33 Alauddin Khilji Facts: The Dark Side Of History!
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Regarded as the conqueror of kingdoms and a military genius, Sultan Alauddin Khilji was a legendary historical figure.
Even though the Khilji Dynasty had ruled for a short time, Alauddin Khilji's rule made impacts that could never be ignored. The famed military commander was raised by his uncle Jalaluddin Khilji.
Alauddin Khilji was the nephew of the Khilji dynasty's founder Jalal-ud-din Khilji. In 1266 CE, Alauddin Khilji was born Ali Gurshasp; he later came to be called Alauddin instead of Ali Gurshasp, he had given the new title to himself.
As he grew up, his uncle Jalaluddin promoted him to significant positions within his government. He appointed him as Amir-i-Tuzuk. In return for his uncle's patronage, Alauddin Khilji went on to dethrone Jalaluddin and killed him in 1296 CE, taking the kingdom's reign for himself.
Sultan Alauddin Khilji was passionate about ruling over the entire world and wanted to become the next Alexander the Great. Alauddin breathed his last in 1316, and it is believed that Malik Kafur murdered him.
Alauddin's first wife, Mehrunisa, was known as Malika-i-Jahan, and his second wife was Mahru, who was the sister of Malik Sanjar, according to Haji-ud-dabir.
Did you know that Alauddin treated the Mongols with brutal punishments like killing children in front of their mothers? More about Alauddin's reign, his role in the Khilji dynasty, and many more facts are given in this article.
For example, during his reign, he brought in some significant economic reforms, military reforms, revenue reforms, and market reforms that completely changed the Delhi Sultanate's future. Alauddin Khilji was anything but an ineffective ruler. Keep reading to find out some interesting Alauddin Khilji facts.
Conquests Of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khilji was a cunning and ambitious fighter. Alauddin Khilji embarked on a conquest to realize his aim of ruling over as much of the continent as possible.
This sultan of Delhi's first conquest was present-day Gujarat. The Gujarat territory was controlled by king Karna Dev of the Vaghelas, who were feudatories of the Solanki Rajput monarchs, also known as Chalukyas, at the time.
Gujarat was known for its great wealth amassed via sea-borne commerce with Arabs and Persians. In 1299, Alauddin dispatched a military expedition against this kingdom, led by his two most capable generals, Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan, who stormed Anhilwad, Gujarat's then-capital, and ultimately wrecked apart the kingdom.
After conquering Gujarat's Vaghela kingdom and defeating the Vaghela King, Alauddin decided to move on to Rajputana, where he took Ranthambhore from Hammira Deva, a descendant of Prithviraj Chauhan, the celebrated warrior of Ajmer who had been defeated by Muhammad Ghori at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, resulting in the establishment of Muslim control in Delhi.
After the first two conquests, Alauddin Khalji turned towards attacking Chittor, which was the capital of Mewar at that point in time. After an eight-month-long siege, Khilji's large army captured Chittor, which was renamed Khizrabad after Alauddin's eldest son, Khizr Khan.
After Chittor, Alauddin Khalji went for the rest of Mewar, and after its annexation, the whole of North India was under Sultan's rule. After completing his conquest for the North, Alauddin Khilji headed out for the South.
He was the first Muslim ruler in India who had attempted to break into the Southern kingdoms of the country. Alauddin Khilji's campaigns were successful to some extent in the South as he took over many different kingdoms and established connections with the rulers of the region.
Alauddin played the most significant role in the Khilji dynasty's expansion.
The Courage Of Alauddin Khilji
Even though Alauddin Khilji was a brutal ruler, his campaigns and conquests had helped the country against any invasion by the Mongols.
The Mongols of the Chagatai Khanate, led by Duwa Khan, attempted to invade the Indian subcontinent many times during Alauddin Khilji's reign. The invasions on India under Alauddin Khilji's reign were not the first time the Mongols tried to invade India; it had happened earlier as well.
However, during this particular reign, the Mongol invasions were taken care of by the Delhi Sultan.
Alauddin had the title of Sikander-i-Sani. Alauddin Khilji breathed war; his excellent military planning allowed him to beat the Mongols not once but five times, and he managed to avoid loss when Mongols went all-in with their forces on their sixth attempt towards annexing the Indian region.
The first invasion effort, encompassing 100,000 horseback riders, occurred in 1298 CE. The Mongol empire could not take down the Khilji Dynasty.
If the Mongols had overrun India, the country's growth would have been put back by at least two to three centuries. A substantial portion of India's knowledge and culture, which had gathered over millennia, may have been lost. Every library, school, temple, mosque, and even house would have been destroyed.
Mongols could never enter the subcontinent due to Alauddin Khilji's authority and strategic maneuvering.
Victory Timeline Of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khalji was the most powerful ruler from the Khilji (or Khalji) Dynasty, whose campaign led to multiple expansions for the Delhi Sultanate.
Alauddin Khilji took over many different kingdoms and was victorious throughout his reign. Muslim King claimed victories over the Hindu Kingdoms of Ranthambore, Gujarat, Chittor, Malwa, Siwana, and Jalore in northern India. His victories included Devagiri, Warangal, Dwara Samudra, and Madura in his southern India campaigns.
Alauddin Khalji attacked the kingdom of Devagiri after refusing to comply with the Delhi Sultan and not paying yearly taxes. This instigated Alauddin Khilji. The Sultan's large army defeated the kingdom's ruler, and then he was brought to the capital to meet Alauddin Khilji.
Warangal was a prosperous kingdom, which is why it attracted Alauddin Khilji. The region's ruler eventually accepted Sultan's rule and then had gifted Alauddin the legendary diamond Kohinoor.
All of the victories achieved by Alauddin Khilji in southern India are credited to Alauddin's most loyal officer, Malik Kafur. It is said that Malik Kafur was born to a Hindu woman, and then he was converted to Islam.
Malik Kafur played an important role in Alauddin's reign. During Alauddin Khilji's last years of life, Alauddin suffered from a particular illness, and he entrusted his empire to Malif Kafur instead of his own children.
The Defeat Timeline Of Alauddin Khilji
Other kingdoms had always attempted to dethrone Alauddin and completely defeat him, but that never happened.
Alauddin Khilji's forces were never defeated in battle. The only people who came close to defeating Alauddin Khilji were Hammiradeva Chauhan and Kanhad Dev Songara. Still, with Khilji's powerful army and immense determination to conquer, the Sultan ultimately defeated them.
Not even powerful Mongols who had a history of taking control of every single empire they had attacked could beat Alauddin Khilji and his mighty army.
He was an ambitious ruler who never backed down. To suppress any rebellions that might occur within his army to tear down his empire, Alauddin Khilji took a lot of measures that were proved successful.
The Death Of Alauddin Khilji
There is a debate among historians over the death of Alauddin Khilji. Many sources point towards different things regarding how Sultan Alauddin died.
Many attempts to assassinate Alauddin were made; even his own nephew Akat Khan tried to assassinate Alauddin at one point.
Ziauddin Barani, a 14th-century poet and thinker, states that the sultan of Delhi was killed by his own loyal military officer Malik Kafur, also known as Malik Nayak. However, some other sources and books suggest that Alauddin suffered from a chronic disease that led to the demise of the Sultan of Delhi.
Shihab-ud-din Omar became the Sultan of Delhi after his father, Allaudin's death.
The Qutub Minar Complex serves as the location of Alauddin's tomb.
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Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Business Administration specializing in Marketing
Supriya JainBachelor of Commerce, Master of Business Administration specializing in Marketing
As a skilled member of the Kidadl team, Shruti brings extensive experience and expertise in professional content writing. With a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Punjab University and an MBA in Business Administration from IMT Nagpur, Shruti has worked in diverse roles such as sales intern, content writer, executive trainee, and business development consultant. Her exceptional writing skills cover a wide range of areas, including SOP, SEO, B2B/B2C, and academic content.
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