KHALJI DYNASTY ( 1290-1320 AD)
JALAL-ud-Din KHALJI
(1290-1296 AD)
Many Non-Turks had come to India during the Ghurid invasion. They alongwith Non-noble Indians never received sufficient recognition in Delhi. Balban's policy of Sijada, Paibos, privileges and high offices only to noble blood instigated them to brought the end of Slave dynasty by overthrowing the weak sultan and establish their power in Delhi. In pursuance of this line a group of Khalji nobles supported Jalal-ud-din who founded Khalji dynasty.
He ruled for a short period of six years, in which he tried to mitigate some of the harsh aspects of Balban's rule. He was of the view that, since the majority of the people in India were Hindus, it was indispensable to brought about the policy of religious tolerence and avoiding harsh punishment in order to maintain the unity and integrity of the Delhi Sultanat. He was killed by his nephew and son-in-law Ala-ud-din Khalji.
ALA-ud-Din KHALJI (1296-1316 AD)
He is regarded as the most powerful and the first Turkish Sultan of the Delhi Sultanat who separeted religion from politics. He proclaimed "Kingship Knows No Kinship." He believed in the policy of annexation. In pursuance of this policy he annexed Gujrat, Ranthambhor (jauhar i.e women mounted the funeral pyre), Mewar, Malwa, Jalor and chittor. He sent Malik Kagur to Deccan who annexed Devagiri, Warangal, Dwarsamudra and Pandya. In 1299 a mongol ruler, Qutluqh Khwaja attacked Delhi. Though he was defeated yet it was imperative to raise a large army to put a check upon external aggression. He knew that large army comes with large revenue and hence
in order to realise this objective
Ala-ud-din sought to fix the cost of all commodities. For this purpose he set up three markets at Delhi--- one market for foodgrains, second for costly cloths, and third for horses, slaves and cattles. Each market was under the control of a high officer called Shahna who maintained a register of the merchants and stricly controlled the shopkeepers and the prices. Diwan-i-Riyasat and
Shahna-i-Mandi were the two officers who put a check on market. Sara-i-Adal was an open market where all goods for sale were brought into. Apart from this Ala-ud-din ordered that all land was to be measured first and then the share of the state was to be fixed accordingly and the peasant had to pay the half of his produce as land revenue. He reduces the position of landlords called Khuts and Muqadam to an ordinary cultivators.
In order to curb the internal disturbance created by the nobles, He promulgated four ordinances. The first ordinance aimed at the confiscation of the religious endowments and free grants of land. By second he re-organised the spy system. The third prohibited the use of wine and the fourth laid down that nobles shall not have social gathering and shall not enter into marriage alliances without his permission. He died in 1316 AD and was succeeded by his son Mubarak Khan who in turn was succeeded by Khusrau Khan in the same year.
KHUSRAU KHAN (1316-1320 AD)
He was the last Sultan of the Khalji dynasty. He was killed by Ghazi Malik, governor of Dipalpur, when he tried to oppose a revolt raised by Ghazi Malik and his son Fakhruddin Jauna. This brought the end of Khalji dynasty and established the Tughlaq dynasty on the throne of Delhi.
