On the second day after the death of 'Aláu-d dín, Malik Náíb Káfúr assembled the principal nobles and officers in the palace, and produced a will of the late Sultán which he had caused to be executed in favour of Malik Shahábu-d dín, removing Khizr Khán from being heir apparent. With the assent of the nobles he placed Shahábu-d dín upon the throne, but as the new sovereign was a child of only five or six years old, he was a mere puppet in the hands of schemers. Malik Náíb Káfúr himself undertook the conduct of the government. * * * In the earliest days of his power he sent the traitor, Malik Sumbul, to put out the eyes of Khizr Khán at Gwalior, and he promoted this villain to be Bár-bak. He also sent his barber to blind Shádí Khán, full brother of Khizr Khán, in the palace of Sírí, by cutting his eyes from their sockets with a razor, like slices of melon. He took possession of the palace of the heir apparent, Khizr Khán, and sent his mother, the Malika-i Jahán, into miserable retirement. Then he seized all her gold, silver, jewels and valuables, and exerted himself to put down the partisans of Khizr Khán, who were rather numerous. He ordered Mubárak Khán, afterwards Sultán Kutbu-d dín, who was of the same age as Khizr Khán, to be confined to his room, and intended to have him blinded. It never occurred to this wretched man, nor did any one point out to him that his setting aside of the queen and princes would alienate all the old supporters of the throne, and that no one would put any trust in him. * * * His great object was to remove all the children and wives of the late Sultán, all the nobles and slaves who had claims upon the throne, and to fill their places with creatures of his own. * * *
While he was thus engaged in endeavouring to remove all the family of the late Sultán, he resolved that when the chief nobles of the throne came together from different parts of the country, he would seize them in their houses and kill them. But God be thanked that it entered into the hearts of some páíks, slaves of the late king, who had charge of the Hazár-sutún, that they ought to kill this wicked fellow. The officers had observed that every night after the company had retired, and the doors of the palace were shut, Malik Náíb Káfúr used to sit up all night, plotting with his creatures the destruction of the late Sultán's family; they therefore resolved that they would slay the rascal, and thus obtain an honourable name. So one night, when the people were gone, and the doors were locked, these páíks went with drawn swords to his sleeping room, and severed his wicked head from his foul body. They also killed all his confederates who were in concert with him. Thus thirty-five days after the death of 'Aláu-d dín, Malik Náíb Káfúr was decapitated, and Khizr Khán and Shádí Khán were avenged.
In the morning, when the nobles and officers attended at the palace and learned that the wretch was dead, and saw that he was mere clay, they gave thanks to God, and with a feeling of renewed life congratulated each other. The same páíks who had done the deed brought forth Mubárak Khán from the chamber in which Malik Káfúr had confined him, and had intended to blind him, and placed him in the situation of director (náíb) to Shahábu-d dín, instead of Malik Káfúr. They thought and boasted to themselves that they could remove and kill one of the two princes, and make the other one Sultán. Mubárak Khán acted as director for Shahábu-d dín several months, and managed the government. He was seventeen or eighteen years old, and he made friends of many of the maliks and amírs. He then seated himself upon the throne with the title of Kutbu-d dín, and sent Shahábu-d dín a prisoner to Gwalior, where he had him deprived of sight. The páíks who had killed Malik Káfúr now talked in vaunting tones at the door of the palace, boasting of having slain the Malik, and of having raised Kutbu-d dín to the throne. They claimed to have seats below the maliks and amírs, and to receive robes before them. * * * They collected at the door of the palace, and went in before all to the audience chamber. Sultán Kutbu-d dín, at the very beginning of his reign, was therefore compelled to give orders that these páíks should be separated, and sent to different places, where they were killed, and an end put to their pretensions. * * *
Sultán Kutbu-d dín, son of Sultán 'Aláu-d dín, ascended the throne in the year 717* H. (1317 A.D.). He gave to Malik Dínár, the keeper of the elephants, the title Zafar Khán, to Muhammad Mauláná, his maternal uncle, the title Sher Khán. * * * There was a young Parwárí, named Hasan, who had been brought up by Malik Shádí, the Náíb-hájib. The Sultán took an inordinate liking for this youth. In the very first year of his reign he raised him to distinction, and gave him the title of Khusrú Khán. He was so infatuated and so heedless of consequences, that he placed the army of the late Malik Náíb Káfúr under this youth, and gave to him the fiefs held by that malik. His passion and temerity carried him so far that he raised the youth to the office of wazír, and he was so doting that he could never endure his absence for a moment. The trouble which had prevailed in the land, from the beginning of the sickness of 'Aláu-d dín to the death of Malik Náíb Káfúr, began to abate on the accession of Kutbu-d dín. People felt secure, and were relieved from the apprehension of death, and the nobles were released from the dread of death and punishment.
When Kutbu-d dín came to the throne he was much given to dissipation and pleasure. Still he was a man of some excellent qualities. When he escaped from the danger of death and blinding, and was delivered from evils of many kinds; when he was relieved from despair of the future and became ruler, on the day of his accession he gave orders that the (political) prisoners and exiles of the late reign, amounting to seventeen or eighteen thousand in number, should all be released in the city and in all parts of the country. The amnesty was circulated by couriers in every direction, and the miserable captives broke forth in praises of the new sovereign. Six months' pay was given to the army, and the allowances and grants to the nobles were increased. * * * The Sultán from his good nature relieved the people of the heavy tribute and oppressive demands; and penalties, extortion, beating, chains, fetters, and blows were set aside in revenue matters. Through his love of pleasure, and extravagance, and ease,* all the regulations and arrangements of the late reign fell into disuse; and through his laxity in business matters all men took their ease, being saved from the harsh temper, severe treatment, and oppressive orders of the late king. Gold and gilt, silver and silver-gilt, again made their appearance indoors and out of doors in the streets. Men were no longer in doubt and fear of hearing, “Do this, but don't do that; say this, but don't say that; hide this, but don't hide that; eat this, but don't eat that; sell such as this, but don't sell things like that; act like this, but don't act like that.” * * * After the accession of Kutbu-d dín all the old Regulations were disregarded, the world went on to the content of men of pleasure, and an entirely new order of things was established; all fear and awe of the royal authority vanished. * * * The Sultán plunged into sensual indulgences openly and publicly, by night and by day, and the people followed his example. Beauties were not to be obtained. * * * The price of a boy, or handsome eunuch, or beautiful damsel, varied from 500 to 1000 and 2000 tankas.