History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c11.26

c11.26

And the rapaciousness of the Mughals after a victory was unbounded. The complete destruction of the chief cities of Transoxiana clearly shows the inhuman callousness of these free-booters. "Their uniform plan was to convert cities into desert and to leave no human being that could rise in their rear. By the barbarities of their massacres, in which age, and sex, and conditions were alike disregarded they spread horror and dismay around them". On one occasion they put to death a man by dropping molten silver into his ears; and such horrible crimes were committed by them in the sack of Bokhara, Samarqand and Balkh as can hardly be imagined. Juveni relates that in the sack of Tirmiz a captured woman begged for mercy promising the man who was to kill her a pearl of high value which she had swallowed. The cold blooded Mughal ripped open her body and as the pearl was really found in it an order was immediately given to open and examine all the bodies.