KHALJI DYNASTY

(12901320), the second ruling family of the Muslim sultanate of Delhi. This dynasty, like the previous Slave dynasty, was of Turkish origin, though the Khalji tribe had long been settled in Afghanistan. Its three kings were noted for their faithlessness, their ferocity, and their penetration of the Hindu south. The first Khalji sultan, Jalal-ud-Din Firuz Khalji, was established by a noble faction on the collapse of the last feeble Slave king, Kay-Qubadh. Jalal-ud-Din was already elderly, and for a time he was so unpopular, because his tribe was thought to be Afghan, that he dared not enter the capital. His nephew Juna Khan led an expedition into the Hindu Deccan, captured Ellichpur and its treasure, and returned to murder his uncle in 1296. With the title of 'Ala'-ud-Din Khalji, Juna Khan reigned for 20 years. He captured Ranthambhor (1301) and Chitor (1303), conquered Mandu (1305), and annexed the wealthy Hindu kingdom of Devagiri. He also repelled Mongol raids. 'Ala'-ud-Din's lieutenant, Malik Kafur, was sent on a plundering expedition to the south in 1308, which led to the capture of Warangal, the overthrow of the Hoysala dynasty south of the Krishna River, and the occupation of Madura in the extreme south. Malik Kafur returned to Delhi in 1311, laden with spoils. Thereafter, the fortunes of 'Al a'-ud-Din and the dynasty declined. The sultan died in early 1316. Malik Kafur's attempted usurpation ended with his own death. The last Khalji, Qutb-ud-Din Mubarak Shah, was murdered in 1320 by his chief minister, Khusraw Khan, who was in turn replaced by Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq, the first ruler of the Tughluq dynasty.