Twilight of the Sultanate c7.s1.86

c7.s1.86

The massacre over, Tīmūr issued final instructions to his officers about his plan of action and their respective duties. He did not want "the war to be of long continuance".⁷⁹ The experience of Pīr Muhammad at Multan, the failure of the strategy of the Mongols against 'Alāuddīn Khaljī and the debacle of Tarmashīrīn must have convinced him of the futility of wasting time in sieges in India. He had not besieged Tulamba, and he did not want to lay siege to Delhi. So he manoeuvred for an open fight. He crossed the Jumnā on Sunday, 14 December (5 Rabiul Ākhir)⁸⁰ with his whole army and encamped on the plains of Fīrōzābād⁸¹ near the hill of the Pusht-i-Bīhālī, site of the present Wellingdon aerodrome.⁸² The encampment was protected with trenches, felled trees, palisades, and all kinds of facines and gabions. In front of the ditch were fastened buffaloes and camels with their feet and neck tied together⁸³ and inside the fence they raised pent-houses (khamhā).⁸⁴ This disposition besides being effective in breaking any charge of elephants, was also intended to lure the enemy into the open by producing on him the impression of uncertainty and fear.⁸⁵