The Ghorian and the Slave dynasties

Shahab-ud-din, surnamed Mahomed Ghori, generally considered the founder of the Mahomedan empire in India, was the brother of Sultan Ghias-ud-din, the successor of Sef-ud-din, the son of Ala-ud-din, Sultan of Ghor. Being despatched to India by his brother to annex the provinces which belonged to the subverted dynasty of Ghazni, he conquered Multan and the fort of Uch, celebrated in history as the scene of Alexander’s memorable attack and wound. Having then conquered all the provinces of the Indus, he twice besieged Khusrow Malik in his capital of Lahore ; but that prince offered such a determined resistance in his strong retreat that the invader was on both occasions forced to retired. The crafty Ghorian Sultan at length had recourse to a stratagem. Khusrow had sent his son Mahomed, as a hostage for his own good behaviour, to the Court of Ghori Sultan. Having given out that he had every confidence in the good faith of Khusrow, and, that his object thenceforward was to turn his arms against the Seljuks, he sent the prince back, with a gorgeous escort by easy marches to Lahore. Khusrow Malik, being thus entirely thrown off his guard, marched from Lahore to embrace his son. Mahomed, who had in the meanwhile assembled an army of 20,000 horses, as if for operations in Khorasan, marched with celerity by a circuitous and unfrequented route, thus interposing himself between Khusrow and his capital. His camp having been surrounded, Khusrow was compelled to surrender. The event happened in 1186, A.D. Khusrow was confined in a strong castle, but, on the alleged prediction of some astrologer, was, with all his family, put to death, and the dynasty of the great Mahmud was thus for ever extinguished. Lahore was soon after occupied without any resisrtance.

Sultan Shahab-ud-din made war on Prithi Rai (or Pithora), Raja of Ajmere, the head of the Chuhan Rajputs, and was wounded in the great battle of Narain, on the Sarsuti river, by the lance of Gobind Rai of Delhi. The incident affords proof of the valour and martial prowess of the Afghan king, as well as of the heroism and prodigious strength of the Rajput General. The former was on horseback when he attacked the war elephant of Govind Rai, and, with the strength of a lion, in one stroke knocked two of his adversary’s teeth down his throat. The Rai returned the blow forthwith, wounding the king severely in the arm with his lance, and the latter’s life was saved only through the devotion of a brave young Khiljai, who, clasping his master round the chest, spurred on the horse and bore him from the midst of the fight. His army was defeated and pursued for forty miles, while he himself was carried almost insensible to Lahore. Seven times did this brave Hindu Raja, the representative of the Aryan chivalry, carry his arms to the very gates of Lahore, but he was finally defeated and put to death by the Moslem king, 1193 A.D. On his recovery from the wound received at the battle of Narain, the Sultan disgraced those Omerahs who had fled from the battle-field, by compelling them to walk round the city of Ghor whither he had returned, with the nosebags of their chargers fastened round their necks, as if they were donkeys ; in the meanwhile giving them the option of eating the fodder, or having their heads struck off with the sabre.

Meanwhile the Ghakkars, a wild tribe inhabiting the mountains north of the Panjab, availing themselves of the Sultan’s absence at Khowrazm, overran the Panjab and even captured Lahore, 1203 A.D., but Shahab-ud-din, with the assistance of Kutb-ud-din Ebak, his deputy invaded the Panjab, and not only recovered that Province, but induced the Ghakkars to embrace the Mahomedan religion.

On the cruel assassination of Shahab-ud-din by the Ghakkars on the banks of the Nilab, Kutb-ud-din Ebak, viceroy of northern India, originally a slave, mounted the throne at Lahore on July 24th, 1206 A.D.

Soon after the accession of Kutb-ud-din to the throne, Taj-ud-din Eldoz, another slave of Shahab-ud-din who, on his master’s death, had retained possession of Ghazni and the northern provinces, set out with an army to enforce his claim, and captured Lahore, but was driven out by Kutb-ud-din, who marched at the head of an army from Delhi.

“The public prayers and coinage of Dinars and Dirhams throughout the whole country received honor and embellishment from his name and royal titles, and Lahur where the throne of the Sultans had been established, and which was the altar of the good and pious, became the capital.” The Sultan died at Lahore, in 1210 A.D., through a fall from his horse while playing the game of Chougan (now know as ‘Polo’), and he was buried at Lahore like a treasure in the bowels of the earth.”

Kutb-ud-din Ebak was succeeded by his son Aram Shah ; but the latter was defeated and expelled by the late king’s son-in-law and adopted son, Shams-ud-din Altamash. According to Hasan Nizami, the last named king arrived at Lahore, described as being ”among the mothers of the countries of religion and among the chiefs of the provinces of Islam, the abode and repose of the excellent and pious, which, for some days, on account of a number of calamities and changes of governors and the sedition of rebels, had been distracted by the flames of turbulence and opposition, but had now been again reduced to order.” In the beginning of 1217 A.D., Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, the king’s son, was appointed viceroy of Lahore, which became the scene of rejoicing and festivities and the game of Chougan, with which the king amused himself.

In the year 1218, Jalal-ud-din, Sultan of Khowrazm (now Khewa), having overrun Persia and Transoxiana, conquered Lahore ; but his hordes were driven back to the banks of Indus by the legions of Chengez Khan, the mighty lord of the pastoral world, the subverter of numberless kingdoms from the shores of the Caspian to the borders of China, and from the Indus to the Pole. According to the Bahrul Baldan, “Several thousand horsemen under Turtai, the general of Chengez Khan, crossed Scindh in pursuit of Jalal-ud-din, and from thence went to Multan and ravaged that country and Lohawar.” Another historian says “that the places plundered by the Moghals on this occasion were Multan, Lohawar (Lahore), Fershawar (Peshawar), and Malikpur.” After committing these depredations, the Moghals returned, across Scindh to Ghazni.

During the reign of Sultana Razia Begam, who had succeeded her brother, Rukun-ud-din Feroz, the son of Altamash (1236 A.D.), Malik Azud-din Kabir Khan, Governor of Lahore, broke out in revolt. The Sultana, who, according to the contemporary historian, Minhaj-us-Seraj, “throwing off the dress and veil of the women, put on a coat (Qaba) and cap, and, daily sitting on her throne, gave audience to all her countries,” led her army from Delhi to Lahore and reduced the insurgent chieftair to obedience, 1239 A.D.

The fair ruler of India, on her defeat and cruel assassination (October 1240 A.D.), was succeeded by her brother, Sultan Moz-ud-din Behram Shah. An army of the Moghals from Khorasan and Ghazni, penetrating into the Panjab, committed great havoc. Malik Kara Kush, the Governor of Lahore, made preparations for resistance ; but, not being supported by the people of the city, he fled one night in the direction of Delhi. Lahore was captured by the Moghals “who slaughtered the Mahomedans and made their dependents captives.” The event occurred in December 1241 A.D.

During the reign of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, a younger son of Altamash (1246 A.D.), the viceroyalty of the Panjab was held by Sher Khan, a relation of Ghiyas-ud-din Balban, the Sultan’s able Wazir, who had been honoured with the hand of one of the daughters of Altamash. The Moghals continued to make repeated excursions into the Panjab, but were each time repulsed by the Lahore viceroy, who even once invaded their territory and took possession of Ghazni.

On the death of Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, his Wazir Ghiyas-ud-din Balban, known also by his title of Ulugh Khan, who already exercised the power of a king, ascended the throne, 1266 A.D.

Four or five years after his accession, Sher Khan, his cousin, the distinguished viceroy of Lahore, “who had proved a great barrier to the inroads of the Moghals,” died. The Sultan appointed his eldest son, Prince Mahomed, a young man of the greatest accomplishments, governor of the Panjab and all the dependent frontier Districts, including Scindh. The Prince held his Court at Multan, in consequence of the inroads of the Moghals from the direction of Scindh. He was a patron of learning and leterary men, and scholars flocked to his palace from the countries of Asia. Among the literary men of genius who attended his Court were Amir Khusrow, the poet laureate, believed to be the father of Urdu literature, and a poet and author of great talents, and Amir Hassan equally celebrated for his profound learning.

About this period, the Sultan, returning from his expedition to the Jud Mountains, marched to Lahore, where he ordered the rebuilding of the fort, which had suffered greatly from the inroads of the Moghals during the reigns of the sons of Shams-ud-din Altamash. “He re-peopled the towns and villages of Lahore, which had been devastated by the Moghals, and appointed architects and superintendents to restore them.”

The principal authority for Balban’s period is the historian, Zia-ud-din, Barni, author of Tarikh-I-Feroz Shahi, who lived in the succeeding century, and who declares that he wrote down what he received from his father and grand-father, or those who held offices of State. Thus, referring to the merits of the beir-apparent, Prince Mahomed, and his courtiers, the author writes:-“ The young prince took great delight in having the Shahnama, the Khamsa of Shekh Nizami, the Diwan of Sanai and the Diwan of Khakani read out to him, and he listened to the discussions of learned men on the relative merits of these poets. He fully appreciated the merits and excellencies of the poets, Amir Khusrow and Amir Hassan, and delighted in honouring them above all others. I, the author of these pages, have often heard Khusrow and Hassan say that they never saw a prince of such excellent qualities as the Khani Shabid.”

In the year 1285 A.D., the Khan of Multan, as the heir-apparent of the Sultan was called, according to the words of Zia-ud-din, Barni, “the Mainstay of the empire,” proceeded to Lahor and Deobalpur (Depalpur) to oppose the “accursed Samar, the bravest dog of all the dogs of Chengez Khan.” He succeeded in defeating the invaders and recovered all the country they had conquered. A fresh army of the Moghals immediately followed, but, after a sanguinary fight, was put to flight. By an unfortunate juncture, a body of the enemy had kept together during the pursuit, and, to the intense grief of the army, succeeded in despatching prince Mahomed on the banks of the Ravi. In the same action the poet Khusrow, who was the prince’s constant companion, was taken prisoner by the Moghals, and it was with considerable difficulty that the invaders were induced to set the “parrot of Hindustan,” as Khusrow was called, at liberty. He wrote an elegy on the death of his patron.

The loss of the brave prince Muhammad drew tears from the lowest ranks in the army, among whom he had been extremely popular, and the aged Sultan, now in his eightieth year, sunk under the weight of his grief.

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