The Foundation of Muslim Rule in India: A History of the Establishment and Progress of the Turkish Sultanate of Delhi, 1206–1290 A.D. c13.136

c13.136

This co-ordination proved effective and the Mongols were held back. In the last year of Balban’s reign, they launched a large-scale attack under the leadership of Tamur Khan, the new commander of the Afghanistan forces. From the north they entered the Sind Sagar Doab and after plundering the Lahore and Dipalpur region advanced to within three farasangs from Multan¹. In the battle that followed, prince Muhammud's forces, after an initial success, were routed and the prince was killed, an event which forms the theme of one of Amir Khusrau's famous elegies². A large number of Muslims were slain and, in the poet's language "in Multan, in every house there was some dead to be wept for"³. The defeat, though disastrous for the number of casualties it entailed, was, however, nothing more than a local reverse, for the Mongols did not follow up their victory by an occupation of the area. The hold on Multan remained unaffected and Kaikhusaru found no difficulty in entering on his father's viceroyalty.