Battle of Amroha
Battle of Amroha | |||||||
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Part of the Mongol invasions of India | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Chagatai Khanate | Delhi Sultanate | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ali Beg (POW) Tartaq (POW) |
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Strength | |||||||
30,000 - 50,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
20,000 dead 9,000 (POW) (later executed) | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Amroha was fought on 20 December 1305 between the armies of the Delhi Sultanate of India and the Mongol Chagatai Khanate of Central Asia. The Delhi force led by Malik Nayak defeated the Mongol army led by Ali Beg and Tartaq near Amroha in present-day Uttar Pradesh.
Background
The
Mongol march to India
Despite Alauddin's measures, a Mongol force led by Ali Beg invaded the Delhi Sultanate in 1305.
Ali Beg was supported by the generals Tartaq and
After Taraghai's return, Ali Beg and Tartaq continued their march with towards present-day
The Mongols did not attack any frontier forts in the territory administered by Malik Nayak. Expecting them to launch a direct attack on Delhi, Malik Nayak seems to have led his army to that city. However, unlike on the previous occasions, the Mongols did not attack Delhi this time.
Alauddin's response
Alauddin sent a 30,000-strong cavalry led by Malik Nayak to defeat the Mongols. Malik Nayak's subordinate commanders included Bahram Aibah, Tughluq, Mahmud Sartiah, Qarmshi, Qutta, Takli, and Tulak. This army faced the Mongols somewhere in present-day Amroha district on 20 December 1305.[7]
The Mongols launched one or two weak attacks on the Delhi army. In the words of the Delhi chronicler Amir Khusrau, they were "like an army of mosquitoes which tries to move against a strong wind". The Delhi army inflicted a crushing defeat upon the invaders. According to another Delhi chronicler Ziauddin Barani, Alauddin captured 20,000 horses belonging to dead Mongols after the battle was won.[7]
Aftermath
Alauddin organized a grand durbar (court) in Delhi to receive Malik Nayak and his victorious army. Alauddin was seated on a throne at Chautra-i Subhani, and the Delhi army stood in double row, forming a long queue. According to Barani, a huge crowd gathered to see this event, leading to exorbitant increase in the price of a cup of water.[7]
The Mongol commanders Ali Beg and Tartaq, who had surrendered, were presented before Alauddin with other Mongol prisoners. According to Amir Khusrau, Alauddin ordered some of the captives to be killed, and others to be imprisoned. However, Barani states that Alauddin ordered all captives to be killed by having them trampled under elephants' feet.[7] The number of these captives was around 9,000.[10] The 16th century historian Firishta claims that the heads of 8,000 Mongols were used to build the Siri Fort commissioned by Alauddin.[7]
Amir Khusrau and another chronicler
Historian Peter Jackson speculates that Ali Beg and Tartaq might have been killed when a large number of Mongols in Delhi rebelled against Alauddin, prompting the Sultan to order a massacre of all the Mongols in his empire.[12]
References
- ^ Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, p. 372.
- ^ a b Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, p. 392.
- ^ a b Peter Jackson 2003, p. 227.
- ^ Peter Jackson 2003, pp. 222–224.
- ^ Peter Jackson 2003, p. 228.
- ^ Satish Chandra 2004, p. 71.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, p. 393.
- ^ Kaushik Roy 2015, p. 110.
- ^ a b c Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 168.
- ^ René Grousset 1970, p. 339.
- ^ Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 170.
- ^ Peter Jackson 2003, p. 174.
Bibliography
- OCLC 31870180.
- Kaushik Roy (2015). Warfare in Pre-British India – 1500BCE to 1740CE. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-317-58691-3.
- OCLC 685167335.
- ISBN 978-0-521-54329-3.
- ISBN 978-0-8135-1304-1.
- ISBN 978-81-241-1064-5.