https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Mongol_invasion_of_India_%281303%29Mongol invasion of India (1303) - Revision history2026-08-19T15:35:56ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mongol_invasion_of_India_(1303)&diff=376124&oldid=prev78.147.28.16 at 17:06, 22 December 20222022-12-22T17:06:34Z<p></p>
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{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Siege of Delhi<br />
| partof = [[Mongol invasions of India]]<br />
| image = <br />
| caption = <br />
| date = 1303<br />
| place = [[Old Delhi|Delhi]]<br />
| coordinates = {{Coord|28.6545622|N|77.2308955|E|source:nowiki_region:RU_type:event|display=inline,title}}<br />
| map_type = India<br />
| map_size = 300<br />
| map_caption = Location of Delhi in present-day India<br />
| result = Delhi Sultanate victory<br>Mongol retreat<br />
| combatant1 = [[File:Flag of Chagatai Khanate.svg|23px]] [[Chagatai Khanate]]<br />
| combatant2 = [[File:Delhi Sultanate Flag.svg|23px]] [[Delhi Sultanate]]<br />
| commander1 = [[Könchek]]<br />
| commander2 = [[Alauddin Khalji]]<br />
| strength1 = <br />
}}<br />
In 1303, a [[Mongols|Mongol]] army from the [[Chagatai Khanate]] launched an invasion of the [[Delhi Sultanate]], when two major units of the Delhi army were away from the city. The Delhi Sultan [[Alauddin Khalji]], who was away at [[Chittor]] when the Mongols started their march, returned to Delhi in a hurry. However, he was unable to make adequate war preparations, and decided to take shelter in a well-guarded camp at the under-construction [[Siri Fort]]. The Mongols, led by Taraghai, besieged Delhi for over two months, and ransacked its suburbs. Ultimately, they decided to retreat, having been unable to breach Alauddin's camp.<br />
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The invasion was one of the most serious [[Mongol invasions of India]], and prompted Alauddin to take several measures to prevent its recurrence. He strengthened military presence along the Mongol routes to India, and implemented [[Market reforms of Alauddin Khalji|economic reforms]] to ensure adequate revenue streams for maintaining a strong army.<br />
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== Background ==<br />
{{Campaignbox Mongol invasions of India|state=expanded}}<br />
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[[Alauddin Khalji]], the ruler of the [[Delhi Sultanate]], had successfully warded off [[Mongols|Mongol]] invasions from the [[Chagatai Khanate]] and its neighbours in [[Mongol invasion of India, 1297-98|1297-98]], [[Mongol invasion of India, 1298-99|1298-99]] and [[Mongol invasion of India, 1299|1299]]. In the winter of 1302–1303, Alauddin dispatched an army to ransack [[Warangal]], while he himself led another army to conquer [[Chittor Fort|Chittor]].{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=366}} When the Mongols learned that two large units of the imperial army were absent from Delhi, they decided to capture the city.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=368}} The Mongol army was led by Taraghai (also Turghai;{{sfn|René Grousset|1970|p=339}} sometimes incorrectly transliterated as "Targhi"{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|pp=222-224}}). Taraghai had earlier served as a general in the 1299 invasion led by [[Qutlugh Khwaja]].{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=340}}<br />
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According to the 14th century chronicler [[Ziauddin Barani]], the Mongol army comprised "30,000 or 40,000" horsemen. Some manuscripts of Barani's writings give the number as "20,000 or 30,000".{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=368}} The Mongols marched through [[Punjab region|Punjab]] without meeting much resistance. The Delhi Sultanate forces stationed at [[Multan]], [[Dipalpur]], and [[Samana, Punjab|Samana]] were not strong enough to check the Mongol advance, or to proceed to Delhi and help Alauddin.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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Meanwhile, Alauddin [[Siege of Chittorgarh (1303)|captured Chittor]] in August 1303, and appointed his own governor there. He left Chittor 7 days after the conquest, probably when he learned about the Mongol plans.{{sfn|Kishori Saran Lal|1950|p=120}}<br />
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== Alauddin's preparations ==<br />
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Alauddin reached Delhi around a month before the Mongols did, but he was unable to make adequate preparations for the impending battle. The weapons of his army had been ruined in the rainy season, during the Siege of Chittor.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}} Plus, he had not been able to replace the horses and the materials that his army had lost in Chittor.{{sfn|Mohammad Habib |1981|p=267}}<br />
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Alauddin sent messages to his provincial governors, ordering them to send reinforcements to Delhi.{{sfn|Kishori Saran Lal|1950|p=164}} However, the Mongols had set up blockades on all the roads leading to Delhi.{{sfn|Kishori Saran Lal|1950|p=165}} The merchant [[caravan (travellers)|caravans]] were also forced to stop, leading to the scarcity of goods in Delhi.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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The army that Alauddin had sent to capture Warangal had abandoned its mission, and had reached close to Delhi after a long journey. But it had lost several men and its baggage in the process.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=366}} Moreover, it could not enter Delhi, because by this time, the Mongols had captured the [[ford (crossing)|fords]] of the [[Yamuna River]]. Despite Alauddin's summons to come to Delhi, this army was forced to halt at [[Kol Tehsil|Koil]] (Aligarh) and [[Bulandshahr]], which are located to the south-east of Delhi.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|pp=223-224}}<br />
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Given these difficult circumstances, Alauddin decided to avoid a personal confrontation with the Mongols. He exited the fortified city of Delhi, and set up his royal camp at the under-construction [[Siri Fort|Siri]].{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}} On three sides, Siri was surrounded by the Yamuna River, a dense jungle, and the old [[citadel]] of Delhi: it was vulnerable only at its north side.{{sfn|Kishori Saran Lal|1950|p=164}} Alauddin ordered a ditch to be dug around his Siri camp. The ditch, in turn, was protected by a wooden [[rampart (fortification)|rampart]] built from the doors of Delhi's houses. This temporary settlement was guarded by several contingents of armed soldiers, with each contingent having five fully armed [[war elephants|elephants]] in its front.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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== Mongol invasion of Delhi ==<br />
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The Mongols faced the [[vanguard]] of the Delhi army two or three times. Neither side achieved a decisive victory in these conflicts, and the Mongols were unable to enter Alauddin's Siri camp.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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Although repulsed from Siri, the Mongols proceeded to other parts of the present-day Delhi. Barani names these parts as Chautara-i Subhani, Mori, Hudhudi and the royal tank (''Hauz-i Sultani''). The modern identity of these areas is not certain; ''Hauz-i Sultani'' probably refers to [[Hauz-i-Shamsi]]. The Mongols also ransacked the royal stores, and sold corn and other commodities from it to the public at a cheap rate.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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The invaders spent two months in and around Delhi, but were unable to breach Alauddin's Siri camp. Taraghai realized that further stay in hostile territory would put his army in a precarious situation. Therefore, he decided to return with the plunder he had gathered until that point.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=370}} Taraghai's return might have also been influenced by the conflict between [[Duwa]] and Chapar in his home country.{{sfn|Peter Jackson|2003|pp=223-224}} A later fabrication claims that Taraghai retreated as a result of the prayers of the Sufi saint [[Nizamuddin Auliya]].{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=370}}<br />
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[[Ziauddin Barani]], who was a resident of Delhi at that time, later wrote that the city had never witnessed such fear of Mongols. According to him, if Taraghai had decided to stay in Delhi for another month, the city would have fallen to him.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=369}}<br />
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== Aftermath ==<br />
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Before the Mongol invasion of 1303, Alauddin had personally led many expeditions and sieges. However, Taraghai's near-conquest of Delhi made him more careful. Subsequently, nearly all his campaigns (with the exception of [[Siwana]]) were led by his generals (such as [[Malik Kafur]]). Alauddin himself stayed at Siri, where he built a palace. Siri (then a town outside the fortified city of Delhi) thus became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, and its population increased rapidly. Alauddin also had the old fort wall of Delhi repaired.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=372}}<br />
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To weaken the Mongol threat, Alauddin strengthened the military presence along the Mongol routes to India. He had several old forts repaired and new ones built along this route. Powerful ''[[kotwal]]s'' (fort commanders) with an increased number of soldiers were assigned to these forts. The armouries and stores of these forts were replenished. A large army was deployed at the [[Dipalpur]] and [[Samana, Punjab|Samana]]. Besides, the [[iqta']]s on the Mongol frontier were assigned to efficient and experienced noblemen and army officers.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=372}}<br />
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Alauddin also implemented a series of economic reforms. Barani suggests that his main objective was to ensure sufficient revenue inflows for the maintenance of a strong army to deal with the Mongol threat.{{sfn|Banarsi Prasad Saksena|1992|p=373}}<br />
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These measures did not prevent the Mongols from invading India, but ensured that the invaders were decisively defeated in their further attempts to invade Alauddin's territory.{{sfn|Kishori Saran Lal|1950|p=167}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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=== Bibliography ===<br />
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{{refbegin}}<br />
* {{cite book |author=Banarsi Prasad Saksena |author-link=Banarsi Prasad Saksena |chapter=The Khaljis: Alauddin Khalji |editor=[[Mohammad Habib]] and [[Khaliq Ahmad Nizami]] |title=A Comprehensive History of India: The Delhi Sultanat (A.D. 1206-1526) |volume=5 |edition=Second |year=1992 |orig-year=1970 |publisher=The Indian History Congress / People's Publishing House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_9cmAQAAMAAJ |oclc=31870180 }}<br />
* {{cite book |author=Kishori Saran Lal |author-link=K. S. Lal |title=History of the Khaljis (1290-1320) |year=1950 |publisher=The Indian Press |location=Allahabad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2XXqAQAACAAJ |oclc=685167335 }}<br />
* {{cite book |author=Mohammad Habib |author-link=Mohammad Habib |title=Politics and Society During the Early Medieval Period |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ1uAAAAMAAJ |year=1981 |publisher=People's Publishing House |oclc=923204503 }}<br />
* {{cite book |author=Peter Jackson |author-link=Peter Jackson (historian) |title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lt2tqOpVRKgC&pg=PA221 |year=2003 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-54329-3 }}<br />
* {{cite book |author=René Grousset |author-link=René Grousset |title=The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia |url=https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppes00grou |url-access=registration |year=1970 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=978-0-8135-1304-1 }}<br />
{{refend}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
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* [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D02003020%26ct%3D27 Description of Taraghai's invasion] by the 14th century chronicler Ziauddin Barani (English translation by Mohammad Habib)<br />
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{{Alauddin Khalji}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Alauddin Khalji]]<br />
[[Category:Wars involving the Chagatai Khanate|India]]<br />
[[Category:Battles involving the Delhi Sultanate]]<br />
[[Category:Conflicts in 1303]]<br />
[[Category:1303 in Asia]]<br />
[[Category:14th century in India]]<br />
[[Category:1303 in the Mongol Empire]]<br />
[[Category:Invasions of India]]</div>78.147.28.16