Khusrav Khan donning the role of Malik Kafur

Alauddin Khilji the second Sultan of Khilji dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, died in 1316. His general Malik Kafur, who unleashed a reign of terror by persecuting the sons and family members of the late Sultan, was in turn killed by another son of Alauddin Khilji, Mubarak Shah, who became the next Khilji sultan under the title of Qutb ud din Mubarak Shah. Like his father, who was under the influence of Malik Kafur, Mubarak Shah was infatuated with Khusrav Khan, a low-caste (Hindu) Baradu convert from Gujarat who was made the wazir, malik naib and Commander in Chief of the Khilji dynasty by the Sultan against the advice of his nobles.

In April 1320, Mubarak Shah was murdered by Khusrav Khan bringing the Khilji dynasty to an end. Khusrav Khan ascended the throne of Delhi under the title of Nasir-ud-din Khusrav Shah and tried to strike a veritable reign of terror by murdering the relatives, friends and those loyal to the Khilji Sultan.

If historians like Barni, Yahiya Bin Ahmand Sirhindi, and Ibn Batutah are to be believed, Khusrav gave preferential treatment to the Hindus. This was resented by the Muslim nobles specially the Alali Nobles who invited Gazi Malik, the noble of Dipalpur, to put an end to the reign of Khusrav Khan. Gazi Malik defeated Khusrav at Delhi on the 5th September, 1320 and beheaded Khusrav. Gazi Malik became the Sultan of Delhi Sultanate under the title of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq and the dynasty, he founded, is known as Tughluq dynasty.

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