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Malik Maqbul (Khan-i Jahan)

Telugu noble of Warangal, called Kattu before his conversion, who entered the service of Muhammad bin Tughluq after the fall of the Kakatiyas. He governed the province of Telingana until Kanya Naik's revolt drove him out. He rose to be chief minister of Sultan Firuz Tughluq with the title Khan-i Jahan.

Malik Maqbul was a Telugu noble of Warangal who became a Muslim and served the Tughluq sultans of Delhi.1 He governed Telangana (then Telingana) for Muhammad bin Tughluq.2 He later became chief minister of Sultan Firuz Tughluq, with the title Khan-i Jahan.34

From Warangal to Delhi

Shams-i Siraj Afif, who wrote the history of Firuz Tughluq’s reign, gives the only account of Maqbul’s origins.1 He says that Khan-i Jahan’s name was Makbul: “In his state of ignorance (i.e. when he was a Hindu) he was called Kattu.”1 He was “a native of Telingana, and a man of high position in his tribe”.1 He “had attracted the favour of the Rai of that country” (the king of Telangana).1

Muhammad bin Tughluq sent the Rai of Telingana to Delhi, and the Rai died on the road.1 Kattu then presented himself to the sultan and became a Muslim, and the sultan named him Makbul.1 Haig, in the Cambridge History of India (1928), calls him “a Brahman of Telingana who had accepted Islam”.5 He also calls him “the ablest noble in the kingdom”.5 See Prataparudra.

Afif says that the sultan, seeing his intelligence, gave him the title Kiwamu-l Mulk and the fief (land grant) of Multan.14 Then the sultan made him deputy wazir (minister) of Delhi.14 Maqbul could neither read nor write, and he sealed the orders he issued “Makbul, slave of Muhammad Tughlik”.14

Ferishta’s list of the new sultan’s appointments names a “Mullik Mukbool” made Imam-ool-Moolk and wazir of the empire.6 It also names a “Mullik Mokbil” made Khan Jehan and wazir of Gujarat.6

Governor of Telingana

Muhammad bin Tughluq fell ill with cholera at Warangal in 1335.2 Barani says that “he then appointed Malik Kabul, the naib-wazir, to be ruler over Tilang” (Telangana).2 A naib-wazir was a deputy minister. Elliot and Dowson note that Barani calls the same officer Kabul, Makbul and Mukbil.7 Haig calls the governor of Telingana Malik Qabil.8

Barani says that Kanya Naik “had gathered strength in the country”.9 At that point “Malik Makbul, the naib-wazir, fled to Dehli, and the Hindus took possession of Arangal” (Warangal).9 Gribble (1896) also calls the expelled governor Malik Makbul.10 Ferishta names the governor who was driven out of Warangal as Imad-ul-Mulk.11 See the Delhi Sultanate in the Telugu country and Kapaya Nayaka.

Minister of the Tughluqs

Maqbul remained in the sultan’s confidence. In the revolt of the foreign amirs (nobles) of Gujarat, Barani says, the sultan sent “Malik Makbul, naib-wazir-i mamalik” in pursuit of the rebels.712 Maqbul routed them on the Narmada.712 On the sultan’s orders, he put to death the amirs of Bharuch (then Broach) in his camp.712

Ferishta calls the governor of Gujarat who was robbed by the rebels “Mullik Mokbil, who, with the title of Khan Jehan, had been just nominated”.13 In 1350 the sultan sent Ahmad Ayyaz and Malik Makbul to take charge of the capital.1415

After Muhammad bin Tughluq’s death in 1351, Maqbul, as Kiwamu-l Mulk, wrote to Firuz Tughluq offering to join him.34 He helped Firuz take Delhi against Khwaja-i Jahan, who had set up a son of the late sultan.34 Firuz made him wazir with the title Khan-i Jahan.34

Afif describes him governing Delhi as the sultan’s deputy whenever Firuz was away.416 His household was so large that Firuz called him “the grand and magnificent king of Dehli”.416

In 1370 a mint official was accused of debasing the new six-jital coin, that is, of mixing cheap metal into it.1718 Khan-i Jahan Maqbul advised the sultan to keep the matter quiet.1718

Evidence and disagreements

  • Origin. A native of Telingana and “a man of high position in his tribe” (Afif), or a Brahman of Telingana (Haig).15
  • The governor who lost Warangal. Malik Makbul (Barani, Gribble) or Imad-ul-Mulk (Ferishta).91011

Footnotes

  1. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 367, Shams-i Siraj Afif, Tarikh-i Firoz Shahi (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  2. H. M. Elliot and John Dowson, The History of India as Told by Its Own Historians, Vol. III (1871), p. 243, Barani (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 283, Afif (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 368, Afif (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  5. Haig, Cambridge History of India, Vol. III (1928), p. 174 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. Muhammad Qasim Ferishta, tr. John Briggs, History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India, Vol. I (1829), p. 412 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  7. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 256 and note 2, Barani (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  8. Wolseley Haig (ed.), The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III (1928), p. 149 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  9. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 245, Barani (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  10. J. D. B. Gribble, A History of the Deccan, Vol. I (1896), pp. 19–20 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  11. Ferishta, tr. Briggs, Vol. I (1829), p. 427 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  12. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 257, Barani (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  13. Ferishta, tr. Briggs, Vol. I (1829), p. 435 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  14. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 264, Barani (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  15. Haig, Cambridge History of India, Vol. III (1928), p. 172 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩

  16. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 369, Afif (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  17. Elliot and Dowson, Vol. III (1871), p. 358, Afif (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

  18. Haig, Cambridge History of India, Vol. III (1928), p. 185 (archive.org (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩2

References

Sources (4)
  1. H. M. Elliot and John Dowson (eds.), The History of India as Told by Its Own Historians: The Muhammadan Period, Vol. III (opens in a new tab), Trübner and Co., London, 1871, pp. 243, 245, 256–257, 264, 283, 358, 367–369. [Public domain]
  2. Muhammad Qasim Ferishta (tr. John Briggs), History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India till the Year A.D. 1612, Vol. I (opens in a new tab), Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, London, 1829, pp. 412, 435. [Public domain]
  3. Wolseley Haig (ed.), The Cambridge History of India, Vol. III: Turks and Afghans (opens in a new tab), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1928, pp. 149, 172, 174, 185. [Public domain]
  4. J. D. B. Gribble, A History of the Deccan, Vol. I (opens in a new tab), Luzac & Co., London, 1896, pp. 19–20. [Public domain]

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