Page:History of India Vol 3.djvu/203

 THE INVASION OF TIMUR LANG 165 An advanced force under his grandson Pir Mo- hammad, who held Kabul, descended upon the Indus at the close of 1397, and besieged Multan. Timur him- self, confirmed in his resolution by his forerunner's report of the distracted state of the country, left Sa- markand in March, 1398, struggled through ice and snow, descended appalling precipices in pursuit of the infidel tribes, and crossed the Indus at Attok, where Jalal-ad-din had swum the river when escaping from Timur 's ancestor, Chingiz Khan. There he threw a pontoon across the Chinab, and, joined by his grandson, who had now taken Multan, pressed steadily eastward. Fearful stories of the plundering and massacring of the people preceded him, and the inhabitants of Dipalpur fled to the protection of the Kajput fortress of Bhatnir; but all in vain, for Timur stormed it and slew ten thou- sand Hindus in an hour. Sirsuti was found deserted, Fathabad was empty; every one had hurried panic- stricken into the jungle. In December the invading host stood encamped on the plain of Panipat, the battle- field of Delhi, but there was no man to oppose them. A week later Timur was before the capital. On December 17th, 1398, the decisive battle was fought. Timur crossed the Jumna and carefully sur- veyed the ground. He took unusual precautions to allay the terrors of his troopers, who were extrava- gantly nervous about the invincible elephants of the enemy. He issued calthrops to the troops to throw before these alarming beasts, and defended the camp with a strong abatis of brushwood and trees, behind