Jalaluddin Khalji laid the foundation of the
Khalji dynasty. He ascended the throne at the
age of 70 years. Although Jalaluddin retained
the earlier nobility in his administration, but the
rise of Khaljis to power ended the monopoly of
nobility of slaves to high offices. Jalaluddin ruled
only for a short span of six years.He tried to
mitigate some of the harsh aspects of Balban’s
rule. He was the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
to clearly put forward the view that the state
should be based on the willing support of the
governed, and that since the large majority of
the people in India were Hindus, the state in
India could not be a truly Islamic state.
Jalaluddin tried to win the goodwill of the
nobility by a policy of tolerance. He avoided
harsh punishments, even to those who revolted
against him. He not only forgave them but at
times even rewarded them to win their support.
However many people including his supporters,
considered him to be a weak sultan.
Jalaluddin’s policy was reversed by Alauddin
Khalji who awarded drastic punishments to all
those who dared to oppose him.
