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 CHAPTER VIII

DELHI BEFORE THE MOGHAL CONQUEST

Mahomedan conquest of Delhi — The first Mahomedan king of India — The slaves who became kings — Altamsh — Balban — The Khilji dynasty — Ala-ud-din — Tughlak Shah— His son Mahomed — Firoze Shah — Timur's invasion — The Lodi kings — The Moghals called in.

It is unnecessary to recapitulate the scanty history of Delhi before the Mahomedan conquest of the place, for that has been dealt with in the third chapter. The Mahomedan conqueror of India was Muiz-ud-din, Mahomed bin Sam, Shahab-ud-din, commonly known as Mahomed of Ghor, the country from which he came. His first attempt ended in utter failure, for Prithwi Raja, of Delhi, decisively defeated him at Tilauri, near Thanesar, in a.d. 1191. But he was not to be baulked in his design, came again after a year, and was completely successful, defeating and slaying on the same field the Hindu king. Kutb-ud-din Ibak, his general, proceeded to Delhi and occupied the place, entering the city on the west