In the mean time, the contending parties in the capital united for their common defence. The siege, more espe cially of the castle, might have been a work of time, but Timur, by the appearance or weakness and indecision, tempted his adversaries to descend into the plain, with 10,000 cuirassiers, 40,000 foot guards, and 120 elephants, whose tusks are said to have been armed with sharp and poisoned daggers. Timur, though impetuous, was not destitute of prudence. In order to protect his troops against these numerous and formidable opponents, he made use of some extraordinary precautions of fire, and a ditch of iron spikes, and a rampart of bucklers ; but the troops of the Emperor of Delhi were totally unable to cope with the Moguls ; for, as soon as the elephants were routed, they fled in every direction. The emperor and his prime minister, seeing no possibility after this defeat of de fending their capital, escaped under cover of the night, and fled towards Guzerat, whither they were pursued by a strong detachment, which Timur sent after them. This detachment came up with them ; an engagement took place, during which the emperor effected his further re treat, with the loss of two infant sons, and a considerable number of his retinue.
Timur, in the mean time, made his triumphant entry in to the capital of Ilindostan, where lie received the sub mission of all the principal nobles. To them he promised pardon and protection, on condition that they would pay him immense sums of money. Orders were accordingly given to the magistrates to levy the contribution by a scale proportioned to the wealth and rank of the inhabitants. The Tartar officers who were employed to receive it, not satisfied with the regulated sums, violently broke into the houses ; this occasioned resistance, in the course of which some of Timur's troops were put to death. Timur imme diately issued orders for a general massacre. Delhi was sacked ; its palaces and temples burned, and its streets filled with blood. Timur remained in Delhi only fifteen days, and appears then to have designed to return to the seat of his empire, when, having heard of a fortress on the Dooab which had resisted the arms of a former Mogul invader, he changed his purpose, marched into that district, and reduced the fortress. While here, information was given him respecting the famous cavern of Coupele, and the religious ceremonies which were practised at it by the Hindoos, in consequence of its resembling a cow's mouth, and the Ganges flowing through it. This information ex cited the persecuting spit it of this barbarian, and he deter mined to purify his soldiers in the blood of the idolatrous Hincloos. In this he succeeded. His return was along
the skirts of the northern hills, by Mount Scwalic ; in his route, he continued his massacres, though not with out opposition, until he arrived on the frontiers of Cash mere.
His return was occasioned by disturbances in some of the provinces of his empire, stirred up by the famous Ba jazet. On the banks of the Ganges he received intelli gence regarding them, and in little more than five months he had crossed and recrossed the Indus. He may be said, however, rather to have overrun than to have reduced and conquered ; for he did not disturb the order of succession in Hindostan, reserving to himself the possession of the Punjab only. During his life, which terminated in the year 1405, he was prayed for in the mosques of llindostan, and the coin was struck in his name ; but this might be more the effect of policy than the act of Timur. For, soon after he left Hindostan, his authority virtually ceased in Delhi ;—that capital became the prey of the most dread ful and cruel dissensions ; and while in this state, it was seized upon by a petty usurper. He, however, was soon driven from his throne, and Mahomed, who reigned at the period of the invasion of Timur, was replaced on it. But his authority was very confined ; for the soubahs of the pro vinces, taking advantage of the Mogul invasion, and its im mediate consequences, revolted from the supreme govern ment of Delhi.
In 1413, Mahomed died, and with him ended the Patan dynasty. Several sovereigns, supported by different parts of the army, set themselves up in different provinces. At length the throne was occupied by Chizer, who styled himself a Seid, or descendant of the holy line of the pro phet Mahomed. In order not to rouse the hostility of the Mogul princes, he did not assume the imperial titles, but represented himself as holding his authority under them. This, however, did not preserve his territories from invasion ; for, during the space of nearly thirty years, the Moguls retained possession of the western states of Hin dostan, from which they made frequent incursions into those which lay nearer Delhi. After a turbulent reign of seven years, Chizer died. He was succeeded by his son Mubarric Shah, of whom Ferishta says, " he reigned 13 years ; he was esteemed a man of parts, just and bene volent ; and though no great warrior, had he lived in a vir tuous age, there is no doubt but he possessed talents which might have rendered him worthy of a throne." During the next 27 years, the throne was filled by his nephew and his son Alla.