Sack of Delhi (1398)

The Sack of Delhi in 1398 refers to the devastating plunder and massacre perpetrated by the Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) and his army upon the city of Delhi, then under the rule of the Tughlaq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. Timur, motivated by a combination of factors including a desire for wealth, a pretext of restoring Islam from the perceived laxity of the Tughlaqs, and an ambition to expand his empire, launched an invasion of India in 1398.

After crossing the Indus River and encountering minimal resistance in the Punjab region, Timur's forces engaged and decisively defeated the army of Sultan Mahmud Tughluq outside of Delhi. On December 17, 1398, Timur entered the city. Initially, he attempted to maintain order, but widespread looting and violence soon erupted.

Timur ordered the execution of tens of thousands of prisoners, fearing they would rebel while his army was occupied with plundering the city. Contemporary accounts, though likely exaggerated, paint a grim picture of widespread death, destruction, and enslavement. Delhi was systematically looted of its wealth, including precious metals, jewels, and skilled artisans, who were taken back to Timur's capital, Samarkand. Many buildings were destroyed, and the city was left in ruins.

The Sack of Delhi had a profound and lasting impact on the Delhi Sultanate. It weakened the already declining Tughlaq dynasty, leading to a period of instability and fragmentation. The massacre of the population, the destruction of infrastructure, and the loss of wealth crippled the city's economy and significantly reduced its population. The event is considered a major turning point in the history of the Delhi Sultanate and a symbol of the brutality of Timur's conquests. It took Delhi a long time to recover from the devastation wrought by Timur's army.