New light on Alauddin Khalji’s Achievements
By Dasharatha Sharma
Summary
Translating verses from a Jain chronicle, this article provides a non‑Islamic perspective on the conquests of ʿAlāʾ al‑Dīn Khaljī. The Jain verses describe how the sultan captured Delhi, compelled the king of Devagiri to submit, conquered Gujarat and the Deccan and besieged Warangalfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,a%20pillar%20of%20113%20victoryfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,Karna%2C%20the%20ruler%20of%20Gurjaratra. They mention that he extracted tribute from Malwa and took Chitor, crediting a general named Alp Khanfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,then%20died%20bereft%20of%20lieroismfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=The%20ruler%20of%20Karnata%20%28%E0%AB%AA,was%20Pratiparudra%20Deva%20of%20%E0%AA%A6%E0%AB%8B%E0%AA%9F. Unlike Muslim chronicles, which celebrate the sultan’s victories as righteous wars, the Jain account emphasises the suffering of the conquered, the destruction of temples and the cruelty of generalsfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=prowess%2C%20he%20brought%20under%20his,manner%20that%20prevented%20their%20returnfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=Verse%202%20refers%20to%20the,Alauddin%E2%80%99s%20victory%20in%20the%20Deccan. The article compares the Jain narrative with works by Amīr Khusrau and Ziyāʾ al‑Dīn Baranī; while the events and chronology correspond, the tone differs significantlyfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=Cierakiita%20of%20the%20fourth%20verse,account%20of%20cthe%20stiff%20resistance. The author argues that the Jain text offers valuable independent testimony and may correct omissions in Muslim sources, such as the role of Alp Khan in the capture of Chitor. By juxtaposing the accounts, the article highlights the importance of multiple perspectives in reconstructing medieval historyfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,a%20pillar%20of%20113%20victoryfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=Cierakiita%20of%20the%20fourth%20verse,account%20of%20cthe%20stiff%20resistance.
Conclusion
By translating a Jain source, the article presents an alternative narrative of ʿAlāʾ al‑Dīn Khaljī’s campaigns. The Jain chronicle records conquests similar to those in Muslim histories but emphasises the devastation inflicted and attributes the capture of Chitor to Alp Khanfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,then%20died%20bereft%20of%20lieroismfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=The%20ruler%20of%20Karnata%20%28%E0%AB%AA,was%20Pratiparudra%20Deva%20of%20%E0%AA%A6%E0%AB%8B%E0%AA%9F. Comparing these accounts demonstrates the value of non‑Islamic sources in assessing medieval rulersfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=,a%20pillar%20of%20113%20victoryfile:///home/oai/share/split_pdfs/article_09.pdf#:~:text=Cierakiita%20of%20the%20fourth%20verse,account%20of%20cthe%20stiff%20resistance.