Mongol invasions of India

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Mongol invasions of India

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A period of devastating military offensives by the Mongol Empire across the Indian subcontinent.

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Origins & Early Life

The Mongol Empire launched numerous invasions into the Indian subcontinent from 1221 to 1327, with many of the later raids made by the Qara'unas of Mongol origin. The Mongols occupied parts of the subcontinent for decades. As the Mongols progressed into the Indian hinterland and reached the outskirts of Delhi, the Delhi Sultanate of India led a campaign against them in which the Mongol army suffered serious defeats. Delhi Sultanate officials viewed war with the Mongols as one of the sultan's primary duties. While the sultanate's chroniclers described the conflicts between the Tengrist Mongols and Muslim community in binary terms, with the Delhi Sultanate being an island of Islamic civilization surrounded by Hindus and Buddhist to its north and south, it ignored the fact that a large number of the sultanate's elites and monarchs were of Turkic/Mongol ethnicity or had previously served in their armed contingents.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After pursuing Jalal al-Din into India from Samarkand and defeating him at the Battle of Indus in 1221, Genghis Khan sent two tumens (20,000 soldiers in total) under commanders Dorbei the Fierce and Bala to continue the chase. The Mongol commander Bala chased Jalal ad-Din throughout the Lahore region and attacked outlying province Multan, and even sacked the outskirts of Lahore. Jalal ad-Din regrouped, forming a small army from survivors of the battle and sought an alliance, or even an asylum, with the Sultan of Delhi Sultanate, Iltutmish, but was turned down. While fighting against the local governor of Sindh, Jalal ad-Din heard of an uprising in the Kirman province of southern Iran and he immediately set out for that place, passing through southern Baluchistan on the way. Jalal ad-Din was also joined by forces from Ghor and Peshawar, including members of the Khalji, Turkoman, and Ghori tribes.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

With his new allies he marched on Ghazni and defeated a Mongol division under Turtai, which had been assigned the task of hunting him down. The victorious allies quarreled over the division of the captured booty; subsequently the Khalji, Turkoman, and Ghori tribesmen deserted Jalal ad-Din and returned to Peshawar. By this time Ögedei Khan, third son of Genghis Khan, had become Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. A Mongol general named Chormaqan sent by the Khan attacked and defeated Jalal ad-Din, thus ending the Khwārazm-Shāh dynasty. Some time after 1235 another Mongol force invaded Kashmir, stationing a darughachi (administrative governor) there for several years, and Kashmir became a Mongolian dependency.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1221: 1221 Milestone — The Mongol Empire launched numerous invasions into the Indian subcontinent from 1221 to 1327, with many of the later raids made by the Qara'unas of Mongol origin.
2. 1235: 1235 Milestone — Some time after 1235 another Mongol force invaded Kashmir, stationing a darughachi (administrative governor) there for several years, and Kashmir became a Mongolian dependency.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Mongol invasions of India

True or False: “The Delhi Sultanate was entirely surrounded by territories controlled by Hindu and Buddhist populations during the Mongol invasions.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the chroniclers described it this way, many of the Delhi Sultanate's elites and monarchs were themselves of Turkic or Mongol ethnicity.

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