Teimoor crosses the Indus, and proceeds by Toolumba to Mool-tan, where he is joined by his grandson, Peer Mahomed. — Proceeds to Bhutnere, which he reduces. — Marches by Pani-put to Dehly. — Reconnoitres the city with a small division of troops — is attacked, but repulses the Indians. — The Indian captives, to the number of 100,000, put to death by his order. — Battle of Dehly. — The Indians defeated, and their King, Mahmood Toghluk, flies. — Contribution laid on Dehly — causes resistance. — Massacre and sack of Dehly. — Teimoor retreats, after appointing Khizr Khan, an Indian chief, his de­puty. — Noosrut Shah enters Dehly, and expels Mulloo Yekbal Khan. — Noosrut Shah subsequently expelled by Mulloo Yekbal Khan. — The territory of Dehly confined to a few villages. — Seven independent kingdoms established on the ruins of the Dehly monarchy. — Mahmood Toghluk returns to Dehly — retires on a pension. — Mulloo Yekbal Khan attacks Khizr Khan, Teimoor's deputy — is killed in battle. — Khizr Khan arrives at Dehly.

AMEER TEIMOOR, informed of the commotions and civil wars of India, began his expedition into that country in the eight hundredth year of

Mohurrum 12.
A. H. 801.
Sept. 12.
A. D. 1398.

the Hijra, and on the 12th of Mo-hurrum, in the following year, arrived on the banks of the Indus. He crossed that river, and marched to the boundaries of Kole Julaly, so called since Julal-ood-Deen, King of Kabul, left Bungur, and resided at that kole (or fort). At this period, Ameer Teimoor despatched Sheik Noor-ood-Deen to dispossess Shahab-ood-Deen Moobarik Khan, who, on the part of the King of Dehly, had ad­vanced to the Behut, for the defence of the frontier districts. Noor-ood-Deen arrived within a few miles of Moobarik Khan, and required him to submit to his master. The latter occupied a strong post on the bank of the river, around which he had formed a fosse to insulate his position, and resolved to defend it. Noor-ood-Deen, however, found means, in the course of his approaches, to fill up the ditch, but suffered considerable loss from a sally made by the besieged during the night, which, in the end, he repulsed, and forced the assailants to take shelter within their walls. Tei-moor, at this time, also advanced with his whole army, and Moobarik Khan, intimidated by his ap­proach, privately embarked with his family and treasures in 200 boats prepared for the purpose, and proceeded down the river, being two days pursued in vain by Noor-ood-Deen, who was de­tached for that purpose. The Indian garrison, after the departure of their leader, surrendered at discretion.

Teimoor now marched along the river, to the conflux of the Chunab with the Ravy, where was situated the strong fort and town of Toolumba. He caused a bridge to be thrown across the river, by which his army might pass, and pitched his camp outside the town, which he laid under con­tribution. While the inhabitants were collecting the sum demanded, complaint was made to Teimoor of the scarcity of provisions in his camp, on which orders were issued to seize grain wherever it might be found. The soldiers accordingly proceeded to search the town; but not being content with pro-

A. H. 801.
A. D. 1397.

visions, a general plunder ensued; and the inhabitants, in endeavouring to op­pose the outrage, were massacred with­out mercy.

To have besieged the fort of Toolumba would only have retarded the progress of Teimoor. He therefore marched, on the following day, to a town called Shahnowaz, where finding more grain than sufficient for his whole army, he caused what could not be carried away to be burnt. At this place, the brother of the chief of the Gukkurs, who had attempted to defend the place with 2000 men, lost his life. Teimoor proceeded on the third day from Shahnowaz, and crossing the Beea, entered a rich and plentiful country. The fol­lowing is an account of the proceedings of the Prince Mirza Peer Mahomed Jehangeer. After having, as has been already mentioned, taken Mooltan, the rains came on, and destroyed so great a part of his cavalry in the field, that he was under the necessity of withdrawing his army into the city of Mooltan. There he was reduced to much distress by the inhabitants of the country, who closely invested the place, and withheld supplies, so that his cavalry, unable to act or to procure forage, di­minished daily. Such was the situation of the Prince when his grandfather invaded India. Teimoor immediately reinforced Mirza Peer Ma-homed Jehangeer with a detachment of 30,000 select horse, and soon after joined him with the rest of his army. The Prince complained bitterly of the conduct of the governor of Bhutnere, who had been the chief source of his distresses. To punish him, Teimoor selected 10,000 of his best horse, and marched against him. When the Moguls reached Ajoodhun, Teimoor was shown the tomb of Sheikh Fureed-ood-Deen Shukr-Gunj; in re­spect to whose memory he spared the few inha­bitants who remained in the place, the greater part having fled to Dehly and Bhutnere.

Teimoor continued his route to Bhutnere, crossing the river at Ajoodhun, and encamped at Cha-liskole, from which place, in one day, he marched with his cavalry, 50 coss * to Bhutnere. Upon his arrival, the people of Depalpoor and other adjacent places crowded into the town in such numbers, that half of them were driven out, and obliged to take shelter under the walls. They were there attacked on the day of Teimoor's arrival, and some thousands of them were slain. Row Khiljy†, * the governor of the place, seeing the enemy so few in number, drew out the garrison, and formed without the town in order of battle. The Moguls, however, upon the first onset, drove them back, while Teimoor, in person, pressed so hard upon the rear of the fugitives, that he got possession of the gates, before they could be shut. He then drove the enemy from street to street, and thus became, in a few hours, master of the whole of the town, except the citadel; to reduce which, he ordered it to be undermined.

The garrison now proposed to capitulate; and the governor having had an interview with Teimoor, presented him with 300 Arabian horses, and with many of the curiosities of Hindoostan. Teimoor, in return, presented him with a dress of honour, and sent Sooliman Shah and Ameer Alla-dad to take possession of the gates, commanding them to slay all those who had taken refuge in the place, and who had been before active against his grandson, Mirza Peer Mahomed. The rest, of the prisoners after being plundered, were ordered to be dismissed. In consequence of this order, 500 persons, in a few minutes, were put to death by the Moguls. Both the Mahomedans and Hindoos, who remained within the fort, struck with horror, and dreading a similar fate, set fire to the place in despair, killed their wives and children, and sought nothing but revenge and death. The scene was awful; and the unfortunate inhabitants, in the end, were cut off to a man, though not before some thousands of the Moguls had fallen by their hands. This conduct so much exasperated Teimoor (the firebrand of the universe), that he caused every soul in Bhutnere to be massacred, and the city to be reduced to ashes.

Teimoor then marched to Soorsutty, and put the inhabitants of that place also to the sword, giving the town up to pillage. Advancing to Futtehabad, he continued his ravages through that district, and the adjacent towns of Rajpoor, Ahroony, and Toohana. From thence he de­tached Hukeem Eraky towards Sumana, with 5000 horse, while he himself scoured the country, and cut off a body of Juts, who had lived for some years by plunder. His army, in the mean time, being now divided under different chiefs, carried fire and sword through the pro­vinces of Mooltan and Lahore; but when they advanced near the capital, he ordered a general rendezvous at Keithul, within 10 miles of Su-mana.

Here Teimoor joined his army, and having regulated the order of his march, advanced to­wards Dehly. When he reached Paniput, he directed his soldiers to put on their armour; and that he might be the better supplied with forage, crossed the Jumna, into the Dooab, and took the fort of Lony by assault, putting the garrison to the sword. The Mogul army continued its route along the river, and encamped opposite to the city of Dehly, posting guards at the fords leading into the Dooab from the capital. Teimoor then de­tached Sooliman Khan and Jehan Khan to scour the country to the south and south-east of the city, whilst he himself, on the day of his arrival, with 700 horse only, crossed the river to reconnoitre Dehly. The King of Dehly, and his minister, Mulloo Yekbal Khan, seeing so few troops in the retinue of Teimoor, sallied out with 5000 horse and foot, and 27 elephants. A skirmish took place, in which the Dehly troops were repulsed; and Mahmood Seif Beg, a Dehly officer of rank who led the attack, was taken prisoner. Teimoor ordered him to be instantly beheaded; and after having made the observations which he wished, repassed the river, and joined his army. On the next morning, he moved his position more to the eastward. On this occasion it was reported to him, that there were above 100,000 prisoners in his camp, who had been taken since he crossed the Indus; that they had on the day before expressed great joy when they saw him attack­ed, which rendered it extremely probable, that on a day of battle they would join their country-