Twilight of the Sultanate c7.s1.111

c7.s1.111

The battle began with the beating of drums and raising of shouts and cries from both sides. In the very first charge Tīmūr's army struck at the various wings of the enemy engaging it at every point, thus rendering it impotent for concentrated action and dispersing it into separate units to be dealt with in detail. Sanjak Bahādur, Saiyyad Khwājā, Amīr Allahadād and others of the vanguard first moved off to the right, and then wheeling suddenly behind the enemy's advance-guard scattered five to six hundred of them in a single onslaught.⁹⁸ Meanwhile Pīr Muhammad Jahangīr of the right wing assisted by Amīr Sulaimān Shāh fell upon the left wing of the enemy under Taghī Khan and mauled it so severely as to throw it back as far as the Hauz-i-Khās.⁹⁹ Similarly prince Sultan Husain of the left wing attacked and scattered the Indian army's right wing under Malik Mu'īnuddin, pursuing its remnants to the very gates of Delhi. But the centre of the Delhi army held its ground. Nay, supported by the armoured elephants it made a fierce charge on Prince Rustam's men, but they managed to parry it with courage and determination. This gave time to Shaikh Nūruddīn, Amīr Shāh Malik, Tīmūr Tawāchī and Manglī Khwājā to bring their men into action and cut their way across to the elephants. The frontal attack of Sultan Mahmūd thus received a check while his two wings had been badly broken. But the battle raged fiercely until the evening, when Mahmūd's soldiers, despondent and exhausted, began to flee. The flight soon turned into a stampede and in the enveloping darkness many were trampled underfoot and heaps of dead were left behind. As night descended Sultan Mahmūd with Mallū Khan escaped into the citadel of Delhi "with a thousand difficulties" and closed its gates. Tīmūr pursued Mahmūd up to the city gates but because of darkness he returned to the Hauz-i-Khās.¹⁰⁰