Page:A history of the military transactions of the British nation in Indostan, Volume 1.djvu/21

Rh MAHMOUD SCHAH, a weak prince, was governed absolutely by his vizir Mellou Cawn, who placed his brother Sarenk in the government of the provinces which depended on the city of Multan, and the two brothers between them ruled the whole kingdom, without any other than a nominal interposition of their sovereign. THE Mirza Pir Mohammed Gehanguir had in the year 1392 received from his grandfather Tamerlane the sovereignty of all the countries which had formed the empire of Mahmoud the Khowarasmian, whom Gengischan conquered, and who was father of the brave Gelaleddin. Pir Mohammed, at the end of the year 1397, or the beginning of the year 1398, set out from his capital of Gazna, advanced with a numerous army to Multan, and laid siege to the city. which was well defended by Sarenk. DURING the siege TAMERLANE was advancing from Samarcande. He entered India at the end of the year 1398, descending more terrible than all its inundations from the centre of the northern part of the Indian Caucasus. This invincible barbarian met with, no resistance from the Indians sufficient to justify, even by the military maxims of Tartars, the cruelties with which he marked his way. He was joined near Multan by his grandson, who had now taken that city, and took in person the strong fortress of Batnir; after which he marched towards Delhi. Here sultan Mahmoud, with his vizir. had the courage to stand their ground, determined to risk a battle with forces every way inferior to their enemies.

TAMERLANE, when in sight of their army, ordered a hundred thousand prisoners, which his own army had gathered in their rout, to be put to death, because they were idolaters, and because some of these wretches had betrayed symptoms of satisfaction at the sight of a skirmish which had been fought with a party of Sultan Mahmoud's cavalry. As these marks of disaffection had raised the apprehension of a general insurrection of the slaves, during the battle