The North-West Frontier under the Khalji Sultans of Delhi

Summary

In this detailed study the author assesses how the Khalji sultans, particularly Jalal‑ud‑din Khalji and Ala‑ud‑din Khalji (r. 1290–1316), managed the north‑west frontier of the Delhi Sultanate. At the time, the frontier lay between the rivers Ravi and Beas, with Multan, Dipalpur, Samana and Lahore serving as key military outposts. The paper recounts the Mongol threat from Transoxiana, noting that repeated raids during 1296–1307 tested the sultans’ military reforms. Jalal‑ud‑din pursued a conciliatory policy towards the Mongols, even addressing the Chagatay prince Abdullah as his son. However, the fall of the Ilbari Turks and the Khalji seizure of power altered policies. Ala‑ud‑din Khalji fortified frontier cities, stationed experienced amirs to secure routes and mobilised large armies under generals like Ghazi Malik. The author analyses key engagements: the battles at Kili and Amroha, the defence of Dipalpur and Lahore, and the encounter near the Ravi in 1306 where Mongol forces were decisively repelled. He emphasises that Khalji success depended on a network of forts, improved intelligence and rapid mobilisation rather than mere frontier walls. The article also explores diplomacy: envoys were sent to the Ilkhans of Persia, and marriage alliances were forged to neutralise threats. Despite sporadic Mongol incursions, the Khaljis managed to push the frontier westward and stabilise the Punjab. The author concludes that these strategies allowed the sultans to expand into Gujarat and the Deccan while keeping the north‑west secure, laying foundations for later Tughlaq policies.