Battle of Lahrawat

On his way to Delhi, Tughluq encamped at Lahrawat, a plain to the west of the Yamuna River, and to the north of Siri.^[2] Khusrau Khan's army encamped in front of Hauz-i-Khas (then known as Hauz-i-Alai). On the night before the battle, his soldiers dug a small ditch in front of his camp, and built a mud wall behind it. During the night, one of his important officers - Ainul Mulk - fled to Ujjain-Dhar area in central India, although Tughluq became aware of this only in the morning.^[5]

Tughluq wanted to delay the battle to better prepare for the fight.^[2] However, on a Friday morning, Khusrau Khan launched an attack on Tughluq's camp, forcing him to engage in battle.^[5] According to the chroniclers Barani and Isami, Khusrau Khan's army dominated the early part of the battle, and only 300 soldiers in Tughluq's wing survived the attack. The Baradus, led by Randhol and Kajb Brahma, attacked the contingent commanded by Tughluq's son Malik Jauna. Jauna's contingent moved from its position, allowing the Baradus to pass through towards Tughluq. Tughluq's brother Asaduddin moved from left to the centre to support Tughluq, but Bughra Khan and Talbagha led their units against him.^[6]

As Tughluq's units left their positions, Khusrau Khan ordered his general Shaista Khan to attack the baggage of Tughluq's army. Shaista Khan advanced to Tughluq's pavilion, cut its ropes, and announced that Tughluq had retreated. Khusrau Khan's soldiers then turned their focus towards plundering the enemy baggage. Taking advantage of this, Tughluq - whose army had only 500 soldiers left by this time - made a plan to kill Khusrau Khan. He attacked Khusrau Khan from the front, and ordered Gul Chandra to attack him from the rear. Khusrau Khan panicked and fled the battlefield to save his life. This caused a disarray in his army, and most of his soldiers also fled the battlefield. Gul Chandra killed the person bearing the royal canopy (chatr) of Khusrau Khan, and placed the canopy over Tughluq's head.^[6]

A part of Khusrau Khan's army, which included several elephants and was dominated by Hindus, remained in its position. According to Isami, these soldiers were a part of the left wing commanded by Sumbul Hatim Khan.^[6] According to Amir Khusrau's Tughluq Nama, these soldiers included units from the right wing, led by Yusuf Sufi Khan and Kafur Muhrdar.^[7] Tughluq defeated these remaining units, and thus, won the battle.^[8]

According to Isami, Tughluq ordered a massacre of Baradus after his victory. The Baradu social group - to which Khusrau Khan belonged - perished as a result of this order. Those Baradus who had not been killed on the battlefield were massacred on the streets of Delhi the next day. According to Tughluq's courtier Amir Khusrau, Tughluq's officers rarely engaged in plundering, and the Muslim soldiers of his army generally did not mistreat the Muslim soldiers of the defeated army. However, the non-Muslim soldiers of Tughluq's army - including the Khokhars, Afghans, Mongols, and Meos - deprived the defeated soldiers of their possessions. According to Amir Khusrau, the Hindus among the defeated soldiers had no protection, and lost all their money, jewelry, and horses. The Muslims among the defeated soldiers were guaranteed their lives, but even they were vulnerable to plundering.^[8]

Tughluq subsequently ascended the throne of Delhi under the regnal name Ghiyath al-Din, with various nobles recognizing his authority. Khusrau Khan was captured and beheaded on Tughluq's orders.^[9]