Published February 28, 2024 | Version CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
Journal article Open

Harem Politics and the Succession Dispute in Malwa: The Case of Sultan Nasiruddin Khalji

Creators

  • 1. Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), India

Description

Abstract: The independent Muslim kingdom of Malwa was established by Dilawar Khan Ghuri in the last decade of the fourteenth century. From 1401-02 to 1531, Malwa was under the rule of two dynasties, the Ghuris and the Khaljis. With the exception of the accession of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji (1469- 1501) after the death of Sultan Mahmud Khalji I, there was a succession dispute at the death of every Sultan of Malwa. The succession dispute in the case of two sons of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji is significant because of active involvement of the harem of the Sultan.

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Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.54105/ijssl.C1113.03010923
EISSN
2583-0643

Dates

Accepted
2024-02-15
Manuscript received on 02 August 2023 | Revised Manuscript received on 08 September 2023 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 September 2023 | Manuscript published on 28 February 2024.

References

  • There is utter confusion with regard to the date of assignment of governorship of Malwa to Dilawar Khan. Nizamuddin Ahmad writes that Dilawar Khan came to Malwa in 809 AH which is, in fact, the date of his death. See Nizamuddin Ahmad, Tabaqat-i Akbari, ed. B.De and M. Hidayat Hosain, Vol.III, Bib. Ind. Calcutta, 1941, p.289; Firishta, Gulshan-i Ibrahimi, tr. John Briggs, in 4 Vols., See Vol.IV, Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, New Delhi, reprint 1981, p.101, confirms the appointment of Dilawar Khan as governor of Malwa during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Muhammad bin Firuz Shah. In his study of the coinage of the Sultans of Malwa, H.N. Wright has tried to remove the confusion with regard to the date of Dilawar Khan's appointment as governor of Malwa. He writes, "In 804AH/1401, Dilawar Khan Ghori, who had been appointed governor of Malwa by Muhammad IV of Delhi some ten years previously, assumed royal state", H. Nelson Wright, Catalogue of Coins in the Indian Museum, Vol.II, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1907, p.241.
  • 'Amin Shah' seems to be the correct title, Shaikh Rizqullah Mushtaqui, Waqiat-e-Mushtaqui, tr. and ed. Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, ICHR and Northern Book Centre, New Delhi, 1993, p.232.
  • Firishta, Vol. IV, pp.102-03; H. Nelson Wright, op.cit., p.241.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.357; Muhammad Hadi, Haft Gulshan, MS Bankipur, Patna, fol. 129a. Firishta does not refer to them as twin brothers. He mentions Shujaat Khan as the youngest son of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji. See Firishta, IV, p.144.
  • Nizamuddin Ahmad has given details of the status of Rani Khurshid and her constant involvement in the succession struggle between the two princes whereas Firishta has completely overlooked the description of Rai Khurshid and her role in the struggle.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.544.
  • Both Nizamuddin and Firishta give the date of Sultan Mahmud Khalji's death as 19 Ziqad 873 A.H. but the author of Zafar-ul Walih has recorded 21 Ziqad 873 A.H. which comes out as 31 May 1469 and 2 June 1469 respectively, Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.542; Firishta, IV, p.141; Zafar-ul Walih, p.208.
  • Both Nizamuddin and Firishta have omitted the date of accession of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji but the author of Zafar-ul Walih records the date as 22 Ziqad, 873/3 June 1469.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.544; Firishta says that the title of 'Sultan Nasiruddin' was conferred on his elder son Abdul Qadir by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khaji, Firishta, IV, p.142; Nizamuddin also refers to him as 'Sultan Nasiruddin' while mentioning the commencement of succession dispute between him and his brother Shujaat Khan entitled 'Sultan Alauddin', Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.552.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.544; Firishta, IV, p.142.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.544; Firishta, IV, p.142-3.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.554.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.552; Firishta, IV, p.144.
  • Ibid.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.554.
  • Ibid.; Firishta has omitted this conspiracy and its details
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p. 554, Nizamuddin says that (Sultan Nasiruddin) appointed his own gumashtas (agents) everywhere.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p. 554.
  • Ibid., p.545.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p. 554.
  • Ibid., pp.554-55.
  • Ibid., p.555.
  • Nizamuddin writes that "Owing to his great age, Sultan Ghiyasuddin agreed to their (Shujaat Khan and Rani Khurshid) doing so". See Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.555.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.555.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.555. The author of the Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi clearly says that prince Nasiruddin ordered for the killing of Munja Baqqal, Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, MS British Museum, No. OR 1803 fol.9a as cited by U.N. Dey, Medieval Malwa, Munshi Ram Manohar Lal, Delhi, p. 237, fn.2; Nizamuddin is silent on this issue.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, pp.555-56.
  • Tabaqat-i-Akbari, III, p.556.
  • Ibid., p.556. Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, op.cit., fol.10b, as cited by U.N. Dey, op.cit., p.238, fn.2, does not refer to the name of Manhi Khan.
  • Ibid., p.556. Nizauddin gives the name of the palace of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji as Jahan-numa.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, pp.556-57.
  • Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, op.cit., fols. 11b-12a as cited by U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit., pp238-39, fn.5; Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.557; Firishta, IV, p.142 gives the date 1499.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.557; Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, op.cit., fol.14a, as cited by U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit., p.239, fn.1, does not record the names of these persons.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.557.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.557; Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi supplies the description of the message of Sultan Ghiyasuddin and the response of Nasir Shah sent through Tatar Khan.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.557
  • There are many villages in Malwa by this name. It is difficult to ascertain as to which place exactly Nizamuddin refers to.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, pp.557-58.
  • Ibid., p.558.
  • Ibid., pp.558-59; Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, op.cit., fol 15b, as cited by U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit., p.240, fn.4.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, p.559; Tarikh-i Nasir Shahi, op.cit., fol 18b as cited by U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit, p.240, fn.5
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.559.
  • Nizamuddin supplies the detail of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji's message communicated to prince Nasiruddin through Shaikh Auliya and Shaikh Burhanuddin, Tabaqat-I Akbari, III, p.559.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.559.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.560.
  • Ibid., pp.560-61.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.561.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.561.
  • Ibid., pp.561-62.
  • Ibid., p.562.
  • Ibid.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, pp.562-63; Firishta IV, p.144, says that prince Nasiruddin entered into the fort through Tarapur gate on 22 October, 1500.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.563.
  • Ibid., p.564.
  • Ibid., p.553.
  • Ibid.; Firishta, IV p.144, without mentioning the date of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji's death, says that after a few days of prince Nasirudin Khalji's accession, Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji was found dead in his harem.
  • Tabaqat-i Akbari, III, p.553; U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit., has omitted this.
  • Firishta IV, p.144 gives the specific year when rivalry for the throne commenced between the two sons of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji who had reached to an advanced age.
  • U.N. Day, Medieval Malwa, op.cit., pp.68-69.