Mongol invasions of India

Overview

The Mongol invasions of India were numerous invasions that the Mongol Empire launched into the Indian subcontinent from 1221 to 1327, with many of the later raids made by the Qara'unas of Mongol origin. The Mongols occupied parts of the subcontinent for decades. As the Mongols progressed into the Indian hinterland and reached the outskirts of Delhi, the Delhi Sultanate of India led a campaign against them in which the Mongol army suffered serious defeats.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Mongol invasions of India constituted a prolonged series of incursions into the Indian subcontinent spanning from 1221 to 1327, conducted by the Mongol Empire and, in later phases, by the Qara'unas of Mongol origin. The invasions brought Mongol forces deep into the Indian hinterland and at points to the outskirts of Delhi itself, demonstrating the geographic reach of Mongol expansion during the broader Mongol conquests of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. The Delhi Sultanate mounted sustained military resistance across this period, and the Mongol army suffered serious defeats at the hands of Delhi's forces. The sultanate's ability to repel these repeated incursions preserved its authority over the subcontinent and checked the extension of Mongol dominion into South Asia, distinguishing India as one of the regions where the Mongol advance was durably resisted rather than consolidated.

Commanders (12)