Re: Tarikh-i Firoz Shahi, of Ziaud Din Barni
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:48 am
Sixth Makaddama. — Khwaja-i Jahan hears of the accession of Sultan Firoz Shah.
When Khwaja-i Jahan heard of the succession of Sultan Firoz Shah, he lamented the mistake he had made. Conflicting rumours were afloat in the two armies. It was said to be the Khwaja's determination that, as soon as the Sultan's army reached Dehli, he would place all the dependents of the nobles who were in that army on the manjaniks, and shoot them away. Another rumour said that the Khwaja had a powerful army and would offer a stout resistance.
When these proceedings and rumours were reported to Sultan Firoz, he called a council of all the princes and nobles in his army. It was unanimously agreed that Sultan Muhammad Shah had no son, but only a daughter, who was born in the reign of Sultan Tughlik. Where, it was asked, had the Khwaja-i Jahan found the pretended son? All wise men spoke in the same strain, expressing their astonishment at the Khwaja's error, and agreeing that his actions were quite unworthy a man of his age. Sultan Firoz finished the discussion by expressing his own surprise, and resolved upon marching to Dehli.
The chiefs and men of the army warmly supported him, and on the other side the people of Dehli anxiously watched for his arrival. He accordingly marched on and arrived at Multan. Up to this time he had never talked to any one, small or great, about the Khwaja-i Jahan, but had acted in the most politic manner and in strict accordance with the examples of the wisest kings. It was now fully confirmed that the Khwaja was resolved upon opposition. Sultan Firoz knew that the army of Thatta had suffered many hardships and troubles, and through the prodigality of Sultan Muhammad Shah the treasury was empty.
The army had also been reduced to great straits by the assaults of the Mughals, and had been compelled to retire towards Dehli; and, besides this, the wives and children of the men were there; hence Firoz Shah was apprehensive that if the Khwaja-i Jahan's antagonism became the talk of the army, the men would be dispirited, and would think the Sultan was afraid of the Khwaja. For these reasons Sultan Firoz never talked on the subject until he reached Multan.
When Khwaja-i Jahan heard of the succession of Sultan Firoz Shah, he lamented the mistake he had made. Conflicting rumours were afloat in the two armies. It was said to be the Khwaja's determination that, as soon as the Sultan's army reached Dehli, he would place all the dependents of the nobles who were in that army on the manjaniks, and shoot them away. Another rumour said that the Khwaja had a powerful army and would offer a stout resistance.
When these proceedings and rumours were reported to Sultan Firoz, he called a council of all the princes and nobles in his army. It was unanimously agreed that Sultan Muhammad Shah had no son, but only a daughter, who was born in the reign of Sultan Tughlik. Where, it was asked, had the Khwaja-i Jahan found the pretended son? All wise men spoke in the same strain, expressing their astonishment at the Khwaja's error, and agreeing that his actions were quite unworthy a man of his age. Sultan Firoz finished the discussion by expressing his own surprise, and resolved upon marching to Dehli.
A second claimant to the throne was advanced by Khwaja Jahan Ahmad Ayas, the vizier left in charge of Delhi during Muhammad bin Tughluq’s absence in Sind. Rumors of Muhammad bin Tughluq’s death, the attack on the imperial troops by the Chaghatai bands at Thatta, and the uncertain fate of Firuz Shah led Khwaja to react to the exigencies of the moment and he advanced a son of that sultan, Mahmud. Although Mahmud’s accession is recognized by Bosworth, he never actually exerted authority or gained recognition of the ‘ulama’. See Bosworth, The Islamic Dynasties, p. 186.
-- The Architecture of Firuz Shah Tughluq, Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate, School of The Ohio State University, by William Jeffrey McKibben, B.A., M.A., 1988
The chiefs and men of the army warmly supported him, and on the other side the people of Dehli anxiously watched for his arrival. He accordingly marched on and arrived at Multan. Up to this time he had never talked to any one, small or great, about the Khwaja-i Jahan, but had acted in the most politic manner and in strict accordance with the examples of the wisest kings. It was now fully confirmed that the Khwaja was resolved upon opposition. Sultan Firoz knew that the army of Thatta had suffered many hardships and troubles, and through the prodigality of Sultan Muhammad Shah the treasury was empty.
[T]he habitable world was to be brought under the rule of his servants... he thought he ought to get ten or five per cent, more tribute from the lands in the Doab....the backs of the raiyats were broken....the raiyats were impoverished and reduced to beggary....The Sultan, in his lofty ambition, had conceived it to be his work to subdue the whole habitable world and bring it under his rule. To accomplish this impossible design, an army of countless numbers was necessary, and this could not be obtained without plenty of money. The Sultan's bounty and munificence had caused a great deficiency in the treasury, so he introduced his copper money, and gave orders that it should be used in buying and selling, and should pass current, just as the gold and silver coins had passed. The promulgation of this edict turned the house of every Hindu into a mint...So low did they fall that they were not valued more than pebbles or potsherds....trade was interrupted on every side...heaps of them rose up in Tughlikabad like mountains. Great sums went out of the treasury in exchange for the copper, and a great deficiency was caused....his design of conquering Khurasan and 'Irak. In pursuance of this object, vast sums were lavished upon the officials and leading men of those countries....the country of the Doab was brought to ruin by the heavy taxation and the numerous cesses. The Hindus burnt their corn stacks and turned their cattle out to roam at large....the collectors and magistrates laid waste the country, and they killed some landholders and village chiefs and blinded others....the country was ruined...When the Sultan arrived at Deogir he made heavy demands upon the Musulman chiefs and collectors of the Mahratta country, and his oppressive exactions drove many persons to kill themselves....The Sultan supported and patronized the Mughals....He appointed sharp collectors, and rigorously exacted large sums.
-- XV. Tarikh-i Firoz Shahi, of Ziaud Din Barni [Ziauddin Barani], Excerpt from The History of India As Told By Its Own Historians: The Muhammadan Period, edited from the posthumous papers of the Late Sir H.M. Elliot, K.C.B., East India Company's Bengal Civil Service, by Professor John Dowson, M.R.A.S., Staff college, Sandhurst, Vol. III, P. 93-269, 1871
The army had also been reduced to great straits by the assaults of the Mughals, and had been compelled to retire towards Dehli; and, besides this, the wives and children of the men were there; hence Firoz Shah was apprehensive that if the Khwaja-i Jahan's antagonism became the talk of the army, the men would be dispirited, and would think the Sultan was afraid of the Khwaja. For these reasons Sultan Firoz never talked on the subject until he reached Multan.