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Noorullah21/Khalji Revolution

Jalal-ud-Din Khalji enthroned as Sultan of Delhi
Date1290
Location
Indian subcontinent
Result

Khalji Revolution victory

Belligerents
Khalji faction Mamluk dynasty
Turkish faction
Commanders and leaders
Jalal-ud-Din Khalji
Alauddin Khalji
Ikhtiyaruddin (WIA)		 Muiz ud din Qaiqabad  X
Shamsuddin Kayumars X
Aitmar Surkah †
Aitmar Kachhan †

The Khalji Revolution,[1] also spelled Khilji Revolution,[2] was a military coup and period of political and societal change in the Delhi Sultanate that began as a result of the death of Mamluk Sultan Balban in 1287. It ended with the fall of the Mamluk dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and the ascension of the Khalji dynasty under Jalal-ud-Din Khalji in 1290.

Following the death of Balban, his minor grandson Muiz ud din Qaiqabad ascended the throne of Delhi. Qaiqabad fell into debauchery, taking little care for ruling. Qaiqabad later became ill and paralyzed, leading to the accession of his infant son, Shamsuddin Kayumars. During this period of confusion, factions rose in the court of the Mamluks between those who wished to see only Turks in power, whereas another faction wished to see other groups in power, including one such led by Jalaluddin Khalji, a noble of the Khalji clan, which was of Turko-Afghan origin.[3][4]

The leaders of the Turkish party attempted to assassinate Jalaluddin, which prompted him to leave the capital. The Turkish party attempted to use intrigue by promising him to be the next emperor. Jalaluddin was aware of the plot, and abducted the infant king, Shamsuddin. The Turkish party and the Khaljis met in battle at Baharpur, which saw the defeat of the Turks. Following the defeat in battle, much of the Turkic nobility quickly switched to the side of the Khalji faction. With the Infant Sultan under him, and Qaiqabad nearing his death, Jalaluddin asserted himself as regent and wazir. He eventually seized complete power and toppled Shamsuddin from power, ascending the throne of the Delhi Sultanate in June 1290.

With the success of the revolution, the Khalji dynasty replaced the Mamluk dynasty, and now ruled the Delhi Sultanate. Jalaluddin ruled for only six years until he was assassinated by his nephew, Alauddin Khalji. The revolution saw the end of Turkish dominance over the nobility of the Delhi Sultanate.

Causes

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Following the death of Balban, he was succeeded by his grandson, Qaiqabad, in 1286. Qaiqabad was raised and tutored to not drink wine, or to even look at the face of a beautiful woman. However, as he ascended the throne, he indulged in drinking wine, as well as sexual pleasure. As a result, the administrative reforms demonstrated by Balban declined.[5] With Qaiqabad stuck in debauchery, Malik Nizamuddin became the de-facto regent of the Sultanate, and began consolidating power for himself by placing loyalists of his in higher positions.[6]

Bughra Khan, the father of Qaiqabad, noticing that Nizamuddin was obtaining power rapidly, as well as having Qaiqabad kill other rival Amirs through intrigue, wrote letters to Qaiqabad informing him of the possible threat. Qaiqabad did not do anything, and as a result, Bughra Khan decided to personally meet his son as he himself was centered in the Bengal. Amir Khusrau and Barani differ on the accounts of how they met. Amir Khusrau states that Bughra Khan wished to seize Delhi for himself. Upon advancing to Bihar, Qaiqabad marched out of the city and prepared for conflict. Barani states that Qaiqabad himself first drew up an army to meet his father. Nizamuddin attempted to cause conflict between both of them, but failed in doing so. Bughra Khan informed Qaiqabad to abstain from drinking wine and engaging in sexual pleasure, as well as informing him to remove Nizamuddin from his position from power. After his father left, Qaiqabad attempted to refrain from engaging in drinking wine and debauchery, but returned to indulging in such soon after. Nizamuddin was informed by Qaiqabad to return to Multan to oversee administrative affairs there. However, after delaying his trip, Turkish officers that were secretly given permission by Qaiqabad, poisoned and killed Nizamuddin.[7][8]

The assassination of Nizamuddin damaged the administrative capabilities of the government, leading to Qaiqabad calling upon Jalaluddin Khalji, who was the governor of Samana. Upon Jalaluddin's arrival, Qaiqabad bestowed upon him the title of Shaista Khan,[a] as well as naming him minister of war, and giving governorship of Baran.[9] However, Jalaluddin's position became increasingly coveted by other Turkish nobles, who were against other groups from rising to power as they saw him as a low-born Afghan,[10] which as a result, led to a power struggle followed for influence over the court. This further grew following the paralysis of Qaiqabad, which led to Aitmar Surkah and Kachhan placing Shamsuddin Kayumars on the throne of Delhi. Surkah and Kachhan wished to continue the dominance of a Turkish nobility.[11][12]

Revolution

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With the ascension of Shamsuddin, two factions arose in the Mamluk court. The Turkish party which was led by Aitmar Surkah and Aitmar Kachhan, while the Khalji faction was led by Jalaluddin Khalji.[13] Aitmar Surkah and Kachhan, believing that only Turks should hold positions of power, began a conspiracy against Jalaluddin's faction, with a list of all nobles they wished to put to death being formed, and Jalaluddin at the top. Ahmad Chap, the Hajib of the Mamluks, informed Jalaluddin of the arising plot. Believing that Delhi was no long safe for him, Jalaluddin left for Baharpur, assembling men from Baran with the reason that a Mongol invasion was looming, also being accompanied by loyalists and relatives.[14][15]

Following this, a plot was hatched by Surkah and Kachhan, which began with a letter being sent to Jalaluddin addressing him as emperor.[16] Another account states that it was just a letter requesting him to bring himself to court.[15] Nonetheless, as Kachhan arrived to Jalaluddin's camp, he was pulled from his horse and killed by Alauddin Khalji, officially starting conflict between the two factions.[16][15][17]

Jalaluddin's sons rode quickly to Delhi, accompanied by around 50 horsemen, capturing Shamsuddin and riding to Baharpur. Aitmar Surkah quickly followed in pursuit of them and engaged in battle near Baharpur. In one engagement, Ikhtiyaruddin, the eldest son of Jalaluddin, was thrown from his horse, and engaged in single combat in Aitmar Surkah. Surkah quickly struck Ikhtiyaruddin two or three times, but none of these strikes were wounding, allowing Ikhtiyaruddin to draw his sword and decapitate Aitmar Surkah. Following this, a revolt broke out in Delhi, which wished to march to Baharpur, and return Shamsuddin to power. However, Malikul'umra halted the rebels at the gate of Badaon, preventing them from leaving to fight the Khaljis due to his own sons being held captive by Jalaluddin. With the death of Aitmar Surkah, and the rebels having been dispersed, many of the Turkish Amirs switched sides to the Khaljis, significantly adding to their strength.[18][15]

With Jalaluddin now without opposition, he had Qaiqabad, who was clinging unto life due to his illness, killed by drowning him in the Yamuna river by wrapping him in a carpet and throwing it over on 1 February, 1290. Despite his powerful position, Jalaluddin initially allowed Shamsuddin to continue ruling, seating him at Baharpur while also opening negotiations with Malik Chajju, a nephew of Balban. Jalaluddin offered Malik Chajju to serve as regent, to which Malik Chajju instead preferred the governorship of Kara, and upon approval from Jalaluddin, left for it. Jalaluddin then took up office of becoming the regent and wazir of the Sultanate. Eventually, Jalaluddin seized complete power, crowning himself in Kilughari palace, a suburb in Delhi, in June 1290. Shamsuddin was thrown in prison following this, dying sometime afterward.[18][19]

Aftermath

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With the rise of the Khalji dynasty and the ascension of Jalaluddin, Turkish dominance power over the nobility of the Sultanate was crushed. The Khaljis would rule over the Delhi Sultanate from 1290—1320, being replaced by the Tughlaq dynasty. Jalaluddin only ruled for six years before being assassinated by his ambitious nephew, Alauddin Khalji, who would significantly expand the Sultanate in his reign from 1296—1316.[10][20]

Lal remarks about the Khalji revolution, stating:

"The Khalji revolution was fraught with far-reaching consequences. It not only heralded the advent of a new dynasty: it ushered in an era of ceaseless conquests, of unique experiment in statecraft, and of incomparable literary activity. In the veins of the Khaljis did not flow the royal blood. They belonged to the proletariat, and their accession to power dealt a death-blow to to the pseudo-belief that sovereignty was a monopoly of the privileged. The Khalji revolt is essentially a revolt of Indian Muslims against the Turkish hegemony, of those who looked to Delhi, against those who sought inspiration from Ghaur and Ghazna. The revolution resulted in the supersession of a commoner's government over that of blueblood's and shocked to their marrow many a highbrowed Turk to whom other Musalmans, Indian-born or otherwise, were made of a stuff inferior to their own".[21][2]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Shaista, meaning beautiful in Pashto.

Citations

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  1. ^ Unesco 1998, p. 272.
  2. ^ a b Chaurasia 2002, p. 28.
  3. ^ Fisher 2018, p. 86.
  4. ^ Chandra 2007, p. 93.
  5. ^ Lal 1967, p. 2.
  6. ^ Habib & Khaliq Ahmad 1970, p. 304-305.
  7. ^ Habib & Khaliq Ahmad 1970, p. 307-308.
  8. ^ Lal 1967, p. 5-6.
  9. ^ Jackson 2003, p. 82.
  10. ^ a b Mahajan 2007, p. 121.
  11. ^ Habib & Khaliq Ahmad 1970, p. 308-309.
  12. ^ Lal 1967, p. 6-7.
  13. ^ Chopra, Ravindran & Subrahmanian 1979, p. 2.
  14. ^ Lal 1967, p. 7-8.
  15. ^ a b c d Habib & Khaliq Ahmad 1970, p. 309.
  16. ^ a b Lal 1967, p. 8.
  17. ^ Chopra, Ravindran & Subrahmanian 1979, p. 2-3.
  18. ^ a b Lal 1967, p. 9.
  19. ^ Habib & Khaliq Ahmad 1970, p. 309-311.
  20. ^ Chaurasia 2002, p. 27-28.
  21. ^ Lal 1967, p. 13-14.

References

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  • Jackson, Peter (16 October 2003). The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54329-3.
  • Lal, Kishori Saran (1967). History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290-1320. Asia Publising House.
  • Habib, Mohammad; Khaliq Ahmad, Nizami (1970). A Comprehensive History of India: The Delhi Sultanat, A.D. 1206-1526. Orient Longmans.
  • Unesco (1 January 1998). History of Civilizations of Central Asia. UNESCO. ISBN 978-92-3-103467-1.
  • Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. S. Chand Publishing. ISBN 978-81-219-0364-6.
  • Chaurasia, Radhey Shyam (2002). History of Medieval India: From 1000 A.D. to 1707 A.D. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0123-4.
  • Fisher, Michael H. (18 October 2018). An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2.
  • Chandra, Satish (2007). History of Medieval India:800-1700. Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-3226-7.
  • Chopra, Pran Nath; Ravindran, T. K.; Subrahmanian, N. (1979). History of South India: Medieval period. S. Chand.
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