Home > Indian History > History of India > Mongol Invasions in India
Mongol Invasions in India
Mongol Invasions in India continued from 1221 to 1327 during which the army took control over Punjab and Kashmir. They, however, could not subdue the Delhi Sultanate.

Share this Article:

Mongol Invasions in IndiaThe Mongol Empire, the largest Mongolic group that existed during the 13th and 14th centuries, belonged to the Central-North Asian ethno-linguistic group. Reported to have ruled over almost 100 million, the Mongols maintained a stronghold over Eastern Europe, parts of Siberia, Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Iranian plateau and the Indian subcontinent. The combination of Mongol and Turkic tribes formed the Mongol Empire that functioned under the rule of Genghis Khan. Under his rule the Empire flourished rapidly. They invaded several countries and established their rule there. From 1221 to 1327 the Indian subcontinent was invaded repeatedly by the Mongols who formed Kashmir as their vassal state. Although they remained successful in capturing parts of Punjab but their invasions against the Delhi Sultanate remained unsuccessful.

Conflict between Genghis Khan and Jalal ad-Din
Genghis Khan upon tracking down Jalal ad-Din from Samarkand defeated him in the battle of Indus in 1221. He then appointed Dorbei the Fierce and Bala as the commanders of 20,000 soldiers and instructed then to continue the chase. Jalal ad-Din was chased throughout Punjab by Bala. The later on his way also invaded few outlying towns such as Multan and Bhera. Jalal ad-Din also formed a small group and proposed for a treaty with the Turkic rulers of Delhi Sultanate who refused his proposal. The army battled with the local rulers reigning in Punjab and defeated them. He finally made a pact with the khokhar chieftain of the Salt Range. Jalal ad-Din`s army was soon joined by Khokhar Rai`s son and was bestowed with the title Kalich. Jalal ad-Din soon received the news of a revolt in southern Iran in Kirman province. He with his force immediately marched towards Iran and was joined on his way by forces from Peshawar and Ghor. The army men also comprised of soldiers from Ghori tribes, Khilji and Turkoman. With the strong forces he marched ahead and overpowered a Mongol army under Turtai. However, due to a quarrel that broke out over the division of the captured wealth, the Ghori tribesmen, Khilji and Turkoman parted ways. Ogedei Khan, the third son of Genghis Khan by this time had gained much power. He sent Chormaqan, a Mongol general behind Jalal ad-Din who easily defeated him and thus, ended the reign of Khwarazm Shah Dynasty.

Mongol Conquest of Kashmir
In 1235 The Mongol forces attacked Kashmir and occupied it. Kashmir thus, came under the Mongolian dependency. Peshwar was next invaded by the Mongol army under Pakchak. They defeated the tribal army that had severed ties with Jalal ad-Din. The Indus valley was next invaded by the Mongols in 1241. They besieged Lahore and on 1241 the Mongols under Munggetu plundered the town.

During 1254-1255 the Kashmiris revolted. Mongke Khan selected Sali and Takudar, his generals for replacing the court. He also appointed Otochi, a Buddhist master as the darugachi of Kashmir. Otochi was however, killed by the Kashmiri king. Later Sali attacked Kashmir and killed the king thus, forcing the country to remain under the rule of the Mongol Empire for several years.

Conflict between Chagatai Mongols and Delhi Sultanate
Mongol Empire during the 1280s was led by Duwa Khan. He with a view to establish Mongal Empire in India sent a huge force to Punjab in 1292. The army was however, defeated. The Mongols repeatedly attacked Northern India and won in their last two ballets. In 1297 the Mongol army and the Delhi Sultanate army met at Jalandhar. The Delhi Sultanate army under Zafar Khan easily defeated the Mongols and produced them before Ala-ud-din Khilji.

Conflict between Mongols and Alauddin Khilji
In 1299 Ala-ud-din Khilji waged a war on the Mongols. The Khilji army under Zafar Khan defeated the Mongols and forced them to withdraw. Later Zafar Khan was killed by Mongol general Qutlugh Khwaja. The Mongol forces then attacked Ala-ud-din Khilji when the later was occupied with attacking Chittor. He was thus, forced to retreat. Alauddin strengthened his forts with larger garrisons and equipped it with weapons. Despite the measures taken the Mongols under Ali Beg and Tartaq ransacked Punjab. Ala-ud-din Khilji next sent a strong force under Ghazi Malik and Malik Kafur. They made a surprise attack on the Mongols and defeated them.

The final Mongol invasion of this period took place in 1307-8 under Iqbalmand and Tai Bu. Alauddin Khilji sent his armies under Ghazi Malik to Kandhar, Kabul and Ghazni. These attacks effectively suppressed the Mongols.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.