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 91.

HISTORY OF INDIA.

[Book I.

CHAPTER IV.

Invasion of Tiinour or Tamerlane —Battle of Delhi— Sack of Delhi— Khizr Khan, Timour's deputy— In(le[ien(lent kingdoms established on the ruins of the Delhi monarchy —Proceedings of Khizr Khan — His death — Moobarik, his son and successor — Syud Mahorned — Syud Ala-udin — Afghan Lody dynasty— Bheilole Lody— Sikundur Lody— Ibrahim Lody— ilxtinction of the L<idy Afghan dynasty, and renewal of that of the Moguls in the person of Baber.

A.D. 139S.

TamerLane approaclies the Indus.

His graiiil- ison takes Jlooltan.

IMOUR, or Timour Beg, usually called by the Asiatics Ameer Teimoor, and by Europeans Tamerlane or Tamerlan, evidently a corruption for Timour Leng, or Lame Timour, an epitliet applied to liim on account of a certain degree of lameness, was born about 1336, in a village in the vicinity of Samarcand. According to some, he was only the son of a herdsman ; but a more probable accoimt is, that he was the son or grandson of a Tartar or Mogul chief He liimself traced his descent from Ghenghis Khan. On the downfall of the Moijul d}Tiasty of Dschaggatai, he managed to obtain the supremacy, and made Samarcand his capital. Possessing the ambition as well as the ttilents of a conqueror, he had overrun Persia, and extended his dominions over Central Asia, from the wall of China west to the frontiers of Europe, and even beyond, to Moscow. He was not yet satisfied; and in 1398, when his age miLst have exceeded sixty, he made his appearance on the west bank of the Indus, at the head of a mighty host. The convulsed state of the country promising an easy conquest, and the immense plunder which would necessarily follow, were his great inducements. His grandson had, as we have seen, been sent before, apparently to feel the way. He himself now crossed the river, and commenced a course of almost unparalleled massacre and devastation. Having arrived at the junction of the Chenab and Ravee, where the town and strong fort of Tulumba are situated, he crossed by a bridge ; and, entering the town, plun- dered it, and slaughtered the inhabitants without mercy. The fort was too strong to be taken by assaidt. He therefore left it, and proceeded to a to^vn called Shahnowaz, where, finding more grain than his own troops required, he caused the rest to be burned. On crossing the Beas, he entered a rich and plen- tiful country. Meanwhile, his grandson, Peer Mahomed Jehangu", had met with more obstruction. After taking Mooltan, the rainy season commenced, and so many of the cavalry encamped in the open country were destroyed, that he was under the necessity of lodging his whole army within the walla Here he became so completely hemmed in and cut oif from supplies, that he was in the greatest danger of losing his whole army, when Tamerlane, after sending for-^ard a detachment of 30,000 select horse, joined him with his whole army.