Monday, January 26, 2009

Delhi Sultanate, Khiljis: Rukn al-din Ibrahim (695 AH, 1296 AD), Jital

Immediately after the murder of Jalal-ud-din Firuz ‘Ala-ud-din was proclaimed Sultan. The division in Firuz’s family helped ‘Ala-ud-din’s cause. In total disregard of Arkali Khan, the eldest surviving son, the queen-mother Malikah-i-Jahan declared her second son, Qadr Khan, as Sultan with the title of Rukn-al-din Ibrahim.

The supporters of Arkali Khan at Delhi refused to recognize Ibrahim. Ala-ud-din lost no time and marched on Delhi with "iron in one hand and gold in the other". At Bada’un, he met an army sent from Delhi but it was won over by lavish distribution of gold. As Ala-ud-din approached Delhi, Ibrahim came out to give a fight but the bulk of his army deserted him. Ibrahim was forced to flee to Multan with the queen-mother and Ahmed Chap. Ala-ud-din marched into Delhi and resided in the Red Palace of Balban on Oct. 20, 1296.

After reorganization, he sent Ulugh Khan and Zafar Khan with a large army to Multan to deal with the sons of the late Sultan Firuz. Multan was besieged and the city surrendered. Arkali Khan, Ibrahim, and Ahmad Chap were taken captive alongwith the queen-mother. The two princes were blinded and later executed, while the queen-mother was kept under surveillance at Delhi.

Obverse Al-sultan Al-Azim Rukn Al-Dunya Wa Al-Deen (The Sultan, the greatest one, the pillar/foundation of the world and of the faith)
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Reverse Ibrahim Shah Bin Firoz Shah (Ibrahim Shah, son of Firoz Shah)
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(Ref. R980, Goron D212, Tye 416.1; Rare)

Break-up of the inscription:
Obverse
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First line: Alif+Lam=Al
Sin (medial)+Lam+Toe+Alif+Nun (detached form)=Sultan
Alif+Lam=Al
Second line: 'Ain (initial form)+Zoe+Mim=Azim
Ra+Kaf+Nun=Rukn
Alif+Lam=Al
Da (of Dunya)
Third line: Nun+Ye (medial form)=Dunya
Waw=Wa
Alif+Lam=Al
Da+Ye+Nun=Deen


Reverse
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Alif+Be+Ra+Alif+He+Ye+Min=Ibrahim
Shin (initial form)+Alif+He (detached form)=Shah
Be+Nun=Bin
Fe+Ye+Re+Waw+Ze=Feroz
Shin (initial form)+Alif+He (detached form)=Shah

Delhi Sultanate, Khiljis: Jalal al-Din Firoz ( 689-695 AH, 1290–1296AD), Jital

Malik Firoz was a Turk of the Khilji tribe. His ancestors, having migrated from Turkistan, had lived in Garmsir in Afghanistan for over 200 years. Firoz's family migrated to Delhi and took up service under the Turkish sultans. Firoz rose to the important position of Sar-i-jandar (head of the royal bodygard) and was subsequently appointed the governor of Samana. Later, Sultan Kaiqubad promoted him to the high office of army minister. At this time, he was among the most experienced and powerful Turkish noblemen in Delhi. The orthodox Turks regarded Firoz and his tribe as Afghans and were not too happy with his success. Two Turkish nobels, Malik Aitemar and Malik Surkha, planned to get rid of Firoz and the other "non-Turkish" officers. This led to a conflict between the two parties in which Firoz emerged victorious. Firuz now set himself up as the regent of the infant king Shams al-Din Kayumarth. The next step was to put both Kaiqubad (who was paralyzed) and Kayumarth to death and sieze the throne. This accomplished, Firoz ascended to the throne in March 1290 and assumed the title of Sultan Jalal al-Din Firuz. He was an old man of about 70 at this time.

His election was so unpopular that he did not even reside in Delhi. Instead, he lived in Kaiqubad's palace in the village of Kilokhri, a short distance outside. His administration is criticized as having been too lenient. On one occasion, 1000 thugs (cheats) were arrested in Delhi, but instead of punishing them Firoz ordered them to be transported through boats to Gaur, the captal of Bengal, where they were set free. Only on one occasion did he exercise capital punishment. The person executed was a holy man by the name of Sidi Maula, whose death was followed by a dust storm and a severe famine. People believed these events to be a result of the saint's curse on the sultan.

In 1294, ‘Ala’ al-Din Muhammad, Feroz's nephew and son-in law, obtained his permission for leading an expedition into Malwa. But he went much further, plunging into the heart of Deccan, keeping his movements concealed from the court. He marched through Berar and Khandesh and compelled Ramachandra, the king of Deogiri and the Western Deccan, to surrender Ellichpur. ‘Ala’ al-Din collected vast amount of treasure and showed no disposition to share it with his sovereign. His treasonable intentions were clear to everybody except his doting uncle and father-in-law Firoz, who closed his ears to all warnings and behaved like a person infatuated. Ultimately, Jalal al-Din was persuaded to place himself in the power of his nephew at Kara in the Allahbad district. When the sultan grasped the traitor's hand, the signal was given. He was thrown down and decapitated. His severed head was stuck on a spear and carried round the camp.

Obverse Al-Sultan Al-Azim Jalal Al-Dunya Wa Al-Deen (The Sultan, the greatest one, the glory of the world and of the faith)
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Reverse Inside central square (in Arabic): Firuz Shah. In margin (in Nagari): Sri Sultan Jalaludin
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(Ref. R966, Goron D200, Tye 414.1)

Break-up of the inscription:
Obverse
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First line: Alif+Lam=Al
Sin (medial)+Lam+Toe+Alif+Nun (detached form)=Sultan
Alif+Lam=Al
Second line: Ain (initial)+Zoe+Mim=Azim
Jim+Lam+Alif+Lam=Jalal
Alif+Lam=Al
Da (of Dunya)
Third line: Nun+Ye (medial form)=Dunya
Waw=Wa
Alif+Lam=Al
Da+Ye+Nun=Deen

Reverse
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Fe+Ye+Re+Waw+Ze=Feroz
Shin (initial form)+Alif+He (detached form)=Shah

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Ghorids: Jital of Mahmud bin Muhammad bin Sam (602-609 AH, 1206-1212 AD)

Shanshabãnî or Ghorid Dynasty (1149-1206)

By the beginning of the 12th century the Shanshabãnî had extended their authority over the other Ghorid chiefs and their power rivaled that of the Ghaznavids on their southern border and the Seljuks on their northern border. Honoring this strength, Malik al-Jibal (meaning "King of the Mountain") laid out the foundations of a great capital city called Firozkoh, which some believe to have been at Jam where a magnificent minaret now stands. Malik Qutubuddin was unable, however, to finish his city for he had a falling out with his brothers (he had seven) and was forced to leave for Ghazni where he was well received and well respected until Sultan Bahram Shah (1118-1152), jealous of his increasing popularity, served him with a glass of poisoned sherbet (1146). His murder led to a relentless enmity between Ghor and Ghazni.

One by one, the brothers left their mountain capital with their armies: the first brother captured Ghazni and afterwards sent his army back to Ghor whereupon the Sultan returned to torture him to death; the second brother died on his way to revenge the new death (1149); the third, Alauddin, defeated the Sultan Bahram Shah in the vicinity of modern Kandahar (1151). The Sultan fell back in retreat upon Ghazni which "Alauddin took by storm, and during seven nights and days fired the place, and burnt it with obstinacy and wantonness. . . During these seven days, the air, from the blackness of the smoke, continued as black as night; and those nights, from the flames raging in the burning city, were lighted up as light as day. During these seven days likewise, rapine, plunder and massacre were carried out with the utmost pertinacity and vindictiveness." (Juzjani). Thus, Alauddin earned the title of Jahãnsûz or "World Burner". Ghazni was, however, occupied by the Seljûks soon after and, later on, by the Guzz Turks. It was only in 1175 that the Ghorids succeeded in reoccupying it.

Ghiyãs-ud-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm, who succeeded his uncle Alãudd-Dîn Jahãnsûz at Firuz Koh, appointed his younger brother, Shihãb-ud-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm, as the governor of Ghazni. Shihãb-ud-Dîn (1175-1206) occupied Sindh and Multan, ousted the last Ghaznivid ruler from Lahore, defeated the Chauhãns of Ajmer and the Gahadvalas of Kanauj, and extended his conquests upto the borders of Bengal. His conquests were consolidated mainly by his able general, Qutb-ud-Dîn Aibak. Another general of his, Ikhtiyãr-ud-Dîn Bakhtiyãr Khaljî, ousted the forces of Bengal from Lakhnauti and led an unsuccessful expedition into Assam and Bhutan.

Meanwhile, Shihãb-ud-Dîn had become the king of Ghor on the death of his brother in 1203 and styled himself as Muizz-ud-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm. He is popularly known as Muhammad Ghori, and regarded as the founder of Muslim rule in India. He was murdered in 1206. There being no children, the empire was divided. Mahmud, son of Ghiyãs-ud-Dîn Muhammad bin Sãm, succeeded in Ghor. The east passed to various generals who had conducted Mu’iz Muhammad’s campaigns. These generals were purchased slaves, hence the terms “Slave kings" or "Slave dynasty". Ghazna and its environs was ruled by slave general Taj Al-Din Yildiz. Sind was administered by Nasir Al-Din Qubacha, while Delhi went to Qutb Al-Din Aybak. Mahmud, meanwhile, was deposed in 1212 by the Khwarezmshah, ‘Ala Al-Din Muhammad.

Mahmud's coins are scarcer than those of his uncle, and most are rare. On the coins of the type shown below (of Lahore fabric), the Nagari letters follow the models of Sindhi or Punjabi alphabets in the reversal of the lower limb of the "Ha" and the open top of the "Ma".

Obverse Al Sultan Al Azim Mahmud bin Muhammad bin Sam (The Sultan, the Magnificent, Mahmud son of Mumammad bin Sam)
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Reverse Horseman to right; Sri Hamira (Amir) above
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