معركة كيلي

الخلفية

وقد حكم سلطنة دلهي علاء الدين الخلجي الذي كان قد أخذ عرش دلهي بعد اغتيال عمه في 1296.
تسيطر خانات الجاغطاي على آسيا الوسطى، وقائدها منذ عقد 1280 كان دووا
خان خان الذي كان الرجل الثاني تحت قيادة كايدو. كان دوا نشطا في أفغانستان، وحاول توسيع قاعدة المغول إلى الهند. حاكم نيغوداري عبد الله، الذي كان ابن حفيد جغطاي خان الكبير، غزا البنجاب مع قوته في 1292، ولكن الحرس المتقدم له تحت قيادة أولغو هزم وسجن بواسطة جلال الدين الخلجي (السلطان الذي سبق علاء الدين). حوالي 4000 من الجنود المغول (يسمون المغل في دلهي)
استسلموا واعتنقوا الإسلام. الضاحية التي كانوا يعيشون فيها سميت نسبة لهم مغلبورا. وتعرضت سلطنة دلهي للضرب عدة مرات في 1296-1297. المغول بعد ذلك غزوا مرارا شمال الهند. في مناسبتين على الأقل، جاءوا بقوة.
خلال حكم علاء الدين، اقتحم المغولي نويان كادار البنجاب في شتاء 1297-98. وقد هزم وأرغم على الانسحاب من قبل جنرال علاء الدين أولوغ خان . وقد احبط جنرال علاء الدين ظفر خان الغزو المغولي الثاني بقيادة سالدي. بعد هذه الهزيمة المهينة، شن المغول غزو ثالث، مع الاستعدادات الكاملة، التي تنوي غزو الهند

المسيرة المغولية

في أواخر عام 1299 ، أرسل دووا حاكم المغول التشاجاتاي خانات ابنه قتلغ خواجه ليغزو دلهي.  كان يهدف المغول إلى قهر وحكم سلطنة دلهي، وليس مجرد وليس مجرد غارة عليه ا. ولذلك، خلال مسيرتهم الطويلة التي استمرت 6 أشهر في الهند، لم يلجأوا إلى نهب المدن وتدمير الحصون. خلال تلك الليالي، تعرضوا للمضايقة من قبل جنرالات دلهي المنتشرين في مراكز الحدود مثل مثل ملتان وسمانا. المغول أرادوا الحفاظ على طاقتهم في المعركة للاستيلاء على دلهي، وتجنب المواجهات مع هؤلاء الجنرالات.
 أرسل الجنرال ظفر خان -الذي كان في مكان يدعى كوهرام- رسولا ودعا قتلغ خواجا إلى معركة. ومع ذلك، رفض قتلغ العرض، معلنا أن "الملوك يحاربون الملوك فقط". وطلب من ظفر أن يحارب تحت راية سيده علاء الدين في دلهي.
عسكر المغول في كيلي، وهو مكان يقع على بعد حوالي 10 كم من ضواحي دلهي. ومع وصول أخبار قدومهم إلى المنطقة المحيطة، بدأ الناس من المناطق المجاورة في الانتقال إلى سلامة مدينة دلهي المحصنة. أصبحت الشوارع والأسواق ومساجد المدينة مكتظة.وقد قطع المغول القوافل التجارية المتجهة إلى دلهي. ونتيجة لذلك، ارتفعت أسعار السلع الأساسية في دلهي زيادة كبيرة، مما تسبب في محنة للجمهور المحلي.

استعدادات علاء الدين

Alauddin seems to have received the news of Mongol invasion only after the invaders had crossed the Indus River. According to the 14th century chronicler Isami, he had only 1–2 weeks to prepare for the battle. He immediately sent messages to the various provincial governors, asking them to send reinforcements to Delhi.
Alauddin set up a military camp near Siri, on the banks of the Yamuna river, and summoned his officers. Alaul Mulk, his uncle and the kotwal of Delhi, advised him to resort to diplomacy and negotiations, instead of risking his kingdom. Alauddin rejected the advice, arguing that if he showed weakness, the general public and the warriors will lose their respect for him. He publicly announced his intention to march to Kili and fight with the Mongols.
Alauddin made Alaul Malik the incharge of Delhi, ordering him to hand over the keys of the palace gates to the victor of the battle. After Alauddin departed for Siri, Alaul Mulk closed all the gates of Delhi except the Badaun Gate. The Badaun Gate was kept open for flight to the Doab, in case of Alauddin's defeat.

The Battle

The battle site at Kili was bounded by the Yamuna River on one side, and a bushland on the other.

Zafar khan's death

Alauddin had relatively little time to prepare for the battle, and therefore, he wanted to delay the battle. He expected more units to arrive from the east. He also hoped that a delay would cause the already-tired Mongols to fall short of provisions, and retreat. However, Alauddin's general Zafar Khan attacked Hijlak's unit without Alauddin's permission.
Hijlak's unit feigned retreat, which was a common Mongol strategy. Zafar Khan followed the enemy soldiers rapidly, causing his foot soldiers to be left behind. Even his cavalry had trouble keeping up with his pace. After following Hijlak's army for 18 karohs (approximately 55 km), he realized that he had only 1,000 horsemen left with him. Meanwhile, Targhi's Mongol unit had covered an area of 3 km behind him, blocking his return to Alauddin's camp. Alauddin did not send any unit in his support. According to the 17th century historian Hajiuddabir's Zafarul-vali, Ulugh Khan maintained an ill-will against Zafar Khan, and therefore, did not lead his reinforcement division to support Zafar Khan.
Zafar Khan consulted his officers Usman Akhur-beg, Usman Yaghan, Ali Shah Rana-i-Pil and others. They realized that they would not be able to return, and even if they did, Alauddin would punish them for not following his orders and for cowardice. Therefore, they decided to die fighting. According to Ziauddin Barani's Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, Qutlugh Khwaja offered Zafar an opportunity to surrender, promising to take him to the Chagatai Khanate, where he would be treated more honourably than at the Delhi court. However, Zafar Khan refused this offer.
According to Isami, Zafar Khan and his companions managed to kill 5,000 Mongols, while losing only 800. After this, Zafar Khan put up a last stand with his 200 surviving soldiers. After his horse was cut down, he fought on foot, and engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with Hijlak. He was killed by an arrow that bypassed his armour and pierced his heart.

The Mongol retreat

Zafar khan's son Diler Khan also led a charge against the Mongols, forcing Tamar Bugha to fall back. He pursued the retreating Mongol army, whose soldiers showered arrows as they retreated. The Mongols also launched an attack at the centre of the Delhi army, which was repulsed by Alauddin's division, leading to the death of a large number of Mongol soldiers.
Zafar Khan's death had also caused despair among the Delhi officers. The next morning, Alauddin's officers advised him to retreat to Delhi, and fight from the security of the fort. Alauddin rejected the advice, arguing that Zafar Khan's unit had suffered because of their disobedience. He declared that if he had to move, he would only move forward. Meanwhile, Qutlugh Khwaja remained reluctant to initiate an attack, and the second day ended without any military action.
According to Barani, Zafar Khan's attack had caused terror among the Mongols, which was the reason for their retreat. However, the real reason for the Mongol retreat appears to be that Qutlugh Khwaja was seriously wounded: he died during the return journey.

Aftermath

Although Zafar Khan died fighting in the battle, Alauddin resented the fact that he had disobeyed the royal orders. Nobody in the royal court praised his gallantry; on the contrary, Alauddin denounced his recklessness and disobedience. Zafar Khan's name was omitted in the subsequent royal chronicles written during Alauddin's reign. For example, Amir Khusrau's Khazainul Futuh makes no mention of him.
The Mongols invaded India again in 1303, 1305 and 1306, but failed to defeat the Delhi Sultanate army.