Delhi before the Moghal Conquest
not likely to spare turbulent brawlers, even though innocent people might suffer with them. A band of Hindus took refuge in the mosque of Old Delhi,but found no sanctuary there, for on the fourth day
they were slaughtered, and not one was spared. At length the massacre ceased; those who survived, and had not fled, were parted among the victors as slaves, and Timur reserved for himself all the stonemasons. He then entered the city and took possession of twelve rhinoceros, and the remainder of the menagerie, which had been collected by Firoze Shah.
On the last day of 1398, Timur marched to Firozabad and inspected the mosque in the kotila of Firoze Shah, with which he was delighted. He was here presented with two white parrots, supposed to be seventy-four years old, which had been transferred from one king to the next since the days of Tughlak Shah. Timur then returned to Samarkand.
After two months of anarchy Nasrit Shah crept back and took possession of the spoiled cities, almost destitute of inhabitants, who, however, soon began to return. He was shortly afterwards driven out by one of the nobles, Ikbal Khan, who occupied Delhi, while the provinces were partitioned among other nobles. Mahmud then returned, at the invitation of Ikbal, but203
