Twilight of the Sultanate c7.s1.83

c7.s1.83

During the skirmish the prisoners in the camp of Tīmūr had become jubilant; and it was feared that on the day of the final battle with Sultan Mahmūd, when the army would be completely engrossed in war, the prisoners would break their bonds and make common cause with the Indian army. He, therefore, took a cruel and quick decision to do away with them. It took little time to kill the unarmed captives and about 50,000 men were massacred in cold blood on 12 December, 1398 (3 Rabiul Ākhir).⁷⁷ A pious man like Maulana Nasīruddīn 'Umar, "who in all his life had never killed a sparrow", for fear of Tīmūr slew with his own hand fifteen men who were his captives.⁷⁸