6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

332 SIX GLORIOUS EPOCHS OF INDIAN HISTORY
838. So immediately in A.D. 1397 he invaded India.
He had under him a gigantic force of ninety thousand strong.
He marched straight upto Punjab. Still nobody came
forward to oppose him. He therefore swooped down straight
on Delhi, where a small force came to oppose him. in the
name of the Sultan of Delhi but it was soon put to rout. An
interesting point to note is that this veteran army of Taimur­
lang which had trampled over half the world was scared to
death for a time by the mere sight of elephants in this
ludicrous army of the Sultan of Delhi**, for they had seen
such huge beasts for the first time in their lives. Yet it got
over the fear very soon and as soon as the Sultan's forces
were completely routed it dashed violently into the city
of Delhi, letting loose the orgy of wholesale massacre, plunder
and arson**. Millions of lives were lost this day. After
having thus quenched his thirst for Hindu blood to some
extent, Taimur turned further to Meerut and Haridwar,
smashing to pieces Hindu idols at many places on his way*^.
At Haridwar he reached the pinnacle of his cruelty in the
Hindu blood-bath. How many instances is one to quote of
the harrowing atrocities which the Hindu community had to
suffer 'simply because of their dire determination and holy
resolve not to forsake their religion ! Prom Haridwar this
fiendlike Taimur went on further to the north, raining Hindu
blood on the Shivalik hills, Nagarcote, Jammu and demoli­
shing Hindu temples on the way. On his way he got the news
of his native capital of Samarkand being threatened by the
rebels. So, mad with fury and mental anguish, he hurried
straight off to Samarkand with the whole of his army**.
839. In this Taimurlangian deluge was washed off the
little that was left of the Tughlak Sultanate. In the chaotic
conditions that then prevailed in north India the Sayyads
usurped the nominal Sultanate of the Tughlaks*'.
840. Availing themselves of this miserable condition of
the Muslim power at Delhi, the veteran defenders of the
Hindu religion, the independent Rajput kings, went on
setting free the territories formerly conquered by the Muslims.