based on Firishta's account
(Briggs, I, 466-484).
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