Zafar Khan
Encyclopedia
Zafar Khan was the Muslim
Indian
general of Alauddin Khilji
of the Khilji dynasty
, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
in northern India
.
Zafar Khan defeated an invading Mongol
army near Jalandhar
in 1297 which secured Alauddin Khilji's throne.
In 1299, a horde of 200,000 Mongols entered India with the intention of conquest. Though vastly outnumbered, Zafar Khan showed desperate valor in battle. The Mongols were defeated, but Khan did not survive.
Zafar Khan holds the honour of being one of the few undefeated military commanders in history.
In an invasion, the Mongols attacked under the command of Saldi
. They captured the fort Siri
. Zafar Khan, recaptured the fort. About 2,000 Mongols were captured and brought before the King.
The biggest Mongol invasion took place in 1299, when under the command of Qutlugh Khwaja, 200,000 Mongols attacked India. This time they did not just want to rob the country. Now, they wanted to establish their own kingdom. The Mongols did not plunder the people on the way to Delhi. They did not want to waste their energy doing this. This was a wise step and succeeded to reach near Delhi. The situation became very grave. The people of nearby areas entered into Delhi. There was no free space even in mosques.
Ala-ud-Din consulted his ministers and chiefs. Many of them said that it was impossible to say as to which side was likely to emerge victorious. They said that their own army had spent their lives in warfare against the Hindus only, and had not joined in battle against the Mongols. They suggested for a compromise, but Ala-ud-Din was not ready for it. He rejected their advice and said, "If I were to follow your advice how could I show my face, how could I go into my harem? No, come what may tomorrow, I must march into the battlefield".
He ordered his army to attack under the command of Zafar Khan and Ulugh Khan. His army attacked and fought bravely. They defeated the Mongols after many great battles. Legend has it that Zafar Khan created such great terror in the minds of the Mongols that whenever their horse refused to drink water, the Mongols would ask them if they had seen Zafar Khan.
Ala-ud-Din defeated the Mongols. Zafar Khan was killed in this battle by the Mongol commander Targhi Beg. Zafar Khan's tomb is situated just opposite the main entrance of Tughlaqabad Fort in the octagonal fortress enclosing the majestic tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq which also has the grave of Muhammad bin Tughluq, on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in New Delhi.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Indian
History of India
The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
general of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khilji
Ali Gurshap Khan better known by his titular name as Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji was the second ruler of the Turko-Afghan Khilji dynasty in India.He was a well and capable ruler. He belonged to the Afghanized Turkic tribe of the Khiljis...
of the Khilji dynasty
Khilji dynasty
The Khilji Sultanate was a dynasty of Turko-Afghan Khalaj origin who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320. They were the second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India...
, ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
in northern India
North India
North India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage...
.
Zafar Khan defeated an invading Mongol
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
army near Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
in 1297 which secured Alauddin Khilji's throne.
In 1299, a horde of 200,000 Mongols entered India with the intention of conquest. Though vastly outnumbered, Zafar Khan showed desperate valor in battle. The Mongols were defeated, but Khan did not survive.
Zafar Khan holds the honour of being one of the few undefeated military commanders in history.
In an invasion, the Mongols attacked under the command of Saldi
Saldi
Saldi is a village in the Mehsana District, Gujarat , India, Pin Code 382730, situated on State Highway 217 between Gandhinagar and Mehsana. Saldi represents a typical countryside village of India. It borders the following villages: langhnaj, Veda, Parsa, Charadu, Vadasma, Shankarpura, Khata...
. They captured the fort Siri
Siri
Siri or SIRI may refer to:Given name* Sigrid, a female name commonly shortened as Siri* Siri, a common Hindu female name, meaning "Goddess Lakshmi, Wealth, God's gift of love."* Siri von Essen, Swedish actress married to writer August Strindberg...
. Zafar Khan, recaptured the fort. About 2,000 Mongols were captured and brought before the King.
The biggest Mongol invasion took place in 1299, when under the command of Qutlugh Khwaja, 200,000 Mongols attacked India. This time they did not just want to rob the country. Now, they wanted to establish their own kingdom. The Mongols did not plunder the people on the way to Delhi. They did not want to waste their energy doing this. This was a wise step and succeeded to reach near Delhi. The situation became very grave. The people of nearby areas entered into Delhi. There was no free space even in mosques.
Ala-ud-Din consulted his ministers and chiefs. Many of them said that it was impossible to say as to which side was likely to emerge victorious. They said that their own army had spent their lives in warfare against the Hindus only, and had not joined in battle against the Mongols. They suggested for a compromise, but Ala-ud-Din was not ready for it. He rejected their advice and said, "If I were to follow your advice how could I show my face, how could I go into my harem? No, come what may tomorrow, I must march into the battlefield".
He ordered his army to attack under the command of Zafar Khan and Ulugh Khan. His army attacked and fought bravely. They defeated the Mongols after many great battles. Legend has it that Zafar Khan created such great terror in the minds of the Mongols that whenever their horse refused to drink water, the Mongols would ask them if they had seen Zafar Khan.
Ala-ud-Din defeated the Mongols. Zafar Khan was killed in this battle by the Mongol commander Targhi Beg. Zafar Khan's tomb is situated just opposite the main entrance of Tughlaqabad Fort in the octagonal fortress enclosing the majestic tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughluq which also has the grave of Muhammad bin Tughluq, on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in New Delhi.
Other Language Books
- Jaamiya Taareekh e Hind ( Urdu) by Dr. Khaliq Ahmad Nizami. Aligarh Muslim University Press 1954.
- The Behmanis of Deccan by Dr. Harun Khan Sherwani. National Book Trust New Delhi 1979.
- Futuhussalaateen ( PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
) by Abdul Malik Isami. - Tareekh i Firuzshahi ( PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
) by Shamsuddin Ibn Sirajuddin Afeef. - Tareekh i Firuzshahi ( PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
) by Ziauddin Barni.
See also
Mongol invasions of IndiaMongol invasions of India
The Mongol Empire launched several Mongol invasions into the Indian subcontinent from 1221 to 1327. The Mongols made Kashmir their vassal state. However, the campaigns against the Delhi Sultanate proved unsuccessful, in spite of constant Mongol incursions....