Machine summary:
The news of the sudden attack was transmitted to Sultan Mahmud through a foot-messenger who reached India with extraordinary speed.
1 The chiefof the postal system was called $aljib-i-Barid, whose duty was to superintend the efficient arrangement of the system as well as to keep the Sultan in touch with the important affairs of the province.
Ahmad, the author of the Tabaqat-i-Akbar'i,4 in the following words: "Whenever Sultan 'Ala'uddin sent an army to any side he stationed at ·f?.
The latter part of Barani's statement is echoed in the following words of Khwaja Nizam'uddin Ahmad, the author of the Tabaqat-i-Akbari : " At this juncture Dak Chawki, which in the terminology of those people was called Ulagh, was received from Delhi, bearing the Farman that Sultan Ghiyath'uddin was alive and well and was, as usual, on the throne of Delhi.
Ibn-Battuta, the itinerant historian, who remained in the service of Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq for eight years; writes of the postal system· of the ·period: "The distance from Siwastan to Multan is of ten days, and it takes fifty days to reach Delhi from Multan.
The letters of the news-writer reached the king through the post in five days.
He writes that 11 all throu_gh the country, which separates the two capitals of the empire, Delhi and Deogir, the Sultan has had drums placed at every post-station.
After a weary journey and arduous march of six months a road was discovered, and the Sultan determined to send an Ulagh {a horse-messenger) to Delhi.