Chapter II : What Was There Before Hyderabad Came Into Being?
My 24, 2001
To Marco Polo who visited India in the 13th Century Telingana was known as “The Kingdom Of Mutfili”.
Marco Polo says:-
“When you leave Ma”abar [ Now Chennai or Madras] and go about a thousand miles in a northerly direction you come to the kingdom of Mutfili [ Telingana ].”
“It is in this kingdom that diamonds are to be got and I shall tell you how”.
“There are some lofty mountains in these parts; and when the winter rains fall, and they are very heavy,the waters come roaring down the mountains in great torrents”
“When the rains are over, and the waters from the mountains have ceased to flow, they search the beds of the torrents and find plenty of diamonds”
“Now amongst these mountains there are great and deep valleys, to the bottom of which there is no access. Wherefore the men who go in search for diamonds take with them pieces of flesh, as lean as they can get, and these they cast to the bottom of a valley. Now there are numbers of white eagles that haunt those mountains…When they see the meat thrown down they pounce upon it and carry it to some rocky hill top where they begin to rend it. But there are men on the watch and and as soon as they see that the eagles have settled they raise a loud shouting to drive them away. And when the eagles are thus frightened away they recover the pieces of meat and find them full of diamonds which have stuck to the meat down at the bottom.”
“For the abundance down there in the depths of the valleys is astonishing, but nobody can get down; and if one could it would be only to be incontinently devoured by the serpents which are so rife there”.
“There is another way. People go to the nests of these white eagles, of which there are many, and in their droppings they find plenty of diamonds which the eagles have swallowed in devouring the meat cast into the valleys. And when the eagles themselves are taken, diamonds are found in their stomachs”.
“Now I have told you of the three different ways in which these stones are found”
“No other country but the kingdom of Mutfili [Telingana] produces them, but they are found abundantly and of a large size”.
“Those that are brought to our part of the world [Europe] are only the refuse, as it were of the finer and larger ones. For the flower of diamonds and other large gems, as well as the largest pearls are all carried to the Great Khan [Kha Kaan or Khaaqaan ; then Kublai Khan Mongol Emperor of China] and other Kings and Princes of this region; in truth they possess all treasures of the world”.
Here we have the “Bird made of Gold” or Soaney Kee Chidiyaa image which India has had from times immemorial. The merchants of ancient Rome and Alexandria believed that if, of seven ships loaded with merchandise that sailed from India only one got home its cargo would yield enough profit for making the entrepreneur rich.
The rich diversity of India”s produce catered to all human needs and desires. The great abundance ensured that enough was left over after meeting local needs to cater to a huge export market.
From staple foods like rice to luxuries such as sugar and exotica in the way of spices; textiles from practical workmanlike broadcloth to the softest gossamer cotton and silk; rare perfumes rose, amber, agar, sandal and musk, jewels from diamonds to pearls and skilled men and women including jugglers and acrobats magicians and dancers to musicians poets physicians astrologers and astronomers soothsayers and spellbinders.
There was all this with curiosities galore thrown in for good measure.
One product above all the others gave physical proof of India”s fable quality even when it was far away from India and in alien country. This was the Heeraa or Almaas, the Diamond.
A diamond comes alive with the play of light upon it. A ray of light whether from a small earthen lamp or the Sun or the Moon bounces around inside a diamond and gets multiplied by its facets to make the stone glow and radiate light. In folklore huge uncut diamonds were used for lighting up dark areas in temples and palaces. This mysterious and exotic quality made the diamond an object of fantasy. It was not only fascinating but also most precious and portable. A diamond worth a king”s ransom could be carried across the world concealed on the person with the greatest of ease.
All the regalia of the Kings and Queens of Europe the crowns the scepters and the orbs the thrones and the ornaments and decorations sparkle with Indian, diamonds from Telingana. Some are named like the Blue Diamond now in the Smithsonian Washington USA and the Kohinoor now in the Tower of London U.K. They have biographies and legends which treat them as if they were sentient living beings with power of Good and Evil.
The export trade made South India the richest area of the wealthiest country in the world. Gold flooded its markets. Excavations around the sea ports of the South Indian Peninsula yield caches of gold coins from Rome which cover the period from the Roman Republic down to the last Emperors. They coins formed “putleemaalaas”[ putlee=image + maalaa=nacklace].
The other commodity imported were horses. They came from Arabia and Central Asia. The importance of this trade has been registered in the sculptural decorations of the monuments of the Vijaynagar Empire at Hampi. Palaces and temple friezes depict magnificent horses being led by merchants. The dress is Asian to begin with. and changes to European as the Portuguese wrest the trade routes and make them a monopoly.
Riches excite greed. Traders and the merchants take part in commerce to get some of the wealth for themselves. The neighbouring politicians or the rulers want all the wealth for themselves. The Sultans of Delhi started raiding the South from the time of the Khilji Sultans 1290-1320.
The Khiljis originated in the harsh climate of Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Afghans and Turcomans bred and reared horses and camels which were far superior to any raised in India. These hardy men on superior mounts could outpace and outdistance any Indian cavalry. They travelled farther and faster than could be imagined by their Indian opponents. When it came to battle man and mount were one in a manner unknown to local cavalry. This superiority won them North India to begin [1192] with and gave them victories in South India a century later.
The raid of Deogiri by Alauddin Khilji in 1296 illustrates the point. Alauddin was the nephew and son-in-law of Sultan Jalaluddin Firoz Khilji ruler of Delhi 1290-1296. Appointed governor of Kara Manikpur after he quelled a rebellion there Alauddin was made restive by ambition to be Sultan. Jalaluddin Firoz had a son and there was no chance for Alauddin unless he rebelled. To rebel successfully an army large enough to take on the Delhi Sultan was needed. This requirement called for much greater resource mobilisation than was possible for the governor of a small area of what is now East U.P.
There was also the great danger of being found out. If any suspicion at all was aroused the Sultan could be expected to come to Kara Manikpur with his army and stamp down Alauddin with his rebellious ideas. To add to all this was the constant nagging by Alauddin”s wife who insisted upon being accorded a degree of deference appropriate only for her father the Sultan.
The tales of the fabled wealth of the Kingdom of Deogir excited Alauddin. This place was many day”s march away. Its fort was considered impregnable and the whole enterprise could end in disaster.
Alauddin laid his plans with great care and circumspection. He had to operate in great secrecy as neither the Yadava rulers of Deogiri nor his uncle the Sultan could be allowed the slightest whiff of what was afoot. The story he fed his uncle was that he was planning an expedition to nearby Chanderi in Central India. The Yadavas were fooled by Alauddin assuming the persona of a merchant prince leading his men into the rich kingdoms of the South to find opportunities for commerce or employment.
The ruse worked. Alauddin left headquarters at Kara Manikpur on 25th February 1296 and returned on 1st June 1296. Of the ninety-five (95) days he was away twenty-five(25) were spent besieging reducing and plundering Deogiri. Seventy (70) were spent travelling incognito and by infrequented routes in order to achieve the objective of taking the enemy unawares. Speed was of the essence and the swiftest horses and camels were used by Alauddin.
The mission was successful beyond hope and the treasures acquired incalculable.
The contemporary account, by Isami in his “Futuh-us-Salaatin” says :- “Every house possessed heaps of diamonds and was full of silver and gold. Huge stocks of silk were found everywhere and opn every side perfumes were available in abundance. In every street gold could be found in unlimited quantities and there were so many treasures…
Very attractive types of cloth were found and where, except at Deogiri could there be such a bewildering variety of textiles!”
Amir Khusro says “Were I to attempt to recount the details of the treasures plundered no measure or balance would be equal to the task. The treasure had been accumulated by many generations of the Yadavas Rais and Rajas. Camels and mules were laden with every kind of precious stone, and even the most experienced jewellers [of Delhi] were unable to fix a price for them. Who can tell of the heaps amber and mounds of costly silks?”