Short notes on Mubarak Shah & his role as an emperor

Short notes on Mubarak Shah & his role as an emperor

Khizr Khan was succeeded by his son Mubarak Shah. A detailed account of his reign is to be found in Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi written by Yahya-bin-Ahmad. There were rebellions in all parts of the empire and punitive expeditions had to be under taken to suppress them.

Title

Mubarak Shah did find it necessary to regard the successors of Timur as his overlord. No wonder, he freely used the royal title of Shah along with his own name. On his coins, he styled himself as Muizz-ud-Din Mubarak Shah. The new ruler professed allegiance to the Khalifa alone.

Policy of Transfers

Mubarak Shah confirmed most of the nobles in their fiefs and appointments which they had held during the previous reign. However, he pursued the policy of perpetually transferring the nobles from one fief to another. By doing so, he perhaps attained his object of preventing any one noble from acquiring a dangerous local influence in any district of the kingdom. However this was achieved at the cost of efficient administration. This also made the nobles discontented. This policy was party responsible for his murder.

Jasrath Khokhar

The reign of Mubarak Shah was disturbed by the activity of Jasrath Khokhar. It is stated in Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi that “Jasrath Khokhar was an imprudent rustic. Intoxicated with victory and elated with the strength of his forces, he began to have vision about Delhi, when he heard of the death of Khizr Khan; he passed the rivers Biyas (Beats) and Satladar (Sutlej) with a body of horse and foot and attacked Ravi Kamal-ud-Din at Talwandi.

Ria Firuz fled before him towards the desert. Jasrath next plundered the country, from the town of Ludhiana to the neighbourhood of Arubar (Rupar) on the Sutlej.” He then laid siege to the fort of Sarhind, but failed to take it. When Mubarak Shah marched towards Samana, Jasrath raised the siege of Sarhind and retreated to Ludhiana.

When he was pursued, he ran away to the mountains. When the Sultan went back to Delhi, Jasrath crossed the Ravi and advanced upon Lahore. Jasrath was opposed by the Governor of Lahore and he retired to Kalanaur and from there to the mountains.

Once again Jasrath revolted and defeated and killed in the battle his old enemy, Raja Bhim of Jammu and overran and plundered the districts of Dipalpur and Lahore. Sikandar Tuhfa marched against him but retired leaving him free to prepare for more extensive aggression. Jasrath attacked Jullundur but failed to capture it. However, he plundered the district and carried off in slavery a large number of its inhabitants.

However, Jasrath was defeated and driven into the hills. Jasrath took advantage of the difficulties of Mubarak Shah and revolted. He also marched on Jullundur and from there to Lahore and besieged the city. However, Jasrath was made to raise the siege of Lahore and ultimately driven into the mountains. Jasrath created trouble once again in 1432 but was once again driven into the mountains.

There was trouble in the Doab in the reign of Mubarak Shah. In 1423, Muharak Shah marched into Katehar and forced its local chiefs to submit and pay their revenue. The Rathors of Kampila and Etawah were subdued. The Mewatis revolted under the leadership of Jallu and Qaddu. However, they surrendered and were pardoned.

Jaunpur

Muhammad Khan, Governor of Biyana, revolted but he was suppressed. Ibrahim Sharqi marched against Kalpi at the head of a considerable army. His brother marched into Etawah. Mubarak Shah sent his forces against the ruler of Jaunpur. As neither party was anxious to risk a battle, the operations were confined to the cut posts for some time.

In April 1428, Ibrahim Shiraj drew up his army for battle and Mubarak Shah deputed his nobles to lead his army into the battle­field. The two armies fought with moderate zeal and without any decisive result, from mid-day until sunset when each retired to its own camp. On the next day, Ibrahim Sharqi retreated towards Jaunpur. He was followed for some distance but Mubarak Shah ordered the pursuit to be stopped.

Revolt of Paulad

A reference may be made to the revolt of Paulad Turk Baccha. The rebel was a slave of Sayyid Salim. He was able to collect a large number of followers and entrenched himself in the fortress of Bhatinda. Paulad agreed to surrender on the condition that the Sultan would spare his life. However, he foolishly believed a servant who said that the word of the Sultan was not to be relied upon and decided to continue resistance.

Paulad asked for the help of Amir Shaikh Zada All Mughal, Governor of Kabul and the Khokhar chiefs. The Governor of Kabul reached Sarhind and the royal army withdrew. Paulad gave two lakhs of Tankas and other presents to Amir Shaikh Ali. The latter also plundered practically the whole of the Punjab.

He got a year’s revenue from Malik Sikandar and then proceeded towards Dipalpur. The neighbourhood of Multan was plundered. Ultimately, Amir Shaikh Zada Ali was defeated and he escaped to Kabul leaving his army behind and the latter was completely destroyed. Paulad was also defeated and killed. His head was brought to the Sultan in November, 1433.

In 1432, Mubarak Shah invaded Mewat where Jalal Khan had revolted once again. He drove him from one stronghold to another and compelled him to purchase peace on the usual terms of a present payment and promise of amendment.

Murder

Mubarak Shah found that Sarwar-ul-Mulk had not for some time past been performing satisfactorily his duties as Wazir. Consequently, he appointed Kamal-ul-Mulk as co-adjustor in the hope that the two would work in harmony. However, he was disappointed. The influence of the able and more energetic Kamal-ul-Mulk eclipsed the influence of Sarwar-ul-Mulk.

The latter resented his virtual suppression. “His thoughts were now turned towards blood. His deprivation of the fief of Dipalpur had, rankled like a thorn in his heart and his mind was now set on affecting some revolution in the state.” He conspired with the sons of Kangu and Kajwi Khatri to take the life of the Sultan.

When Mubarak Shah went to Mubarakabad to watch the progress of its construction, he was attacked on 20th February, 1434 by Sidhu Pal, grandson of Kaju, who struck the Sultan with a sword on his head with such force that he at once fell down dead on the ground. Ranu and other Hindus rushed and completed the bloody work. The following is the tribute paid by a contemporary to Mubarak Shah: “A clement and generous sovereign full of excellent qualities.”

According to Dr. Hameed-ud-Din, “Mubarak Shah proved to be the ablest king of the house of Khizr Khan. He endeavored his best to preserve his father’s gains and exhibited qualities bf a brave warrior in overcoming the dangers that threatened his kingdom both from within and without. He was wise and resourceful and had always at his disposal a loyal army of his own and that of his feudal allies which kept a watch on the important border posts of Lahore, Dipalpur and Multan in the north and west and fought to maintain his position at strategic points in the south and east.

He did not, however, display similar shrewdness in the choice and treatment of his ministers and officers and his mistrust of some of them, resulting in frequent transfers of holders of key positions, produced disastrous consequences which contributed to his tragic end. He was just and kind towards all of his subjects and though a firm Muslim in belief and action was free from the taint of bigotry. He patronized the Khatris of Delhi although some of them joined the plot against his life.

He saved the Hindu state of Gwalior from Hushang’s aggressions as keenly as he protected Kalpi against Ibrahim Sharqi’s designs. Likewise, his treatment of Katehar and Etawah was perhaps far from severe as compared with the merciless sack of Mewat and the coercion of Bayana. Mubarak’s architectural activity is evidenced by the founding of the new city of Mubarakabad in 1433, on the banks of the Yamuna with a big mosque. He also extended patronage to the contemporary chronicler, Yahya Sirhindi, whose well-known work, the Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi, froms the most authoritative source of the history of the period.”‘