History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c11.106

c11.106

The Mughals had suffered defeats at the hands of the army of Delhi on many occasions; the insult rankled deep in their hearts. Ṭarghī could never forget the humiliating retreat of Qutlugh Khvājā. He had got an opportunity to avenge the insult in 1303 but even then he had achieved but little.⁶¹ But all these defeats did not dishearten Ṭarghī; on the contrary they whetted his thirst for revenge. When, therefore, 'Alī Bēg and Tartāq⁶² advanced towards Hindustan Ṭarghī accompanied them. This invasion was in no way less formidable in nature than those of 1299 and 1303. The Mughals, about 50,000 in number⁶³, crossed the hilly region lying north-west of the Indus, crossed the Indus itself and by forced marches advanced towards the east. According to Amīr Khusrau, Targhī, "who had once or twice fled away from the attacks of the victors...was at last shot by an arrow"⁶⁴ and killed in a fray even before the invading army penetrated into the Doab. That probably is the reason why Barani does not even mention the name of this prominent general among those who led the expedition. 'Alī Bēg and Tartāq moved on, inflicting barbarous cruelties wherever they passed. Having learnt that the capital was strongly defended, and knowing as they did that the Mughal army had failed in capturing it on many earlier occasions, they decided to by-pass it and march straight on the Doab and Avadh, the most fertile and prosperous tract in the country. "The confounded inhabitants...rushed to the fords of the Ganga", says Amīr Khusrau, "and smoke rose from the towns of Hindustan. People fled from their burning houses...and threw themselves into rivers and torrents".⁶⁵