History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c12.246

c12.246

Artillery was not known in the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but rockets or naptha balls were used. Amir Khusrau in his *Khazāyan-al-Fatūḥ* gives a detailed account of the catapults and other instruments of war which were used by ‘Ala-al-Din in his campaigns and sieges. Fire balls, fire arrows, western stone-balls, *manjniqs*, ‘*arrādās* and redoubts were used, and we find Muhammad himself making use of *Maghrabis*, ‘*arrādās*, *manjniqs* and *nawāks* in the siege of Warangal in 1323 A.D.¹⁰⁶ The main strength of the army consisted in its elephant corps and cavalry which were always employed in keen contests. Archery was widely practised and Ibn Batūṭah speaks of archers and sharp-shooters of great skill and dexterity. He found at Multan a number of men who performed feats of skill in archery and horsemanship. A man’s promotion was determined by the amount of skill shown by him in performing these feats.¹⁰⁷ Some idea of the magnificence of the royal army may be formed from the account of the manner in which the Sultan marched to the field of battle, given by the author of the *Masālik*. When the Sultan organised his forces for battle, he placed himself in the centre surrounded by Imams and learned men with archers in front of and behind him. The right and left were occupied by the cavalry. In front were the elephants covered with iron sheets to shield them against attack and carrying upon their backs howdahs in which warriors were seated. These howdahs had holes through which arrows and nift could be thrown towards the enemy. In front of the elephants were the slaves on foot clad in uniforms and well-equipped with arms who cleared the way for the elephants. They cut with their swords the hamstrings of horses, while the archers seated in the howdahs discharged the arrows. The cavalry on the right and left closed in upon the enemy making it impossible for any one to escape.¹⁰⁸ Such were the traditional tactics of the right, left, and centre employed by the Sultan in fighting against his enemies in India.¹⁰⁹