Invasion of Timur

Invasion of Timur : 1398

In 1398, when Delhi was in a chaotic state of the kingdom, Timur attacked Delhi with is 92 regiments of 1000 horsemen each.

• Timur, the fourteenth-century conqueror of Western, South and Central Asia was the founder of the Timurid dynasty (1370–1405) in Central Asia and was an ancestor of Babur who established Mughal Kingdom in India.

Timur was induced by the surpassing riches of India and by the duty of the “Holy War” against the infidels. The objective of Timur to invade India was “to lead a campaign against the “Infidels” and convert them to true faith as per the command of Hazarat Muhammad and purify the land from the pollution of misbelief and overthrow the temples and the idols placed inside them“.

Crossing the Indus and all the five rivers of Punjab, Timur almost unopposed reached capital on December 17, 1398 where a decisive battle was fought. Before he entered Delhi, more than 100000 Hindus were taken as prisoners. As a precaution to the war elephants of the Sultan, he made a defense camp with brushwood and trees, followed by a store and cattles and the Hindu women. His horsemen were stationed with the women prisoners. The women prisoners were raped and tortured. Before leaving for the battle, Timur ordered all of the 1 lakh men to be slain in cold blood.

The armies of Sultan Nasir-u Din Mahmud attempted to withstand this tyrant’s forces but were defeated. Timur left Delhi in December 1398 and marched on Meerut. Then he attacked Haridwar and overran the city in 1399. At Bhokarhedi, he faced stiff resistance from the Hindus. In 1399 he returned his capital with numerous slaves and 90 captured elephants laden with precious stones and gold looted from India. He returned to his capital Amu Darya and built a mosque at Samarkand.

• This mosque named Bibi-Khanym Mosque is located in Samarkand, Uzbekistan was built by Timur and is named after wife of Timur.