Sultan Allaudin Khilji was a military genius and a great king. During his sultanate, he proved himself to be a great administrator, particularly by his efforts to redistribute wealth that was captured by the nobility at the time.
Multiple Muslim historians such as Fasihta and Barani who wrote, Tarikh-e-Firuz Shahi in 1290, and several others provide authentic accounts of Allaudin’s reign. Peter Jackson, mentions a number of these manuscripts in his research. One of them is The Delhi Sultanate. The book allows us to see how Political and Military History is quite different from the current dominant literature.
Allaudin Khilji’s reign
Among the famous conquerors was Sultan Allaudin Khilji. Allaudin Khilji was born in 1266 and lived his entire life on the Indian subcontinent. He ruled as Sultan of Delhi from 1296– 1316. As a ruler, he came to be one of India’s greatest warrior kings. Moreover, he also became one of the world’s great military geniuses. He was the predecessor of Jalal-Ud-Din Firoz Khilji.
During Khilji’s rule, the Mongols of the Chughtai Khanate under Duwa Khan from time to time tried to conquer the Indian subcontinent. The first time that the Mongols had invaded India. Seemingly, The Mongols had a particular interest in this region. Lal explains it, “All these were minor invasions as compared with those that occurred in the time of Allaudin, and it was the good fortune of India that the most tremendous assaults were delivered to this country when a strong monarch like Allaudin was the ruler.”
Later, the Mongol invasions were not merely more than their own ‘wholesale massacre’ referred to in the book History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra. Allaudin has given a tough time to the Mongols and the rebellions in his kingdom. There was no mercy for rebels who challenged his writ of the state. Furthermore, Chandra explains, Khilji practiced the preachings of Islam. According to History, during his reign, the use of wine and other types of intoxication were strictly prohibited.
Khilji had enemies on all fronts
Consequently, the perils of greed to overthrow him always surrounded him. This resulted in a number of punishments for nobles. While also escalating wars between the other Hindu States. To keep himself vigilant, he devised an excellent spy service which used to gather intel regarding matters under his council as well as in the councils of other Rajas.
History further dictates that Jalal-Ud-Din, Khilji’s predecessor, accepted humiliating demands that the Mongols placed. Evidently, this averted the Mongolian attacks on the region. Although he did what was necessary to keep Mongols away from his territory, Allaudin was determined to fight to the end.
