CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, PATNA

FINAL DRAFT: INDIAN HISTORY

TOPIC: THE KHILJI DYNASTY

SUBMITTED TO: -

Ms. Priya Darshini

Faculty, Indian History

CNLU Patna

Submitted By:

Rudraksh Pandey

ROLL NO – 2144

B.A LLB, 1ST SEMESTER

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DECLARATION

I, hereby, declare that the work reported in B.A.,LLB(Hons.) Project report entitled
“The Khilji Dynasty” submitted at Chanakya National Law University is an authentic
record of my work carried out under supervision of Ms. Priya Darshini . I have not
submitted this work elsewhere for any other degree or diploma. I am fully responsible
for the contents of my project work.

NAME OF CANDIDATE: RUDRAKSH PANDEY

ROLL NO- 2144

CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It feels great pleasure in submitting this research project to Ms. Priya Darshini,
Faculty, Indian History, CNLU Patna without whose guidance this project would
not have been completed successfully.

Next, I would like to sincerely thank my seniors, whose suggestions and guidance
assisted me throughout the entire tenure of making the project.

Last but not the least, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude towards
my parents and friends who guided me and helped me at every possible step.

Rudraksh Pandey

B.A LLB

1st Semester

Roll No. 2144

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1. DECLARATION

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

3. INTRODUCTION

4. KHILJI SULTANATE:ORIGINS

5. KHILJI SULTANATE:OVERVIEW OF SULTANS

6. JALAL UD DIN KHILJI

A.EARLY LIFE

B. ASCENSION TO THE THRONE

C. MONGOL INVASION

D.ASSASSINATION

7. ALAUDDIN KHILJI

A.EARLY LIFE

B. MONGOL INVASION

C. SOUTHERN CAMPAIGNS

D.ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

E. ARCHITECTURE

8. LATER RULERS

9. CONCLUSION

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY

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 INTRODUCTION

The Khalji or Khilji dynasty was a Muslim dynasty which ruled large parts of thr
Indian subcontinent between 1290 and 1320. It was founded by Jalal ud din Firuz
Khalji and became the second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India. The
dynasty is known for their faithlessness and ferocity, conquests into the Hindu south,
and for successfully fending of the the repeated Mongol invasions of India.The Khliji
dynasty was the second dynasty of Delhi Sultanate who came from Central Asia. In
course of time they adopted the Khura Sanian’s urbane culture and certain Afghan
custom and social traditions from Ghaznavids. Therefore, the court of Khiljis was of
multiethnical background with people of Persian, Indian, Arab and Turkish origin.
This marked an end to the monopolization of power and racial dictatorship by Ilbari
Turks and also led to the widening of the social base of the ruling class.

The decline of the Slave dynasty made Delhi even more fragile and unstable due to
the numerous revolts and acts of internal aggression. And this started the evolution of
the Khilji dynasty with the crowning of Malik Firuz by the name of Jalal ud din Firuz
Khliji by the nobles in the year 1290 A.D. Jalal ud din ruled for a period of six years.
During this period Mongols attacked the country, jala ud din khilji’s brave front and
smart negotiations marked the mongols defeat. They came back however fiv eyears
later and attacked once again when his nephew ascended on the throne. But within a
short period, he was killed by his nephew Alauddin khilji under a conspiracy hatched
by the latter.

Alauddin khilji was the second ruler of the khilji dynasty, whose real name was Juna
Khan and he ruled India from 1296-1316. he killed Jalal ud din Firuz Khliji and
announced himself as the ruler of Delhi. He was the one of the greatest administrators
of all the Sultanate kings. Unlike his predecessors he implemented fundamental
changes in the way the Sultanate was ruled. As earlier sultans gad based their strength
largely on strong army and control of few important towns. The respective headmen
of rural areas used to govern that particular area, and these headmen were the
middlemen between the Sultan and the area. The headmen had the knowledge that the
central authority was far removed from their daily affairs which made a difference,
and because of which they often refused to co-operate with the Sultan’s officers. Ala
ud din eased the situation because of the strong influence he had, but there was little
he could do.

The khiljis were of turko-afghan origin; a turkic people that had settled in Afghanistan
before moving to Delhi. The ancestors of jalal ud din khilji had lived in the Helmland
and lamghan regions for over 200 years.The khiljis were vassals of the mamluk
dynasty and served the sultan of delhi, Ghiyas ud din Balban(the last powerful ruler of

5
the slave dynasty).Balban’s successors were murdered over 1289-1290, and the
Mamluk dynasty succumbed to the fractional conflicts within the Mamluk dynasty
and the Muslim nobility. As the struggle between the the factions razed, Jalal ud din
led a coup and assassinated the 17 year old mamluk successor Muiz ud din Qaidabad-
the last ruler of the Mamluk dynasty.

KHILJI SULTANATE

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 Khilji Sultanate

1290–1320

Capital Delhi

Common languages Persian

(official)[1]

Religion Sunni Islam

Government Sultanate

Sultan

• 1290–1296 Jalal ud din

Firuz Khilji

• 1296–1316 Alauddin
Khilji

• 1316 Shihab ad-Din

Umar

• 1316–1320 Qutb ad-Din

Mubarak

History

7
 • Established 1290

• Disestablished 1320

Preceded by Succeeded by

Mamluk Tughlaq
dynasty of dynasty
Delhi

Vaghela
dynasty

Today part of India

Pakistan

ORIGINS
The Khaljis were of Turko-Afghan origin: a Turkic people that had settled in
Afghanistan before moving to Delhi. The ancestors of Jalaluddin Khalji had lived in
the Helmand and Lamghan regions for over 200 years.
There is some debate about the ethnic group that the Khaljis belonged to, when the
dynasty ruled. The Khalaj people in western Iran speak the Khalaj language.The
modern Pashto-speaking Ghilzai Afghans are also descendants of Khalaj people; their
transformation into an ethnic Afghan group can be dated to earlier than the 16th
century. After a number of ethnic transformations, the Afghan Khalaj became the
Ghilzay tribe of Afghans.Between the 10th and 13th centuries, some sources refer to
the Khalaj people as of Turkic, but some others do not. Ibn Khordadbeh (9th century)
mentions the Khalaj people while describing the "land of the Turks". But the distance
between the Amu Darya and the Talas is such as it would have been impossible for
the tribes living beyond the Amu Darya to use the Talas pastures as winter quarters,
leading to the conclusion that the text has been corrupted somehow or that some
Khalaj still lived near the Khallukh at the time. Minorsky argues that the early history
of the Khalaj tribe is obscure and adds that the identity of the name Khalaj is still to
be proved.Mahmud al-Kashgari (11th century) does not include the Khalaj among the
Oghuz Turkic tribes, but includes them among the Oghuz-Turkman (where Turkman

8
meant "Like the Turks") tribes. Kashgari felt the Khalaj did not belong to the original
stock of Turkish tribes but had associated with them and therefore, in language and
dress, often appeared "like Turks".The 11th century Tarikh-i Sistan and the Firdausi's
Shahnameh also distinguish and differentiate the Khalaj from the Turks.Minhaj-i-Siraj
Juzjani (13th century) never identified Khalaj as Turks, but was careful not to refer to
them as Afghans. They were always a category apart from Turks, Tajiks and Afghans.
Muhammad ibn Najib Bakran's Jahan-nama explicitly describes them as
Turkic,although he notes that that their complexion had become darker (compared to
the Turks) and their language had undergone enough alterations to become a distinct
dialect. The modern historian Irfan Habib has argued that the Khaljis were not related
to the Turkic people and were instead ethnic Afghans. Habib pointed out that, in some
15th-century Devanagari Sati inscriptions, the later Khaljis of Malwa have been
referred to as "Khalchi" and "Khilchi", and that the 17th century chronicle
Padshahnama, an area near Boost in Afghanistan (where the Khalaj once resided) as
"Khalich". Habib theorizes that the earlier Persian chroniclers misread the name
"Khalchi" as "Khalji", but this is unlikely, as this would mean that every Persian
chronicler writing between the 13th and 17th centuries made the same mistake. Habib
also argues that no 13th century source refers to the Turkish background of the
Khaljis, but this assertion is wrong, as Muhammad ibn Najib Bakran's Jahan-nama
explicitly describes the Khalaj people as Turkic.
The accounts describing the Khaljis' rise to power in India indicate that they were
regarded as a race quite distinct from the Turks in late 13th century Delhi. Over the
centuries, the Khaljis had intermarried with the local Afghans and adopted their
manners, culture, customs, and practices. They were looked down as non-Turks by
Turks. Therefore, the Turkish nobles wrongly looked upon them as Afghans. They
were considered Afghans in the Delhi Court.

OVERVIEW OF SULTANS OF KHILJI DYNASTY

Jalal-ud-din Khalji

Khaljis were vassals of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi and served the Sultan of Delhi,
Ghiyas ud din Balban. Balban's successors were murdered over 1289-1290, and the
Mamluk dynasty succumbed to the factional conflicts within the Mamluk dynasty and
the Muslim nobility. As the struggle between the factions razed, Jalal ud din Firuz
Khalji led a coup and murdered the 17-year-old Mamluk successor Muiz ud din
Qaiqabad - the last ruler of Mamluk dynasty.
Jalaluddin Firuz Khalji, who was around 70 years old at the time of his ascension, was
known as a mild-mannered, humble and kind monarch to the general public.
Jalaluddin succeeded in overcoming the opposition of the Turkish nobles and
ascended the throne of Delhi in January 1290. Jalal-ud-din was not universally
accepted: During his six-year reign (1290–96), Balban's nephew revolted due to his
assumption of power and the subsequent sidelining of nobility and commanders
serving the Mamluk dynasty.Jalal-ud-din suppressed the revolt and executed some
commanders, then led an unsuccessful expedition against Ranthambhor and repelled a

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Mongol force on the banks of the Sind River in central India with the help of his
nephew Juna Khan.

Alauddin Khalji

Alauddin Khalji was the nephew and son-in-law of Jalal-ud-din. He raided the Hindu
Deccan peninsula and Deogiri - then the capital of the Hindu state of Maharashtra,
looting their treasure. He returned to Delhi in 1296, murdered Jalal-ud-din and
assumed power as Sultan.
Alauddin Khalji continued expanding Delhi Sultanate into South India, with the help
of generals such as Malik Kafur and Khusraw Khan, collecting large war booty
(Anwatan) from those they defeated. His commanders collected war spoils from
Hindu kingdoms and paid khums (one fifth) on ghanima (booty collected during war)
to Sultan's treasury, which helped strengthen the Khalji rule.

The Koh-i-noor diamond was seized by Alauddin Khalji's army in 1310, from the
Kakatiya dynasty in Warangal.

Alauddin Khalji reigned for 20 years. He attacked and seized Hindu states of
Ranthambhor (1301 AD), Chittorgarh (1303), Māndu (1305) and plundered the
wealthy state of Devagiri, also withstood two Mongol raids. Alauddin is also known
for his cruelty against attacked kingdoms after wars. Historians note him as a tyrant
and that anyone Alauddin Khalji suspected of being a threat to this power was killed
along with the women and children of that family. In 1298, between 15,000 and
30,000 people near Delhi, who had recently converted to Islam, were slaughtered in a
single day, due to fears of an uprising. He also killed his own family members and
nephews, in 1299-1300, after he suspected them of rebellion, by first gouging out
their eyes and then beheading them.
In 1308, Alauddin's lieutenant, Malik Kafur captured Warangal, overthrew the
Hoysala Empire south of the Krishna River and raided Madurai in Tamil Nadu. He
then looted the treasury in capitals and from the temples of south India. Among these
loots was the Warangal loot that included one of the largest known diamond in human
history, the Koh-i-noor. Malik Kafur returned to Delhi in 1311, laden with loot and
war booty from Deccan peninsula which he submitted to Alauddin Khalji. This made
Malik Kafur, born in a Hindu family and who had converted to Islam before
becoming Delhi Sultanate's army commander, a favorite of Alauddin Khalji.

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In 1311, Alauddin ordered a massacre of between 15,000 and 30,000 Mongol settlers,
who had recently converted to Islam, after suspecting them of plotting an uprising
against him.

The last Khalji sultans

Alauddin Khalji died in December 1315. Thereafter, the sultanate witnessed chaos,
coup and succession of assassinations.Malik Kafur became the sultan but lacked
support from the amirs and was killed within a few months.
Over the next three years, another three sultans assumed power violently and/or were
killed in coups. Following Malik Kafur's death, the amirs installed a six-year-old
named Shihab-ud-din Omar as sultan and his teenage brother, Qutb ud din Mubarak
Shah, as regent. Qutb killed his younger brother and appointed himself sultan. To win
over the loyalty of the amirs and the Malik clan, Mubarak Shah offered Ghazi Malik
the position of army commander in the Punjab. Others were given a choice between
various offices and death. After ruling in his own name for less than four years,
Mubarak Shah was murdered in 1320 by one of his generals, Khusraw Khan. Amirs
persuaded Ghazi Malik – who was still army commander in the Punjab – to lead a
coup. Ghazi Malik's forces marched on Delhi, captured Khusraw Khan and beheaded
him. Upon becoming sultan, Ghazi Malik renamed himself Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq.
He would become the first ruler of the Tughluq dynasty.

JALAL-UD DIN KHILJI

Jalal-ud-din Khalji (r. 1290-1296; died 19 July 1296) was the founder and first
Sultan of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1290 to 1320.
Originally named Firuz, Jalal-ud-din started his career as an officer of the Mamluk
dynasty, and rose to an important position under Sultan Muizzuddin Qaiqabad. After
Qaiqabad was paralyzed, a group of nobles appointed his infant son Shamsuddin
Kayumars as the new Sultan, and tried to kill Jalal-ud-din. Instead, Jalal-ud-din had
them killed, and became the regent. A few months later, he deposed Kayumars, and
became the new Sultan.
As a Sultan, he repulsed a Mongol invasion, and allowed many Mongols to settle in
India after their conversion to Islam. He captured Mandawar and Jhain from the
Chahamana king Hammira, although he was unable to capture the Chahamana capital

11
Ranthambore. During his reign, his nephew Ali Gurshasp raided Bhilsa in 1293 and
Devagiri in 1296.
Jalal-ud-din, who was around 70 years old at the time of his ascension, was known as
a mild-mannered, humble and kind monarch to the general public. During the first
year of his reign, he ruled from Kilokhri to avoid confrontations with the old Turkic
nobles of the imperial capital Delhi. Several nobles considered him as a weak ruler,
and unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow him at different times. He meted out
lenient punishments to the rebels, except in case of a dervish Sidi Maula, who was
executed for allegedly conspiring to dethrone him. Jalal-ud-din was ultimately
assassinated by his nephew Ali Gurshasp, who subsequently ascended the throne as
Alauddin Khalji.

EARLY LIFE
Jalal-ud-din was a Turk of the Khalaj tribe. His ancestors had migrated from
Turkestan to present-day Afghanistan, where they had lived in Helmand and Laghman
for over 200 years, intermarried with local Afghans, and adopted Afghan customs and
manners. Because of this, when his family migrated to India, the Turkic nobles of
Delhi considered them to be Afghans.They were treated as Afghans in the Delhi
Court.
Before his ascension to the throne, Jalal-ud-din was known as Malik Firuz. He and his
brother Shihabuddin ( father of Alauddin Khalji) served the Delhi Sultan Balban for
several years. He rose to the position of sar-i-jandar (chief of the royal bodyguards),
and was later appointed as the governor of the frontier province of Samana. As the
governor of Samana, he distinguished himself in the Sultanate's conflicts with the
Mongol invaders.
After Balban's death in 1287, Delhi's kotwal Malik al-Umara Fakhruddin enthroned
Balban's teenage grandson Muiz ud din Qaiqabad (or Kayqubad) with the title
Muizzuddin. Qaiqabad was a weak ruler, and the administration was actually run by
his officer Malik Nizamuddin. After Nizamuddin was poisoned by some rival
officers, Qaiqabad summoned Jalal-ud-din from Samana to Delhi, gave him the title
"Shaista Khan", appointed him as the ariz-i-mumalik, and made him the governor of
Baran.
By this time, Qaiqabad's health had deteriorated, and two rival factions of nobles vied
for the power in Delhi. One faction, led by Malik Aytemur Surkha, sought to maintain
the power of the old Turkic nobility, and wanted to retain Balban's family on the
throne.The other faction, led by Jalal-ud-din, supported the rise of the new nobility.

ASCENSION TO THE THRONE

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 Extent of the Delhi Sultanate at the time of Jalal-ud-din Khalji's ascension (1290)

Jalal-ud-din (known as Malik Firuz until this point), ascended the throne of Delhi in
June 1290, at the unfinished Kilokhri (also Kilughari or Kailugarhi) Palace near
Delhi.At the time of his ascension, Jalal-ud-din was very unpopular. He had little
support among the old Turkic nobles, who wrongly believed him to be of non-Turkic
ancestry. In addition, he was an old man of around 70 years, and his mild nature was
seen as unsuitable for the position.Because of his unpopularity, he decided not to
move to Balban's palace at Delhi, and lived at Kilokhri for around one year. He
finished the palace, and turned Kilokhri into an important town.
Jalal-ud-din avoided making any radical changes to the administrative set-up, and
retained the old Turkic nobles in the offices that they held during Balban's reign. For
example, Fakhruddin was retained as the kotwal of Delhi, Khwaja Khatir was retained
as the wazir, and Balban's nephew Malik Chajju was retained as the governor of Kara-
Manikpur. The surviving members of Balban's royal family moved to Kara under
Chajju's governship.
At the same time, Jalal-ud-din appointed his relatives and associates to the important
offices. He appointed his brother Yaghrash Khan as the head of the army ministry
(ariz-i-mamalik), and his nephew Ahmad Chap as naib-i barbek. He gave his eldest
son Mahmud the title Khan-i-Khan; the next two sons were given the titles Arkali
Khan and Qadr Khan. He also appointed his nephews Ali Gurshasp (later Sultan
Alauddin) and Almas Beg as Amir-i-Tuzuk (equivalent to Master of ceremonies) and
Akhur-beg (equivalent to Master of the Horse) respectively.
Gradually, Jalal-ud-din overcame the initial hostility that he had faced from the
citizens of Delhi. He gained reputation as a humble and kind-hearted monarch, as
opposed to the preceding despots like Balban. After entering Delhi, he had the royal
entrance to the Red Palace dismounted, and refused to sit on the king's seat in the
royal audience-hall, saying that the crown had been forced upon him because of the
malicious intents of Surkha and Kachhan.

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 MONGOL INVASION

●
T
E
MONGOL INVASIONS OF INDIA
● Indus
● Lahore
● Beas river
● Punjab (1292)
● Punjab (1297–98)
● Sindh (1298–99)
● Kili (1299)
● Delhi (1303)
● Amroha (1305)
● Ravi (1306)
Sometime after Chajju's revolt, the Mongols invaded the north-west frontier of the
Delhi Sultanate. The invasion was led by Abdullah, who was a grandson of Hallu
(Hulagu Khan) according to Ziauddin Barani, and a son of "the prince of Khurasan"
according to Yahya's Tarikh-i Mubarak Shahi.
The frontier provinces of Dipalpur, Multan, and Samana were governed by Jalal-ud-
din's son Arkali Khan. Jalal-ud-din personally led an army to repulse the invaders.
The two armies faced each other at a place named Bar-ram, and their vanguards
engaged in some skirmishes. The skirmishes ended with advantage for the Delhi

14
forces, and the Mongols agreed to retreat. Jalal-ud-din called Abdullah his son after
exchanging friendly greetings.
A group of Mongols, led by Ulghu (another grandson of Hulagu), decided to embrace
Islam, and sought Jalal-ud-din's permission to settle in India.In the Delhi Sultanate,
the Mongols were regarded as hardened criminals, who had been involved in murders
and highway robbery. Despite this, Jalal-ud-din accepted their regrets, and allowed
them to settle in the lower Ganges plain, on the Lakhnauti (Bengal) frontier of his
kingdom. He also provided the new settlers with accommodation, allowances and
social ranks. These Mongols came to be known as "New Muslims".

ASSASINATION
In July 1296, Jalal-ud-din marched to Kara with a large army to meet Ali during the
holy month of Ramadan. He directed his commander Ahmad Chap to take the major
part of the army to Kara by land, while he himself journeyed down the Ganges River
with 1,000 soldiers. When Jalal-ud-din's entourage came close to Kara, Ali sent
Almas Beg to meet him. Almas Beg convinced Jalal-ud-din to leave behind his
soldiers, saying that their presence would frighten Ali into committing suicide. Jalal-
ud-din boarded a boat with a few of his companions, who were made to unbuckle
their weapons. As they rode the boat, they saw Ali's armed troops stationed along the
riverbank. Almas told them that these troops had been summoned to accord a worthy
reception to Jalal-ud-din. Jalal-ud-din complained about Ali's lack of courtesy in not
coming to greet him at this point.However, Almas convinced him of Ali's loyalty by
saying that Ali was busy arranging a presentation of the loot from Devagiri and a feast
for him.
Satisfied by this explanation, Jalal-ud-din continued his journey to Kara, reciting
Quran on the boat. When he landed at Kara, Ali's retinue greeted him, and Ali
ceremoniously threw himself at his feet. Jalal-ud-din lovingly raised Ali, gave him a
kiss on cheek, and chided him for doubting his uncle's affection At this point, Ali
signaled his follower Muhammad Salim, who struck Jalal-ud-din with his sword
twice. Jalal-ud-din survived the first blow, and ran towards his boat, but the second
blow killed him. Ali raised the royal canopy over his head, and proclaimed himself
the new Sultan. Jalal-ud-din's head was put on a spear and paraded across Ali's
provinces of Kara-Manikpur and Awadh. His companions on the boat were also
killed, and Ahmad Chap's army retreated to Delhi.
According to the contemporary writer Amir Khusrau, Ali ascended the throne (as
Alauddin Khalji) on 19 July 1296 (16 Ramadan 695). The later writer Ziauddin
Barani dates Jalal-ud-din's death and Ali's ascension to 20 July 1296, but Amir
Khusrau is more reliable.

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 ALAUDDIN KHILJI
ʿAlāʾ ud-Dīn Khaljī (r. 1296–1316) was the second and the most powerful ruler of
the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin
instituted a number of significant administrative changes, related to revenues, price
controls, and society.
Born as Ali Gurshasp, Alauddin was a nephew and a son-in-law of his predecessor
Jalaluddin. When Jalaluddin became the Sultan of Delhi after deposing the Mamluks,
Alauddin was given the position of Amir-i-Tuzuk (equivalent to master of
ceremonies). Alauddin obtained the governorship of Kara in 1291 after suppressing a
revolt against Jalaluddin, and the governorship of Awadh in 1296 after a profitable
raid on Bhilsa. In 1296, Alauddin raided Devagiri, and acquired loot to stage a
successful revolt against Jalaluddin. After killing Jalaluddin, he consolidated his
power in Delhi, and subjugated Jalaluddin's sons in Multan.
Over the next few years, Alauddin successfully fended off the Mongol invasions from
the Chagatai Khanate, at Jaran-Manjur (1297–1298), Sivistan (1298), Kili (1299),
Delhi (1303), and Amroha (1305). In 1306, his forces achieved a decisive victory
against the Mongols near the Ravi riverbank, and in the subsequent years, his forces
ransacked the Mongol territories in present-day Afghanistan. The military
commanders that successfully led his army against the Mongols include Zafar Khan,
Ulugh Khan, and his slave-general Malik Kafur.
Alauddin conquered the kingdoms of Gujarat (raided in 1299 and annexed in 1304),
Ranthambore (1301), Chittor (1303), Malwa (1305), Siwana (1308), and Jalore
(1311). These victories ended several Hindu dynasties, including the Paramaras, the
Vaghelas, the Chahamanas of Ranastambhapura and Jalore, the Rawal branch of the
Guhilas, and possibly the Yajvapalas. His slave-general Malik Kafur led multiple

16
campaigns to the south of the Vindhyas, obtaining a considerable amount of wealth
from Devagiri (1308), Warangal (1310) and Dwarasamudra (1311). These victories
forced the Yadava king Ramachandra, the Kakatiya king Prataparudra, and the
Hoysala king Ballala III to become Alauddin's tributaries. Kafur also raided the
Pandya kingdom (1311), obtaining much treasure and many elephants and horses.
At times, Alauddin exploited Muslim fanaticism against Hindu chieftains and the
treatment of the zimmis. He rarely heeded to the orthodox ulema but believed "that the
Hindu will never be submissive and obedient to the Musalman." He undertook
measures to impoverish them and felt it was justified because he knew the Hindu
chiefs and muqaddams led a luxurious life but didn't pay a jital in taxes. Under the
Mamluks, Indian Muslims and Hindus were deprived of positions in higher
bureaucracy. However, Amir Khusrau mentions a Hindu officer of his army
despatched to repel the Mongols. In addition, many non-Muslims served in his army.
During the last years of his life, Alauddin suffered from an illness, and relied on
Malik Kafur to handle the administration. After his death in 1316, Malik Kafur
appointed Shihabuddin, son of Alauddin and his Hindu wife Jhatyapali, as a puppet
monarch. However, his elder son Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah seized the power shortly
after his death.

EARLY LIFE
Contemporary chroniclers did not write much about Alauddin's childhood. According
to the 16th/17th-century chronicler Haji-ud-Dabir, Alauddin was 34 years old when
he started his march to Ranthambore (1300–1301). Assuming this is correct,
Alauddin's birth can be dated to 1266–1267. His original name was Ali Gurshasp. He
was the eldest son of Shihabuddin Mas'ud, who was the elder brother of the Khalji
dynasty's founder Sultan Jalaluddin. He had three brothers: Almas Beg (later Ulugh
Khan), Qutlugh Tigin and Muhammad.
Alauddin was brought up by Jalaluddin after Shihabuddin's death. Both Alauddin and
his younger brother Almas Beg married Jalaluddin's daughters. After Jalaluddin
became the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin was appointed as Amir-i-Tuzuk (equivalent to
Master of ceremonies), while Almas Beg was given the post of Akhur-beg (equivalent
to Master of the Horse).

● Marriage to Jalaluddin's daughter

Alauddin married Jalaluddin's daughter, Malika-i-Jahan, long before the Khalji
revolution of 1290. The marriage, however, was not a happy one. Having suddenly
become a princess after Jalaluddin's rise as a monarch, she was very arrogant and tried
to dominate Alauddin. According to Haji-ud-Dabir, Alauddin married a second
woman, named Mahru, who was the sister of Malik Sanjar alias Alp Khan. Malika-i-
Jahan was greatly infuriated by the fact that her husband had taken a second wife.
According to Dabir, this was the main cause of misunderstanding between Alauddin
and his first wife. Once, while Alauddin and Mahru were together in a garden,

17
Jalaluddin's daughter attacked Mahru out of jealousy. In response, Alauddin assaulted
her. The incident was reported to Jalaluddin, but the Sultan did not take any action
against Alauddin. Alauddin was not on good terms with his mother-in-law either, who
wielded great influence over the Sultan. According to the 16th-century historian
Firishta, she warned Jalaluddin that Alauddin was planning to set up an independent
kingdom in a remote part of the country. She kept a close watch on Alauddin, and
encouraged her daughter's arrogant behavior towards him.

● Governor of Kara
In 1291, Alauddin played an important role in crushing a revolt by the governor of
Kara Malik Chajju. As a result, Jalaluddin appointed him as the new governor of Kara
in 1291. Malik Chajju's former Amirs (subordinate nobles) at Kara considered
Jalaluddin as a weak and ineffective ruler, and instigated Alauddin to usurp the throne
of Delhi. This, combined with his unhappy domestic life, made Alauddin determined
to dethrone Jalaluddin.

MONGOL INVASION AND NORTHERN CONQUESTS

1297-1306
In the winter of 1297, the Mongols led by a noyan of the Chagatai Khanate raided
Punjab, advancing as far as Kasur. Alauddin's forces, led by Ulugh Khan, defeated the
Mongols on 6 February 1298. According to Amir Khusrow, 20,000 Mongols were
killed in the battle, and many more were killed in Delhi after being brought there as
prisoners.In 1298–99, another Mongol army (possibly Neguderi fugitives) invaded
Sindh, and occupied the fort of Sivistan. This time, Alauddin's general Zafar Khan
defeated the invaders, and recaptured the fort.
In early 1299, Alauddin sent Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan to invade Gujarat, where
the Vaghela king Karna offered a weak resistance. Alauddin's army plundered several
towns including Somnath, where it desecrated the famous Hindu temple. The Delhi
army also captured several people, including the Vaghela queen Kamala Devi and
slave Malik Kafur, who later led Alauddin's southern campaigns. During the army's
return journey to Delhi, some of its Mongol soldiers staged an unsuccessful mutiny
near Jalore, after the generals forcibly tried to extract a share of loot (khums) from
them. Alauddin's administration meted out brutal punishments to the mutineers'
families in Delhi, including killings of children in front of their mothers. According to
the Delhi chronicler Ziauddin Barani, the practice of punishing wives and children for
the crimes of men started with this incident in Delhi.

18
In 1299, the Chagatai ruler Duwa sent a Mongol force led by Qutlugh Khwaja to
conquer Delhi. In the ensuing Battle of Kili, Alauddin personally led the Delhi forces,
but his general Zafar Khan attacked the Mongols without waiting for his orders.
Although Zafar Khan managed to inflict heavy casualties on the invaders, he and
other soldiers in his unit were killed in the battle. Qutlugh Khwaja was also seriously
wounded, forcing the Mongols to retreat.

Sultan Alau'd Din put to Flight; Women of Ranthambhor commit Jauhar, a Rajput
painting from 1825

In 1301, Alauddin ordered Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan to invade Ranthambore,
whose king Hammiradeva had granted asylum to the leaders of the mutiny near
Jalore. After Nusrat Khan was killed during the siege, Alauddin personally took
charge of the siege operations, and conquered the fort in July 1301. During the
Ranthambore campaign, Alauddin faced three unsuccessful rebellions. To suppress
any future rebellions, he set up an intelligence and surveillance system, instituted a
total prohibition in Delhi, established laws to prevent his nobles from networking with
each other, and confiscated wealth from the general public.
In the winter of 1302–1303, Alauddin dispatched an army to ransack the Kakatiya
capital Warangal. Meanwhile, he himself led another army to conquer Chittor, the
capital of the Guhila kingdom ruled by Ratnasimha. Alauddin captured Chittor after
an eight-month long siege. According to his courtier Amir Khusrow, he ordered a
massacre of 30,000 local Hindus after this conquest. Some later legends state that
Alauddin invaded Chittor to capture Ratnasimha's beautiful queen Padmini, but most
modern historians have rejected the authenticity of these legends.
While the imperial armies were busy in Chittor and Warangal campaigns, the
Mongols launched another invasion of Delhi around August 1303.] Alauddin
managed to reach Delhi before the invaders, but did not have enough time to prepare
for a strong defence. Meanwhile, the Warangal campaign was unsuccessful (because
of heavy rains according to Ziauddin Barani), and the army had lost several men and
its baggage. Neither this army, nor the reinforcements sent by Alauddin's provincial
governors could enter the city because of the blockades set up by the Mongols. Under
these difficult circumstances, Alauddin took shelter in a heavily guarded camp at the

19
under-construction Siri Fort. The Mongols engaged his forces in some minor
conflicts, but neither army achieved a decisive victory. The invaders ransacked Delhi
and its neighbourhoods, but ultimately decided to retreat after being unable to breach
Siri. The Mongol invasion of 1303 was one of the most serious invasions of India, and
prompted Alauddin to take several steps to prevent its repeat. He strengthened the
forts and the military presence along the Mongol routes to India. He also implemented
a series of economic reforms to ensure sufficient revenue inflows for maintaining a
strong army.
In 1304, Alauddin appears to have ordered a second invasion of Gujarat, which
resulted in the annexation of the Vaghela kingdom to the Delhi Sultanate. In 1305, he
launched an invasion of Malwa in central India, which resulted in the defeat and death
of the Paramara king Mahalakadeva. The Yajvapala dynasty, which ruled the region
to the north-east of Malwa, also appears to have fallen to Alauddin's invasion.
In December 1305, the Mongols invaded India again. Instead of attacking the heavily
guarded city of Delhi, the invaders proceeded south-east to the Gangetic plains along
the Himalayan foothills. Alauddin's 30,000-strong cavalry, led by Malik Nayak,
defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Amroha. Many Mongols were taken captive and
killed; the 16th-century historian Firishta claims that the heads (sir) of 8,000 Mongols
were used to build the Siri Fort commissioned by Alauddin.
In 1306, another Mongol army sent by Duwa advanced up to the Ravi River,
ransacking the territories along the way. Alauddin's forces, led by Malik Kafur,
decisively defeated the Mongols. Duwa died next year, and after that the Mongols did
not launch any further expeditions to India during Alauddin's reign. On the contrary,
Alauddin's Dipalpur governor Malik Tughluq regularly raided the Mongol territories
located in present-day Afghanistan.

MARWAR AND SOUTHERN CAMPAIGNS:1307-1313

20
 Khalji territory at its maximum extent (dark green) and territory of the Khalji
tributaries (light green)

Around 1308, Alauddin sent Malik Kafur to invade Devagiri, whose king
Ramachandra had discontinued the tribute payments promised in 1296, and had
granted asylum to the Vaghela king Karna at Baglana. Kafur was supported by
Alauddin's Gujarat governor Alp Khan, whose forces invaded Baglana, and captured
Karna's daughter Devaladevi (later married to Alauddin's son Khizr Khan). At
Devagiri, Kafur achieved an easy victory, and Ramachandra agreed to become a
lifelong vassal of Alauddin.
Meanwhile, a section of Alauddin's army had been besieging the fort of Siwana in
Marwar region unsuccessfully for several years. In August–September 1308,
Alauddin personally took charge of the siege operations in Siwana. The Delhi army
conquered the fort, and the defending ruler Sitaladeva was killed in November 1308.
The plunder obtained from Devagiri prompted Alauddin to plan an invasion of the
other southern kingdoms, which had accumulated a huge amount of wealth, having
been shielded from the foreign armies that had ransacked northern India. In late 1309,
he sent Malik Kafur to ransack the Kakatiya capital Warangal. Helped by
Ramachandra of Devagiri, Kafur entered the Kakatiya territory in January 1310,
ransacking towns and villages on his way to Warangal. After a month-long siege of
Warangal, the Kakatiya king Prataparudra agreed to become a tributary of Alauddin,
and surrendered a large amount of wealth (possibly including the Koh-i-Noor
diamond) to the invaders.
Meanwhile, after conquering Siwana, Alauddin had ordered his generals to subjugate
other parts of Marwar, before returning to Delhi. The raids of his generals in Marwar
led to their confrontations with Kanhadadeva, the Chahamana ruler of Jalore. In 1311,
Alauddin's general Malik Kamaluddin Gurg captured the Jalore fort after defeating
and killing Kanhadadeva.
During the siege of Warangal, Malik Kafur had learned about the wealth of the
Hoysala and Pandya kingdoms located further south. After returning to Delhi, he took
Alauddin's permission to lead an expedition there. Kafur started his march from Delhi
in November 1310, and crossed Deccan in early 1311, supported by Alauddin's
tributaries Ramachandra and Prataparudra.
At this time, the Pandya kingdom was reeling under a war of succession between the
two brothers Vira and Sundara, and taking advantage of this, the Hoysala king Ballala
had invaded the Pandyan territory. When Ballala learned about Kafur's march, he
hurried back to his capital Dwarasamudra. However, he could not put up a strong
resistance, and negotiated a truce after a short siege, agreeing to surrender his wealth
and become a tributary of Alauddin.
From Dwarasamudra, Malik Kafur marched to the Pandya kingdom, where he raided
several towns. Both Vira and Sundara fled their headquarters, and thus, Kafur was
unable to make them Alauddin's tributaries. Nevertheless, the Delhi army looted many
treasures, elephants and horses. The Delhi chronicler Ziauddin Barani described this
seizure of wealth from Dwarasamudra and the Pandya kingdom as the greatest one
since the Muslim capture of Delhi.
During this campaign, the Mongol general Abachi had conspired to ally with the
Pandyas, and as a result, Alauddin ordered him to be executed in Delhi. This,

21
combined with their general grievances against Alauddin, led to resentment among
Mongols who had settled in India after converting to Islam. A section of Mongol
leaders plotted to kill Alauddin, but the conspiracy was discovered by Alauddin's
agents. Alauddin then ordered a mass massacre of Mongols in his empire, which
according to Barani, resulted in the death of 20,000 or 30,000 Mongols.
Meanwhile, in Devagiri, after Ramachandra's death, his son tried to overthrow
Alauddin's suzerainty. Malik Kafur invaded Devagiri again in 1313, defeated him,
and became the governor of Devagiri.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES
Alauddin was the most powerful ruler of his dynasty. Unlike the previous rulers of the
Delhi Sultanate, who had largely relied on the pre-existing administrative set-up,
Alauddin undertook large-scale reforms. After facing the Mongol invasions and
several rebellions, he implemented several reforms to be able to maintain a large army
and to weaken those capable of organizing a revolt against him. Barani also attributes
Alauddin's revenue reforms to the Sultan's desire to subjugate the Hindus by
"depriving them of that wealth and property which fosters rebellion". According to
historian Satish Chandra, Alauddin's reforms were based on his conception of fear and
control as the basis of good government as well as his military ambitions: the bulk of
the measures were designed to centralise power in his hands and to support a large
military.
Some of Alauddin's land reforms were continued by his successors, and formed a
basis of the agrarian reforms introduced by the later rulers such as Sher Shah Suri and
Akbar. However, his other regulations, including price control, were revoked by his
son Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah a few months after his death.

REVENUE REFORMS

22
The countryside and agricultural production during Alauddin's time was controlled by
the village headmen, the traditional Hindu authorities. He viewed their haughtiness
and their direct and indirect resistance as the main difficulty affecting his reign. He
also had to face talk of conspiracies at his court.
After some initial conspiracies and Hindu revolts in rural areas during the early period
of his reign, he struck the root of the problem by introducing reforms that also aimed
at ensuring support of his army and food supply to his capital. He took away all
landed properties of his courtiers and nobels and cancelled revenue assignments
which were henceforth controlled by the central authorities. Henceforth, "everybody
was busy earning with earning a living so that nobody could even think of rebellion".
He also ordered "to supply some rules and regulations for grinding down the Hindus,
and for depriving them of that wealth and property which fosters rebellion. The Hindu
was to be reduced to be so reduced as to be unable to keep a horse to ride on, wear
fine clothes, or to enjoy any luxuries of life."
Alauddin brought a large tract of fertile land under the directly-governed crown
territory, by eliminating iqta's, land grants and vassals in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab
region. He imposed a 50% kharaj tax on the agricultural produce in a substantial part
of northern India: this was the maximum amount allowed by the Hanafi school of
Islam, which was dominant in Delhi at that time.
Alauddin Khalji's taxation system was probably the one institution
from his reign that lasted the longest, surviving indeed into the
nineteenth or even the twentieth century. From now on, the land tax
(kharaj or mal) became the principal form in which the peasant's
surplus was expropriated by the ruling class.
— The Cambridge Economic History of India: c.1200-c.1750,

Alauddin also eliminated the intermediary Hindu rural chiefs, and started collecting
the kharaj directly from the cultivators. He did not levy any additional taxes on
agriculture, and abolished the cut that the intermediaries received for collecting
revenue. Alauddin's demand for tax proportional to land area meant that the rich and
powerful villages with more land had to pay more taxes. He forced the rural chiefs to
pay same taxes as the others, and banned them from imposing illegal taxes on the
peasants. To prevent any rebellions, his administration deprived the rural chiefs of
their wealth, horses and arms. By suppressing these chiefs, Alauddin projected
himself as the protector of the weaker section of the rural society. However, while the
cultivators were free from the demands of the landowners, the high taxes imposed by
the state meant a culviator had "barely enough for carrying on his cultivation and his
food requirements."
To enforce these land and agrarian reforms, Alauddin set up a strong and efficient
revenue administration system. His government recruited many accountants,
collectors and agents. These officials were well-paid but were subject to severe
punishment if found to be taking bribes. Account books were audited and even small
discrepancies were punished. The effect was both large landowners and small-scale
cultivators were fearful of missing out on paying their assessed taxes.
Alauddin's government imposed the jizya tax on its non-Muslim subjects, and his
Muslim subjects were obligated to contribute zakat. He also levied taxes on
residences (ghari) and grazing (chara'i), which were not sanctioned by the Islamic

23
law. In addition, Alauddin demanded four-fifth share of the spoils of war from his
soldiers, instead of the traditional one-fifth share (khums).

MARKET REFORMS
Alauddin implemented price control measures for a wide variety of market goods.
Alauddin's courtier Amir Khusrau and the 14th century writer Hamid Qalandar
suggest that Alauddin introduced these changes for public welfare. However, Barani
states that Alauddin wanted to reduce the prices so that low salaries were acceptable
to his soldiers, and thus, to maintain a large army. In addition, Barani suggests that the
Hindu traders indulged in profiteering, and Alauddin's market reforms resulted from
the Sultan's desire to punish the Hindus.
To ensure that the goods were sold at regulated prices, Alauddin appointed market
supervisors and spies, and received independent reports from them. To prevent a
black market, his administration prohibited peasants and traders from storing the
grains, and established government-run granaries, where government's share of the
grain was stored. The government also forced the transport workers to re-settle in
villages at specific distances along the Yamuna river to enable rapid transport of grain
to Delhi.
Chroniclers such as Khusrau and Barani state that the prices were not allowed to
increase during Alauddin's lifetime, even when the rainfall was scarce. The
shopkeepers who violated the price control regulations or tried to circumvent them
(such as, by using false weights) were given severe punishments.
MILITARY REFORMS
Alauddin maintained a large standing army, which included 475,000 horseman
according to the 16th-century chronicler Firishta. He managed to raise such a large
army by paying relatively low salaries to his soldiers, and introduced market price
controls to ensure that the low salaries were acceptable to his soldiers. Although he
was opposed to granting lands to his generals and soldiers, he generously rewarded
them after successful campaigns, especially those in Deccan.
Alauddin's government maintained a descriptive roll of every soldier, and
occasionally conducted strict reviews of the army to examine the horses and arms of
the soldiers. To ensure that no horse could be presented twice or replaced by a poor-
quality horse during the review, Alauddin established a system of branding the horses.
SOCIAL REFORMS
Although Islam bans alcoholic drinks, drinking was common among the Muslim
royals and nobles of the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century, and Alauddin himself
was a heavy drinker. As part of his measures to prevent rebellions, Alauddin imposed
prohibition, because he believed that the rampant use of alcoholic drinks enabled
people to assemble, lose their senses and think of rebellion. According to Isami,
Alauddin banned alcohol, after a noble condemned him for merrymaking when his
subjects were suffering from a famine. However, this account appears to be hearsay.

24
Subsequently, Alauddin also banned other intoxicants, including cannabis.He also
banned gambling, and excommunicated drunkards and gamblers from Delhi, along
with vendors of intoxicants. Alauddin's administration strictly punished the violators,
and ensured non-availability of alcohol not only in Delhi, but also in its surrounding
areas. Nevertheless, alcohol continued to be illegally produced in and smuggled into
Delhi. Sometime later, Alauddin relented, and allowed distillation and drinking in
private. However, public distribution and drinking of wine remained prohibited.
Alauddin also increased his level of control over the nobility. To prevent rebellions by
the nobles, he confiscated their wealth and removed them from their bases of power.
Even charitable lands administered by nobles were confiscated. Severe punishments
were given for disloyalty. Even wives and children of soldiers rebelling for greater
war spoils were imprisoned. An efficient spy network was set up that reached into the
private households of nobles. Marriage alliances made between noble families had to
be approved by the king.
Alauddin banned prostitution, and ordered all existing prostitutes of Delhi to be
married. Firishta states that he classified prostitutes into three grades, and fixed their
fees accordingly. However, historian Kishori Saran Lal dismisses this account as
inaccurate. Alauddin also took steps to curb adultery by ordering the male adulterer to
be castrated and the female adulterer to be stoned to death.
Alauddin banned charlatans, and ordered sorcerers (called "blood-sucking magicians"
by his courtier Amir Khusrau) to be stoned to death.

ARCHITECTURE

In 1296, Alauddin constructed the Hauz-i-Alai (later Hauz-i-Khas) water reservoir,

which covered an area of 70 acres, and had a stone-masonry wall. Gradually, it
became filled with mud, and was desilted by Firuz Shah Tughlaq around 1354. The
autobiographical memoirs of Timur, who invaded Delhi in 1398, mention that the
reservoir was a source of water for the city throughout the year.[139]
In the early years of the 14th century, Alauddin built the Siri Fort. The fort walls were
mainly constructed using rubble (in mud), although there are some traces of ashlar
masonry (in lime and lime plaster).[139] Alauddin camped in Siri during the 1303
Mongol invasion, and after the Mongols left, he built the Qasr-i-Hazar Situn palace at
the site of his camp. The fortified city of Siri existed in the time of Timur, whose
memoirs state that it had seven gates. It was destroyed by Sher Shah Suri in 1545, and
only some of its ruined walls now survive.[140]
Alauddin commissioned the Alai Darwaza, which was completed in 1311, and serves
as the southern gateway leading to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque built by Qutb al-Din
Aibak.[141] He also started the construction of the Alai Minar, which was intended to
be double to size of the Qutb Minar, but the project was abandoned, probably when he
died.[142]

25
The construction of the Lal Mahal (Red Palace) sandstone building near Chausath
Khamba has also been attributed to Alauddin, because its architecture and design is
similar to that of the Alai Darwaza.[143]
In 1311, Alauddin repaired the 100-acre Hauz-i-Shamasi reservoir that had been
constructed by Shamsuddin Iltutmish in 1229, and also built a dome at its centre.[139]

LATER RULERS
SHIHABUDDIN OMAR: Shihab-ud-din Omar (r. 1316) was the third Sultan of
the Khalji Dynasty of Delhi Sultanate in India. After the death of his father Alauddin Khalji in

1316, he ascended the throne as a minor, with the support of Alauddin's slave-general Malik

Kafur. After the assassination of Kafur, his brother Qutb-ud-din Mubarak became the regent, and

subsequently dethroned him to become the Sultan.

QUTBUDDIN MUBARAK SHAH:Qutb-ud-din Mubarak Shah

Khalji (r. 1316–1320) was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate of present-day India. A
member of the Khalji dynasty, he was a son of Alauddin Khalji.
After Alauddin's death, Mubarak Shah was imprisoned by Malik Kafur, who
appointed his younger brother Shihabuddin Omar as a puppet monarch. After Malik
Kafur's murder, Mubarak Shah became the regent. Soon after, he blinded his brother,
and usurped the power. After ascending the throne, he resorted to populist measures,

26
such as abolishing the heavy taxes and penalties imposed by his father, and releasing
thousands of prisoners.
He curbed a rebellion in Gujarat, recaptured Devagiri, and successfully besieged
Warangal to extract a tribute. He was murdered by his slave general Khusrau Khan.

KHUSRO KHAN: After Alauddin's death in 1316, Khusrau Khan managed to

kill Alauddin's son and successor as sultan, Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah, ending the
Khalji dynasty in 1320. Khusro then assumed the throne. He married Deval Devi.He
reconverted back to Hinduism. Khusro in turn was captured by the governor of
Dipalpur, Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, after being defeated in the battle of Hauz e Alaai
(Hauz Khas) and beheaded in Sept. 1320.With this the khilji dynasty came to an end.

CONCLUSION

The Khiljis were another group of Turks who had settled in the Khilji region of
Afghanistan. With the accession of Jalaluddin Khilji on the throne of Delhi, the
supremacy of the Turks ended in India. It established the strong position of the Indian
Muslims.

Kind by nature, Jalaluddin Firuz, the first Khilji ruler, was lenient in his treatment of
the rebels.

When the rebels were brought before him he excused them and treated them with
respect. Likewise, he ordered that thugs who were a serious menace to the people and
property around Delhi should be taken to far off places and set free. Only in the case
of Sidi Maula he showed no clemency.

Jalaluddin ascended the throne at the ripe age of seventy years and the weakness of
old age affected his attitudes and activities. In 1290 AD he attacked Ranthambhor. On

27
the way he attacked Jhain. On reaching the fort the sultan realized the futility of
attempting to capture the fort.

The reign of Alauddin Khilji (Ali Gurshap as he was known), marks the zenith of the
power of the Delhi Sultanate. His reign witnessed the expansion of the Muslim rule in
terms of larger territorial conquests. He was unpopular among his subjects, as he had
treacherously murdered his uncle.However he soon won over the nobles by the lavish
use of gold. For some time he had to face some rebellions from nobles as well as his
relatives. Alauddin dealt with all of them with a severe hand. After consolidating his
position and firmly establishing himself at Delhi, Alauddin undertook the first
expedition to Gujarat in 1297 A.D.

Alauddin was the first Muslim ruler who disregarded the position of the ulema
(guardians of Islam). He refuted the suzerainty of the Caliph and did not allow any
power independent of the state to guide his policies. He also gave patronage to many
artists and learned men. Amir Khusrau flourished in his court.

He built the Alai Darwaza beside the Jamat Khana Masjid at the Dargah of Nizam-ud-
din Auliya, the Siri Fort, the second city of Delhi, and the Hazar Sutun (the palace of
thousand pillars). He also built the magnificent tank, Hauz-i-Khas or Hauz-i-Alai.

On the death of Alauddin Khilji, his general Malik Kafur set aside the claims of the
heir apparent Khizr Khan and crowned the infant son of the late Sultan, Umar. Soon
after another son of the Sultan murdered Kafur and ascended the throne as
Qutubuddin Mubarak Shah Khilji (1316-20 A.D.). He was in turn murdered by Ghazi
Malik who ascended the throne as Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq in 1320 A.D.

The khilji dynasty was one of the most important dynasties of not only the delhi
sultanate but also of the medevial india. The khilji dynasty produced one of the best
rulers of the delhi sultanate and one of the very few whose administrative brilliance is
compared with that of akbar the great. None of the upcoming dynasties of the delhi
sultanate have had a greater historical impact than the khilji dynasty.

28
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. AN ADVANCED HISTORY OF INDIA
2. THE AGE OF WRATH:A HISTORY OF DELHI
SULTANATE
3. THE DELHI SULTANATE:POLITICAL AND
MILITARY HISTORY
4. THE HISTORY OF THE KHALJIS(1290-1320)
WEBSITES
1. ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
2. WWW.JAGRANJOSH.COM
3. WWW.INDIANMIRROR.COM

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