Alauddin was the most ambitious ruler who ascended the throne of Delhi. His early successes had added fuel to the fire of his ambitions. Now he began to make plans to conquer the entire world and that is why he assumed the title of ‘Sikander Sani’.
He got this title struck on his coins also. Dr. Ishwari Prasad has quoted his ambitious posture, “I have wealth, elephants and forces beyond all calculations. My wish is to place Delhi in charge of a viceregent and then I wish to go out myself into the world, like Alexander, in pursuit of conquest, and subdue the whole habitable world.”
The cotemporary historian Barani has also written about his ever increasing ambitions, “In the third year of his reign Alauddin had little to do beyond attending his pleasures, giving feasts and holding festivals.
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One success followed another; dispatches of victory came in from all sides; every year he had two or three sons born; affairs of state went on to his satisfaction, his treasury was over-flowing, boxes and caskets of jewels and pearls were daily displayed before his eyes, he had numerous elephants in his stables and 70,000 horses in the city and environs. All this prosperity intoxicated him in his conceit, ignorance and folly he completely lost his balance, formed utterly impossible schemes and cherished the wildest desires.”
Owing to his overweening ambitions he began to think that as prophet Muhammad had four assistants, Abu Bakr, Usman, Umar and Ali, in the same manner he had Ulugh Khan. Zafar Khan, Nusrat Khan and Alp Khan. He used to boast out of pride that he could also propound a new religion with the help of his four Khans and thus his name along with his supporters would be immortalized upto the day of doom. Thus he developed a new notion of propagating a new religion along with conquering the entire world.
He consulted Ala-ul-Mulk in this regard; who advised him properly well. He told, his schemes were impractical because to begin a new religion or Shariat is the duty of prophets and not of the Sultans. In his own words, ‘ Religion and law spring from heaven by revelation they are never established by the plans and designs of man.’
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The Sultan was convinced with the appropriate advice of his bosom friend, and he gave up the idea of propagating a new religion.
Ala-ul-Mulk also advised the Sultan that “every king wanted to attain victories like Alaxander the Great but neither this age is of Alaxander nor the ministers like Aristotle are available to guide the kings. You should have two clear aims before you—First, to attain victory on various parts of India which are still free, and secondly, to safeguard your empire from the invasions of the Mongols.” He also advised the Sultan to leave the life of sensual pleasures and devote himself seriously to the task of empire building.
Only then could he be successful in his mission. Alauddin also welcomed the second counsel of Ala-ul-Mulk and decided to conquer entire India. His scheme of conquests can be divided into two phases—one, conquest of northern India and second, conquest of southern India.