| After the decline of the Slave dynasty, the Sultanate became even more fragile and instable due to the numerous revolts and internal aggression. The Khilji dynasty started with the crowning of Jalaluddin Khilji by the nobles. This was around the year 1290 A.D. But within a few years, he was killed by his nephew Alauddin Khilji under a conspiracy hatched by the latter. The Khilji dynasty is also known by the name of Khalji dynasty. The history of Khilji dynasty is marked by brutal wars and internal conflicts among the rulers. Read on about the history of the Khalji dynasty.
The next territory that Alauddin Khilji conquered was that of Gujarat. Around 1301 A.D, he captured Ranthambhor and murdered the Rajput Hamir Deva. Then, he killed Rana Rattan Singh and captured Chittor. By 1305, he had captured territories like Malwa, Ujjain, Mandu, Dhar and Chanderi but couldn't capture Bengal. He had conquered almost entire north India by the year 1311 and established his kingdom successfully. Read about the main Khilji dynasty rulers of India.
Jalal ud-din Firuz Khilji
The first Indian ruler of the Khilji dynasty was Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji, who ruled from 1290 - 1294. He invaded India and built his capital in Delhi, though he never really ruled from there. He constructed another capital at Kilokhri, and ruled from there for around 6 years. During the time Mongols attacked the country, Jalal-ud-din Khilji put up a brave front and smart negotiations made the Mongols depart. They came back however, five years later and attacked once again when his nephew ascended on the throne. Jalal-ud-din Khilji was murdered by his own nephew when he was going to visit him in Kara.
Ala-ud-din Khilji
The second ruler of the Khilji dynasty was Ala-ud-din Khilji, whose real name was Juna Khan. He ruled in India from 1296-1316. He was the nephew and son-in-law of the first Khilji ruler, Jalal-ud-din Khilji. He killed Jalal-ud-din Khilji and then announced himself as the ruler of Delhi. Ala-ud-din expanded his territory into the peninsular India within a short span of time. He died on January 1316 due to an acute health condition.
Qutb-ud-Din Mubarak Shah
The third and last ruler of the Khilji dynasty in India was Qutb-ud-Din Mubarak Shah. He was the weakest ruler of all and during his reign, all taxes and penalties were abolished. He released all prisoners of war who were captured after waging gruesome battles. He was ultimately murdered by Khusru Khan and this ended the Khilji dynasty in India.
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The Khiliji ruled over Delhi from 1290 to 1320. Khiljis were basically Central Asians. They had lived in Afganistan for long however, in terms of customs and manners they were different from the Turks.
Malik Firuz, the founder of Khilji dynasty was appointed as `Ariz-I-Mumalik` by Kaiqubad during the declining days of the Slave dynasty. Due to the incompetence of the successors of Balban, a political vacuum was created. Malik Firuz took the advantage of this situation and removed infant Sultan Kaimurs in order to occupy the throne. He took the name Jalal-ud-din Firuz Shah.
The arrival of the Khiljis was not very much welcomed, as the majority of the Muslim population of Delhi was Turk. But somehow Jalal-ud-din managed to win the heart of the people.
Alauddin Khilji who was the nephew and son-in-law of Jalal-ud-din, killed him. He ascended the throne of Delhi. Alauddin`s reign is considered as the golden era of Khilji rule. His revenue reform and market control policies left a mark. Also the reign was marked by innovative administrative ideas.
Malik Kafur was the most trusted noble of Alauddin. After Alauddin`s death, he managed to control the situation and made Shahab-ud-din Umar. However Malik Kafur`s own agent killed him.
After Malik Kafur, Qutb-ud-din Mubarik Shah another son of Alauddin killed Umar and became the Sultan in1316. During his rule the power was actually in the hands of Khusraw Khan, a lowborn Hindu slave. Mubarik used to spend time in drinking and womanizing. Khusraw killed Mubarik and declared himself as the Sultan. This led to an end of the Khilji Dynasty.
The Islamic architecture in India is an interesting mingling. Marked developments in building techniques were found during the Khilji reign. The third ruler Alauddin was one of the ambitious builders of that time. The Alai Darwaza was an extension of the Qwwat-ul-Islam mosque. This was one of the four grand gateways. Some other structures built by Khiljis were the city wall of Siri, the tomb of Alauddin Khilji and the `Madrasa`. The economic reform by Alaudiin Khilji was undoubtedly a remarkable contribution to the Indian economy. It can be said that the coming of Khaljis to power was more than just being a dynastic change.
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Kundali