Invasion of Timur on India (1398)

It was during the reign of Nasiruddin Mahmud (1394-1413), the last of the Tughluq rulers, in the years 1398-99, that Amir Timur, the terrible Mongol military leader of Central Asia, invaded India creating havoc in the forms of massacres and plunders.

Also known as Tamerlane, Timur (April 8, 1336–February 18, 1405) was a ferocious conqueror who is known in history for razing cities to the ground and putting entire populations to the sword.

Amir Timur was born in A.D. 1336 at Kesh (now known as Shahrisabz) in Transoxiana. Son of Amir Turghay, chief of the Gurkan branch of the Barlas Turks, Amir Timur ascended the throne of Samarqand in 1369 and overran the countries of Persia, Afghanistan and Mesopotamia.

Amir Timur was emboldened to attack India due to the chaotic condition prevailing during the times of the later Tughluq rulers. However as his nobles and soldiers were not in favour of undertaking military campaign to India, he declared that his main object for invading the country was to extinguish the idolatry which is not permitted in Islam.

After massacring thousands of the inhabitants of many cities and places of India including Talamba, Delhi, Firuzabad, Meerut, Jammu and Kangra, Timur left the country in March, 1399 "after inflicting on India more misery than had ever before been indicted by any conqueror in a single campaign.“ The best artisans of Delhi were made captive and sent to Samarqand (located in modern-day Uzbekistan) to build there the famous Friday Mosque which was designed by Timur himself. Timur is also known as a great patron of architecture.

Timur appointed Khizr Khan to the governorship of Multan, Lahore and DIpalpur as a reward for his services to the Mongol invader. In June 1414, Khizr Khan invaded Delhi and founded a new dynasty named Saiyid Dynasty.

Timur died in 1405 at Otrar in Kazakhstan.

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