A large army had once before been sent to Arangal by way of Bengal, but unable to effect anything, it had returned dilapidated and ruined. In the year A.H. 709 the Emperor sent the Malik Naib with an enormous army on a second expedition to Arangal, but this time by way of Deogir. ‘If Laddar Deo, the ruler of Arangal,’ such were ‘Alauddin’s directions, ‘gives up his treasure, jewels and elephants, and promises to pay an yearly tribute, rest content with it and do not try to conquer the fort of Arangal or the territory of Tilang, Consult Khwaja Haji in the direction of affairs. Do not put the amirs to task for small offences. If a trooper’s horse is killed in battle, stolen by a thief or otherwise disabled, give him a better one in its place.’ The Malik Naib and Khwaja Haji reached Deogir by continuous marches. Ram Deo came out to receive them with many presents and wonderfully fulfilled all the duties of a host. He sent the shopkeepers of his own army to the Malik Naib’s troops and directed them to sell their wares at the Imperial tariff-rates. He personally came to pay his respects before the red canopy every day. When the Malik Naib started from Deogir for Tilang, Ram Deo accompanied him for a few stages; then leaving a part of his horse and foot with the Malik Naib to keep guard over the army and show the way to Tilang, he returned with (the Malik Naib’s) permission. Moreover, he ordered the merchants, raiyats and corn-dealers of his kingdom to continue their duty of carrying grain and all other necessaries to the army and to see to it that the (Delhi) troops were not put to trouble on any account. When the Malik Naib reached the pargana of Indore on the frontier of Tilang, he ordered his troops to kill and plunder without stint. A terror surpassing all description took possession of the inhabitants, and the rais of the surrounding country collected round Laddar Deo from fear of the Muslim army. When the invaders approached, Ladder Deo took refuge in the inner fort of Arangal, which was of stone while the other rais remained in the very extensive outer fort of mud. The Malik Naib invested the fort and closed all exits; but the infidels raised the banner of defence and a great number of men fell every day. After a long time and with great effort, the outer fort was at last conquered and most of the rais and zamindars were captured with their women, children, families and tribes. Laddar Deo was now helpless. He offered three hundred elephants, seven thousand horses, plenty of jewels and cash, and promised to pay an yearly tribute. The Malik Naib (accepted it) and prepared to return. When the news reached the Emperor, drums were beaten in Delhi, the message of victory was read from the pulpits and all the ceremonies of thanks-giving were duly performed. On the Malik Naib’s arrival, ‘Alauddin came out of the City and sat on the Chabutra-i Nasiri near the Badaun Gate, where the Malik Naib pre­sented his spoils and became the object of unprecedented royal favours.

It is said that whenever ‘Alauddin sent his army in any direction, posts (dak chaukis) called bam in the language of former times, were stationed from Delhi to the camp of the army. Two swift-running footmen, known in Hind as paiks, were placed at every karoh and clerks (navisandas) were stationed at every city and town on the route to despatch a daily written report on the events of the place. Now, while the Malik Naib was besieging the fort of Arangal, the roads became dangerous owing to the large number of Telangi soldiers and the posts were swept away. For some days no news of the army arrived. The Emperor was perplexed and sent Qazi Mughisuddin of Biana and Malik Qara Beg to Shaikh Nizamuddin Aulia. ‘Give my respects to the Shaikh,’ he said, ‘and tell him that my mind is weighed down by the non-arrival of any news from the army. He has even a greater concern for Islam than I have and if he has come to know anything about it through the revelations of the inner light, request him to give me some hints. And tell me exactly whatever comes to Shaikh’s lips in answer to this, without adding or subtracting anything.’ When the two messengers reached the Shaikh and conveyed their message, the Shaikh referred to an emperor of the past and related the story of his conquests; in the course of conversation he remarked that he (the Shaikh) expected other victories in addition to the conquest of Arangal. ‘Alauddin was extremely pleased and felt sure that Arangal had been conquered. As providence would have it, that very afternoon messengers brought the message of victory from Arangal. The Emperor’s faith in the Shaikh increased; though ‘Alauddin never evinced any desire to see the Shaikh personally, yet by the despatch of messengers and letters he gave evidence of his sincerity and friendship and invoked the Shaikh’s blessing.

‘Alauddin had conquered all forts from the frontiers of Sindh and Kabul to the border of Bengal, and also the forts of Gujrat and the Deccan; the hereditary dominions of the rajahs had come into his hands; and there were not ten bighas of land in the inhabited parts of Hindustān where his khutba was not read. He now began to aspire for the coast of the Sea of ‘Umman (Indian Ocean) and the remotest corners of the south. The Malik Naib and Khwaja Haji were despatched in A.H. 710 to subjugate Dhur Samandar and Ma’bar. The temples of those lands were full of gold and precious jewels and their rais had a great reputation for the wealth of their treasuries. When the two generals reached Deogir, they found that Ram Deo was dead and had been succeeded by his son. Not reposing the same trust in the loyalty of the son as they had in the loyalty of the father, they left an officer of their own near the town of Jallahpur on the bank of the Ganges (Godavari) before proceeding further. This time they tried to slay the infidels more than ever before, and marched on riotously till after a journey of three months they reached the destined ports. They overpowered Bital (Bilal) Deo, rajah of the Carnatic, plundered his country, broke the temples and seized all idols which were set with jewels. They also built a small mosque of stone and plaster, in which they gave the Prophet’s call for prayers and read the Emperor’s khutba. The mosque still exists in the suburbs of Sit Band Ramisar and is known as the Masjid-i ‘Alai (‘Alauddin’s mosque). It can be seen from there that the port of Dhur Samandar, situated on the shore of the Sea of ‘Umman (Arabian Sea), has now been destroyed by the innundations of the sea. It is said that the infidels, out of respect due to a house of God, have refrained from destroying the mosque. But, according to others, it is written in the books of the infidels that this land, as well as the whole of the inhabited globe, will finally come under the sway of Muslim rulers; consequently their divines have not permitted the Hindus to destroy the mosque. Be this as it may, the Malik Naib, having seized the treasure of the Rai, prepared to depart. The Brahmans of the place had been spared by the victors and were living with the army. On the night before its departure, some of them took out a part of the treasure, which was buried under the temples; but while dividing it among themselves, they began to quarrel and disputed very loudly. A Mussalman, who came to know of this, informed the Kotwal. The Kotwal arrested all the Brahmans and brought them before the Malik Naib. The Brahmans, from fear of the rack and torture, gave up all they had; they showed where the treasure lay concealed, and also six other spots in the forest where treasures were buried. The Malik Naib acquired a world of wealth from those places, loaded it on elephants and started for Ma’bar. Here, too, he broke the temples and seized the cash and jewels, which the rais had hoarded for thousands of years. Then, loaded with booty, he started on his return journey and reached Delhi in A.H. 711. He presented to the Emperor before the Hazar Sutun Palace three hundred and twelve elephants, twenty thousand horses, ninety-six thousand mans of gold, being equivalent to about ten karores of tankas, and caskets of pearls and jewels beyond all computation. The Emperor was mightily pleased to see the treasure, before which the ‘bad awurd’ of Parwiz was a trifle. Contrary to his usual practice, he opened the door of his treasury and gave five and ten mans of gold to each of his amirs; the divines, shaikhs and other deserving persons got a man or half-a-man each while smaller people also received presents in proportion to their deserts. The rest of the gold was melted in the Emperor’s presence and the Alai mint-mark (muhr) was put upon it. Since silver has never been referred to in the spoils brought by the Malik Naib from the Carnatic, it would seem that no particular value was attached to silver in those lands and that it was not current (as a coin). Even now most people in those parts use gold (as a circulating medium). Not to speak of the rich, the very beggars feel ashamed of wearing silver ornaments while most men of the middle class dine in plates of gold.