Alauddin Khalji's conquest of Devagiri

Around 1308, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji sent a large army led by his general Malik Kafur to Devagiri, the capital of the Yadava king Ramachandra.

Alauddin had earlier raided Devagiri in 1296, and forced Ramachandra to pay him tribute. However, Ramachandra had discontinued these tribute payments, and had given asylum to the Vaghela king Karna, whom Alauddin had displaced from Gujarat in 1304.

A section of the Delhi army, commanded by Alp Khan, invaded Karna's principality in the Yadava kingdom, and captured the Vaghela princess Devaladevi, who later married Alauddin's son Khizr Khan. Another section, commanded by Malik Kafur captured Devagiri after a weak resistance by the defenders. Ramachandra agreed to become a vassal of Alauddin, and later, aided Malik Kafur in the Sultanate's invasions of the southern kingdoms.

There is some confusion over the date of Alauddin's second invasion of Devagiri. His courtier Amir Khusrau dates this invasion to March 1307, but describes it after the Siege of Siwana, which occurred in 1308. The 16th century writer Firishta dates the Devagiri campaign to 1306, but states that it happened in same year as the Siege of Siwana.

The near-contemporary writer Ziauddin Barani dates the invasion to 1308, which according to historian Kishori Saran Lal, appears to be correct.

The Yadava king Ramachandra had agreed to pay an annual tribute to Alauddin after the Alauddin's 1296 raid of the Yadava capital Devagiri. However, in the mid-1300s, he stopped sending the tribute, as Alauddin remained occupied with his campaigns in northern India. As a result, Alauddin sent a force led by his general Malik Kafur to subjugate Ramachandra. According to the 14th century chronicler Isami, the decision of not paying the tribute was that of Ramachandra's son and his associates: Ramachandra himself remained loyal to Alauddin, and even appealed the Sultan to punish his son, resulting in Malik Kafur's invasion. This seems true, because according to Amir Khusrau's Khazainul Futuh, Alauddin ordered his army not to harm Ramachandra and his family during the invasion.

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