The Khalji Dynasty (CE 1290 – 1320)

The Khalji Dynasty (CE 1290 – 1320)

1. Jalal-ud-din Khilji (CE 1290-1296)

   1. Jalal-ud-din was the founder of the Khalji dynasty.

   2. The only important event of his reign was the raid by his nephew Ala-ud-din on Devagiri in CE 1294. After defeating the ruler of Devagiri, he returned to Kara with a huge amount of Gold and precious articles.

   3. Jalal-ud-din wanted to congratulate his nephew but his nephew, Ala-ud-din killed his uncle.

2. Ala-ud-din Khilji (CE 1296-1316)

   1. Ala-ud-din Khalji, the nephew and the son-in-law of Jalal-ud-din Khalji, came to the throne in           CE 1296, after murdering his uncle.

   2. Ala-ud-din was an able administrator. He made a thorough study of the previous rulers and found out the causes of rebellions by the nobles, and discovered three main reasons:

      1. The wealth of the nobles.

      2. Social gatherings.

      3. the habit of excessive drinking.

   3. He prohibited marriage parties and drinking of wine in public. 

   4. If nobles revolted, the gifts given in the form of land and property were taken back.

   5. An effective spy system was installed.

   6. Taxation revolution made. Tax had to be paid regularly and the revenue was used to maintain a strong army. In some areas such as the Ganga-yamuna doab (land between two rivers), it was raised to one-half of the total product. Grains stored in the government granaries.

   7. During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji and Muhmmad-bin-Tughlaq, the land tax was raised to 50% of the produce from the land.

   8. He made economic reforms, checked, controlled and fixed the market price of the essential goods, officers were appointed for the same, there were price limits.

   9. Ala-ud-din introduced a system of chehra, for every soldier and dagh or branding of horses to stop the practice of substituting thoroughbred horses with ordinary ones. These were signs of identification.

   10. Ala-ud-din was a patron of art and architecture. Poets and scholars adorned his court, Amir Khusrau and Amir Hasan among them

   11. He was a great lover of monuments, he built Alai Darwaza near Qutab Minar, a new town Siri near delhi, and also constructed Hauz Khas, a big tank for the royal bath.

   12. He was a religious man but never let the religion interfere in state affairs.

   13. Conquests:

       1. Gujarat:

          1. Ala-ud-din sent an expedition under his generals Ulugh Khan and Nasrat Khan to Conquer Gujarat, they defeated King Karan Dev, plundered the state and returned with rich booty.

          2. They also brought with them Malik Kafur, a slave brought for a thousand dinars from the port of Cambay. He was given the name Hazar Dinari, malik Kafur became one of Ala-ud-din’s trusted generals. He conquired Dwarasamudra and Madurai for Ala-ud-din.

       2. Rajasthan: 

          1. Ala-ud-din had a long history of expeditions in the rajput states. In CE 1301, he conquired the fort of Ranthambhor.

          2. In CE 1303, he captured Chittorgarh. Alauddin also overran Jalor. Almost all the states of Rajasthan were forced to submit to him. But he did not annexed these states of rajputs.

          3. Capturing malwa he annexed it under his direct rule.

          4. By CE 1305, he became the sole master of the Northern Indian region including the regions: Ujjain, Dhar, Mandu and Chanderi.

       3. Deccan and South India:

          1. By 1306-1311 CE, Malik Kafur, the general of Ala-ud-din defeated the Yadavas of Devagiri, Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra, Kakatiyas of Warrangal and the Pandyas of madurai, These kingdoms were not annexed but handsome annual tributes were taken from them.