English
And his rank was ndvauced so much, that the juice of envy set allowing amongst Sultan Qutbu- d-din’s other officers, who burned in the fire of envy and shame, and combined to expel and destroy him, so mnch so, that one day in the presence of the Sultan, in regard to his strength and prowess, they said unanimously that Muhammad Bakhtiar, owing to exuber¬ ance of strength, wanted to fight with an elephant. The Sultan wondering questioned him. Muhammad Bakhtiar did not disavow this false boastfulness, though he knew that the object of the associates of the king was to destroy him. In short, one day when all the people, the elite as well as the general public, assembled in baron, Malik Hassiunaddin Ughalbak, who conferred on him fiefs of Sahlat and Sahli (identified with Bhngwnt and Btioeli), nnd finding him brave and bold sent him (apparently on reconnoiteriog expeditions) towards Munir near Patna, and Behar town. In these rcconnoitering expeditions for one or two years, Bakhtiar gathered a largo booty, when the Delhi Viceroy (Qatbuddin) recognized tardily Bakhtiar’s merits. It would thus appear that but for Balditiar’s own tenacity, tho Btupidity of the War ministers of Ghaznin and Dolin would have robbed the Imlo-Moslem Empire of a valuable recruit, and perhaps postdat'd indefinitely its rapid expansion towards Behar and Bengal 1 1 In Tabaqat-i-Na?iii, pp. 147 and 148 it is stated that Bakhtiar presented himself before the gate of the fort of Behar with two hundred boree-girths and armours covered with fur-cloth ji) y uud stormed the fort, and that Bakhtiar hail with him at the lime two wise brothers, named Nizamud- din and fiawsamnddiu (of Fnrglinnn). Itorbar , a white rogue elephant was brought to the White Castle (Qasr-i-Sufed). Muhammad Bakhtiar tying up the loin of his garment on the waist, came out to the field, struck the elephant’s trunk with a mace, when the elephant ran away roaring. All the spectators, including those assembled, and the envious, raising shouts of applause to the sky, were confounded. The Sultan bestowing on Malik Muhammad Bakhtiar special Khila’t and many gifts, ordered the nobles to bestow on him presents, so that all the nobles gave him numerous largesses. Muhammad Bakhtiar, in the same assembly, adding his own quota to all the largesses, distributed the same amongst those present. In short, at this time, the Viceroyalty of the Kingdoms of Behar and Lakhnauti was bestowed on him ; and with peace of mind, having gained his object, he proceeded to the metropolis of Delhi. That year 1 Malik Bakhtiar, bringing to subjugation the Subah of Behar, en¬ gaged in introducing administrative arrangements, and the second ycareoining to the Kingdom of Bengal, lie planted military out¬ posts in eve*y place, and set out for the town of Nadiah, which at that time was the Capital of the Rajahs of Bengal. The Rajah of that place, whose name was Dakhmania, and who had reigned for eighty years over that Kingdom, was at the time taking his food* 1 Thu 6cc<md year after his conquest of Behar, Bakht'ar Khilji set out for Bengal, stormed Nadia, and conquered Bengal. Therefore, the conquest of Behar took place in 592 A. 11. or 119(5 A.C. The text is not strictly in accord with the account given in the lubaqat-i- Na?iri which is the most reliable and the nearest contemporary account for the period. Whilst in the service of the feudatory of Oudh (Tabaqat, Pers. text p 1-47) Bakhtiar reconnoitered Behar for one or two years, and carried off much plunder. QnJ.b.u-din, the Delhi Viceroy, then called Bakhtiar to Lahore tardily recognized his merits, and loaded him with presents. Bakhtiar re- turned to Behar, and conquered it, and carrying off again a large booty, Presented himself to Qutb-u-din at Delhi, where he had to undergo a gladia¬ torial ordeal at the White Castle (Qasr-i-Sufcd of Delhi), and then receiving pr, seats from Qatb-u-din, returned to Behar, and the second yea rafter.his Lnnnest of Behar, he invaded and conquered Bengal, storming and sacking Nadia, and establishing himself at the village or ,„au-.a of Lakhnaat. i-Nafiri, p. 151 )• This would indicate that Lakhnauti was founded by him, aud wm distinct from Gaur, though possibly close to it. . Th“ Tabaqat (Per., teat. p. 151) states that the Bajal. (Ukhmar,a waa then sitting in his inner apartments, with his food set before him in gold an Silver pistes, when the so,idol, inrush of II,ikhtiur Khilji with eighteen top.m struck terror, end the BSjal, rnn ont barefoot by a back door, and Suddenly, Muhammad Bakhtiar, with eighteen horsemen, made an onslaught, so that before the Rajah was aware, Bakhtiar burst inside the palace, and unsheathing from the scabbard his sword that lightened and thundered, engaged in fighting, and put the harvest of the life of many to his thundering and flashing sword. Rajah Lalchmania getting confounded by the tumult of this affair, left be¬ hind all his treasures and servants and soldiers, and slipped out bare-foot by a back-door, and embarking on a boat, fled towards Kamrup. 1 Muhammad Bakhtiar sweeping the town with the broom of devastation, completely demolished it, and making anew the city of Laklmauti, which from ancient times was the seat of Gov¬ ernment of Bengal, his own metropolis, he ruled over Bengal peacefully, introduced the Khutbah , and minted coin in the name of Sultan Qutbu-d-din, and strove to put in practice the ordinances of the Muhammadan religion. 1 From that Sanknat and Bang, liis treasures, harem, slaves and servants and women and elephants all falling into Bakhtiar’s hands. I Some cop*es of the Tabaqat-i-Na$iri have ' Saknnt’ mid also * Sanknnnt.* Tabaqnt-i*Akbari has u Jagannath.” According toother and more reliable accounts, the Rajah fled from Nadiali to Bikrampur, south-east of Dacca. I think therefore “ j ill the printed text of the Tabaqat-i-Nnsiri is a copyist’s mistake for f ” meaning the Rajah’s M Bengal Residence” which was at Bikrampur from before. Kamrud (or Knmrup) as well as Sanknat and Bang is mentioned in the Tabaqat (Pers. text, p. 150j, in connection with the previous flight from Nadiali of Bralunans and Sahas who hearing of liakhtiar's prowess and of his con¬ quest of Beliar, anticipated Bakhtiar’s invasion of Bengal, ami had advised the Rajah to shift with all his troops and people from Nadiali to his residence in East Bengal (at Bikrampur). The astrologers had also prepared the Rajah for Bakhtiar’ conquest. But the Rajah was deaf to all advice, whilst tin* Brahmans a; d Sahas had fled. It is opposed to the probablitics of tlie case that the subsequent defeat of the Rajah by eighteen troopers of Bakhtiar was brought about by any foul play or stratagem from one side or the other; because the Rajah was a good, noble and generous prince, and the idol of his people, and even the Musalman historian (author of the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri) pays him a glowing tribute. (See Tabaqat, p. 149). * Muhammad Bakhtiar Khilji was not a military marauder or a religious fanatic. He was, no doubt, a champion of Islam, but at the same time combined in himself all the qualities of a great general and a wise statesman. We read in the Tabaqat-i-Na$iri (Pers. text, p. 151), that both in Behar and Bengal, iust after their couqueat, he established Mosques, Colleges, Khanqahs date 1 the Kingdom of Bengal became subject to the Emper¬ ors of Delhi. Malik Ikhtiarud-diu Muhammad Bakhtiar was tlie iii*st Muhammadan ruler of Bengal. In the year 599 A.H. when Saltan Qntbn-d-din after conquest of the fort of Kalin jar, 3 proceeded to the town of Mabubali 3 which it below Kalpi* and conquered it, Malik Muhammad Bakhtiar going from Beliar to wait on him, met the Sultan, at the time, when the latter was proceeding from Mabubali towards Badaun. 6 He presented jewelleries and divers valuables of Bengal and a large amount in cash. And for a time remaining in the company of the Sultan, he took permission to return, and came back to Bengal, and for a period ruling over Bengal he engaged in demolishing the temples .and in building mosques. After this, he planned an expedition towards the Kingdoms of Khata 6 and Tibbat, with a force of ten or twelve thousand select cavalry, 7 through the passes of the north-eastern moun- or Charitable establishments consisting of Students’ Hostels and travellers’ Gucst-lionses, founded cities, and established military outposts a. strate¬ gic points, and introduced the coinage of money (see Talaqat, pp. 151 and 149). lie laid down embankments, constructed roads and bridges con¬ necting his northern military outposts at Deokot and his southern military outpost at l.aknor (perbnpc Nagor in Birbhmn) with his newly-founded capital at Laklmauti. 1 U., 591 A.1I. or 1198 A.C. This subordination (during Bakhtiar Khiljinnd at least two of his immediate sncccssors) was nominal, as Bakhtiar conquered Bengal and Behar on his own account, though he outwardly acknowledged the suzerainty of Delhi. 2 A town and a celebrated hill-fort in Banda district. * In the text ‘ Mahma,’ which is evidently a mistake of the copyist. Mah&ba ie a town about 15 miles from Lucknow city. .♦ A town in Jalaun district, North-Western Provinces, on the right bank of the Jamna. 6 On the banks of the river Sot, North-Western Provinces, f conquered by Sayad Sabar Masud Ghazi, nephew of Sultan Mahmud of Gjazni, in 1028 A C., and re-conquered by yutba-d-din in 1190 A.C. • In Tabaqat-i-Na?iri, p 152, " Tibbet and TarkisUn/’ 1 One can easily imagine What an immense Musalman army Bakhtiar Khilji mast have subsequently poured into Bengal from the Upper Wostern Provinces, to have enabled him to detach 10,000 cavalry for an expedition into Tibbat, without weakening his garrison in the newly conquered Proi inceso Bengal mh!