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Mongol Invasion of India

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Mongol Invasion of India: Mongol invasions were conducted by the Mongol empire in the Indian subcontinent between 1221 and 1327, with the Qaraunas of Mongol descent leading many of the latter expeditions. For many years, the Mongols ruled over portions of the subcontinent. The Delhi Sultanate launched a counterattack against the Mongols as they advanced into the Indian hinterland and arrived at the periphery of Delhi, resulting in significant losses for the Mongol force. One of the Sultan’s main responsibilities, according to Delhi Sultanate authorities, is to take revenge on the Mongols.

Background of Mongol Invasion of India

Mongols were united under a military general, Temujin, better known as Genghis Khan, in 1206. The Mongol empire attempted to attack the Indian subcontinent between 1221 and 1327 and later by the Qaraunas of Mongol origin. They controlled the outskirts of the Indian subcontinent in the North-western part, including Afghanistan and part of present-day Pakistan, for several years.

During his reign, Genghis Khan made several raids into the Indian subcontinent while chasing down Jalal-ud-din, the last scion of the Khwarezmian Empire, and reached all the way to the outskirts of Lahore near the Indus River before defeating him in 1221.

After Genghis Khan died in 1227, his son Ogedei Khan became the Great Khan. In 1235, Mongols attacked Kashmir and formed a base at Darughachi. Kashmir remained under the Mongols for several years since then.

First Mongol Invasion of India

During Allaudin Khilji’s reign, the Mongols began their first attack on India. The Mongol Empire invaded the Indian subcontinent many times between 1221 and 1327; rebellious Qaraunas of Mongol ancestry carried out several of the latter raids. The Mongols ruled over most of present-day Pakistan and Punjab for many years as a vassal state, conquering Kashmir. The Mongol Army suffered severe losses on the opposing army during the Delhi Sultanate’s heroic struggle against them under Allaudin Khilji as they marched into the Indian hinterland and into the outskirts of Delhi. But just when they were about to win, the Mongols abruptly left India, saving Allaudin Khilji from shame.

However, it is undeniable that Alauddin Khilji defeated the unbeatable Mongols with a strong force. With the exception of the final few years of Alauddin Khilji’s rule, the stability of India was under threat from the Mongols the entire time. Khilji was a great soldier and commander with a well-trained and disciplined army; he had also created a solid economic base that supplied him with the money to pay his troops. These factors along with his superior Turkish cavalry and infantry tactics allowed him to hold off the Mongols.

Mongol Invasion of India against the Delhi Sultanate

In the 1260s, constant civil war broke out in various sections of the Mongol empire. Later intrusions into India were attempted by the Chagatai Khanate, who ruled over the major parts of Central Asia. In the 1280s, Duwa Khan controlled Afghanistan and made several attacks on the North-western border towns of India, including Sindh, Balochistan, Lahore, and Multan.

  • Alarmed by the regular invasions and lack of border control in the Northwest, Delhi Sultanate concocted well-planned strategies, which led to severe defeats and pushbacks of Mongols in later years. Moreover, civil war within the Mongol empire gave significant impetus to the Sultanate to build the defences in the Northwest and chart out efficient strategies to quell the Mongol conquest.
  • The Sultanate under the reign of Ghiyas-ud-din Balban (1266-1287) was highly alarmed by the Mongol raids and prepared his army. As a result, large-scale attacks ceased, and Mongols could not cross the Indus river. He and future rulers recovered the border towns such as Multan, Uch, Sindh, and Lahore and punished local Ranas and Rais for joining hands with Mongols and their subsidiaries. 
  • By the 1290s, India witnessed a massive transformation of power from Turkic to Indian Muslims, who had migrated with Ghori a century ago. This led to the rise of the Khilji dynasty.
  • In 1292, the Chagatai Khanate under Abdullah raided Punjab in the reign of Khilji king Jalaluddin. However, their advance guard under Ulghu had to face severe defeat. Chagatai faced various losses by the Khiljis between 1296 to 1297.
  • Several major attacks happened under the successor of Jalaluddin, Alauddin Khalji. In 1297, Chagatai Noyan Kadar was defeated in the battle of Jaran-Manjur. In 1298-99, Mongols invaded Sindh and captured the Sivistan fort. However, Zafar Khan, the military general of Alauddin, defeated the forces at the siege of Sehwan. 
  • Perhaps the most significant defeat of Mongols happened in 1299 in the Battle of Killi near Delhi. Chagatai leader Duwa Khan’s son Qutlugh Khwaja moved his army to conquer Delhi. However, the Chagatai Mongols again had to face retreat. 
  • Soon in 1303, Alauddin Khalji’s focus was shifted to capturing Chittoor and Warangal. Taking advantage of Alauddin’s absence in Delhi, the Mongols again invaded the unprotected Delhi. Khalji had no time to prepare his army and returned to Delhi. However, the Mongols could not siege Siri Fort and had to retreat soon. Alauddin Khalji defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Amroha and Ravi in 1305 and 1306, respectively. 
  • In 1306, with the death of Duwa, the spate of invasions ended and led to consequential counter raids by Alauddin’s general Malik Tughlaq in Mongol territories in present-day Afghanistan.

Later Mongol Invasions of India

After more than 20 years of peace, major Mongol invasions again started during the reign of the Tughlaq dynasty, which replaced the incumbent Khalijis. In 1327, Chagatai ruler Tarmashirin attacked and besieged Delhi, and Muhammad bin Tughlaq had to pay a huge ransom to free Delhi from him. After Tarmashirin, no major attacks materialized by the Mongols against India until Babur in 1526, who was the descendant of Timur. With Ibrahim Lodhi’s defeat at the hands of Babur in the first battle of Panipat in 1526, a new era began in India’s history with the emergence of the Mughal Empire.

FAQs on Mongol Invasion of India

1. How many times Mongol invaded India?

Between 1221 and 1327, the Mongol Empire conducted multiple invasions of the Indian subcontinent, with the Qaraunas of Mongol descent leading many of the latter expeditions. For many years, the Mongols ruled over portions of the subcontinent.

2. Who Defeated Mongol Empire in India?

In 1299, the Delhi Sultanate, headed by Alauddin Khilji, and the Mongols of the Chagatai Khanate, under Qutlugh Khwaja, engaged in battle in the Battle of Kili. The Mongol armies were driven from the Indian Subcontinent as a result of it.

3. Why Mongols did not Conquer India?

Every Khan’s death meant that the major generals of the Mongols would return home to pay their respects. India is geographically guarded by the sea, mountains, and desert; even if it had been conquered, it would have needed a government that wasn’t possible to supply by nomads.

4. Who Defeated Mongols 29 times?

According to Barani, Tughluq beat the Mongols 20 times and at some point obtained the iqta’ of Lahore. According to the Moroccan adventurer Ibn Battuta, Tughluq claimed to have conquered the Mongols 29 times in an inscription found in a mosque in Multan.

5. How long did the Mongols Rule over India?

The Muslim dynasty of Turkic-Mongol descent, known as the Mughal or Mogul in Persian, governed most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. After that, it persisted into the mid-19th century as a much diminished and progressively helpless entity. 



Last Updated : 23 Nov, 2023
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