History of the Qaraunah Turks in India c9.25

c9.25

After the conquest of Nagarkot was undertaken what has been wrongly described as the Chinese expedition of Muhammad Tughluq. The *Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi* which is copied by Badaoni and Firishta places it in the year 738 A.H. which finds partial corroboration in Badr-i-Chach who assigns the year 738 A.H. to the conquest of Nagarkot. The so-called Chinese expedition, according to all accounts, was a tragic disaster, and it is probable, almost certain, that this expedition was undertaken soon after the conquest of Nagarkot, for if the disaster had happened before, it would have been impossible to mobilise such a huge army into the mountains as is described by Badr-i-Chach. As Sir Wolseley Haig and Mr. Gardner Brown suggest the two expeditions were connected with each other, and were parts of a general plan to extend the protectorate of Dihli over the Himalayan states.13 Much misconception has arisen with regard to this expedition. Modern writers on Indian history following the lead of Firishta have fallen into the error of supposing that the Sultan aimed at the conquest of China, and