Khusrau Khan was a Hindu slave convert to Islam from present day Gujarat, who had won favour with his Khalji masters due to his successful military career. He had later usurped the throne of Delhi Sultanate after a palace coup in which an army raised by Khusrau composed of his “Baradu” kin from Gujarat murdered the last Khalji Sultan, Mubarak Shah after which, Khusrau Khan declared himself Sultan of Delhi Sultanate. As a side note, there are doubts on the sincerity of Khusrau’s conversion to Islam.
At this point, Ghazi Malik who later goes on to become Giyasuddin Tughlaq, founder of Tughlaq dynasty was an administrator of Dipalpur (Punjab) on behalf of his Khalji employers, which was a sub-division of Multan. His time spent in what was the “frontier” of the empire saw him do two things that would prove pivotal in Punjab politics a) alliances with the otherwise rebellious Khokhars of Koh-i-Jud (still Hindus at this point) or as Peter Jackson describes them “imperfectly subdued tribes, notably the Khokhars, whose original territory lay between the Jhelum and the Chenab but who were by now encroaching on the regions east of the Beah” [1] The reason why this alliance would be so useful to Ghazi Malik is because none of the Delhi Sultanate governors posted in Punjab & Sind region sided with him besides one in Uch despite the unpopularity of Sultan Khusrau Khan.
b) patronize the shrine of Pakpattan on which I elaborate briefly at the end of the article.
So, when Khusrau Khan proclaimed himself ruler of Hindustan, Ghazi Malik set out to oppose him with an army composed significantly of Punjabi Khokhars, but also his kin & other Central Asian groups. While Amir Khusrau ignored Khokhars & only talks about Mongol rebels, Turks & Tajiks it is Abdul Malik Isami who illuminates in detail the role played by Khokhars in Ghazi Malik’s army which lead to the formation of Tughlaq state. [2]
The first battle was in Sarsuti in which the new Sultan’s army was lead by his brother Khan-i-Khanan. The Khokhars formed the vanguard on behalf of Ghazi Malik’s army & it was their assault that caused enemy forces to scatter. According to Isami, the violent nature of the Khokhar assault was such that front line retreated and its commander Malik Qutblugh killed. After which, the Khokhar chief, Gul Chand killed the rival parasol bearer (umbrella) & in a symbolic show of victory raised it over Ghazi Malik’s head unofficially marking the beginning of a new era in the region’s history. [3]
The second battle that culminated with the foundation of Tughlaq state was in Delhi in which Khokhars were again the vanguard, however Amir Khusrau and Isami both state that the attack from the defending Sultan Khusrau Khan was so severe that Ghazi Malik was only left with 300 soldiers in his contingent. It was at that point Khusrau’s troops started looting & even finding themselves in Ghazi Malik’s tent. This time was used as an opportunity by Ghazi Malik for a counter attack who mustered a force of 500 soldiers to attack from front and sent Khokhars to attack from the rear which turned the tide. [3] The victors founded the Tughlaq dynasty, in which another Punjabi tribe, Bhattis formed an important court faction. Khusrau Khan was later caught and executed.
During Ghazi Malik’s time as Dipalpur’s administrator, who is now Sultan Giyasuddin Tughlaq, he was a visitor of Baba Farid (1175-1265) shrine in Pakpattan and it was in one of these trips that Shaikh Alaudin (1281-1334) indirectly predicted the ascent of the Tughlaq household. [4]
These shrines particularly the one in Pakpattan, Punjab would later go on to become institutions of their own due to their ability to raise small armies through marriage alliances with tribal elders, hence acting as middlemen & connecting Delhi with the various tribes scattered around Punjab. More on that another time.
Sources:
[1] The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History by Peter Jackson pg. 127
[2] The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History by Peter Jackson pg. 179
[3] The Sultanate of Delhi by Aniruddha Ray
[4] Making of Medieval Punjab: 4. New Strategies of State Formation, 21/129 by Surinder Singh
Punjabi Waseb 