Atlas of Battles

battle, major, medieval

Battle of Indus

Battle of Indus was a battle fought on 24 November 1221 at Indus River, in what is now Pakistan. It was part of Mongol invasions and conquests, which ran from 1206 to 1337. The recorded result: Mongol victory. Recorded strength: 50,000 cavalry against 3,000 cavalry with 700 bodyguards; with 30,000–35,000 semi-irregular men.

See it on the globe Read the article

Chingis Khaan and his retinue watch in amazement as the Khorezmshah Jalal ad-Din prepares to cross the Indus.
Chingis Khaan and his retinue watch in amazement as the Khorezmshah Jalal ad-Din prepares to cross the Indus.. Mas'ud b. Osmani Kuhistani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought24 November 1221
WhereIndus River, Pakistan33.770N, 72.180E
OutcomeMongol victory
BelligerentsMongol EmpireagainstKhwarazmian Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknownandAlmost the entire army (30,000+ killed)
Part ofMongol invasions and conquestsMongol invasion of Khwarazmian Empire and Eastern Iran

Where it sits in Mongol invasions and conquests

Irghiz River skirmish, 1209Mongol invasion of Khwarazmian Empire and Eastern Iran, 1219Mongol invasion of Persia and Mesopotamia, 1219Otrar Catastrophe, 1219Siege of Samarkand, 1220Mongol invasion of Khorasan, 1220Mongol invasions of Azerbaijan, 1220Siege of Khujand, 1220Mongol invasion of Alania, 1220Siege of of Ray, 1220Siege of Bukhara (1220), 1220Siege of Gurganj, 1220Siege of Nishapur, 1220Battle of Parwan, 1221Siege of Taliqan, 1221Siege of Herat, 1221Siege of Termez, 1221Siege of Ustunavand, 1221Sack of Balkh, 1221Siege of Merv, 1221Siege of Jand, 1221Siege of Bamyan, 1221Battle of Indus, 1221Mongol invasions of India, 1221Siege of Ghazni, 1222Mongol invasion of Europe, 1223Battle of Gorgan, 1223Battle of the Kalka River, 1223Siege of Isfahan, 1228Mongol invasions of Korea, 1231Battle of Amid, 1231Siege of Bilär, 1236Sack of Erbil, 1236Siege of Kolomna, 1236Siege of Ryazan (1237), 1237Mongol invasion of Circassia, 1237Siege of Vladimir, 1238Siege of Kozelsk, 1238Battle of the Sit River, 1238Siege of Kyiv, 1240Sack of Kraków, 1241Battle of Tursko, 1241Battle of Tarczek, 1241Sacking of Sandomierz (1241), 1241Battle of Racibórz, 1241Battle of Opole, 1241Battle of Chmielnik, 1241Mongol incursions in the Holy Roman Empire, 1241Battle of Legnica, 1241Battle of Mohi, 1241Siege of Esztergom (1241), 1241Battle of Grobnik field, 1242Mongol invasion of the Latin Empire, 1242First Mongol invasion of Hungary, 1242Mongol campaign against the Nizaris, 1253Siege of Gerdkuh, 1253Siege of Maymun-Diz, 1256Siege of Alamut, 1256Siege of Lambsar, 1256Siege of Erbil (1258), 1258Siege of Baghdad, 1258Mongol invasions of the Levant, 1260Sack of Sandomierz, 1260Mongol invasion of Byzantine Thrace, 1263Mongol invasions of Sakhalin, 1264Kublai Khan's Campaigns, 1266Mongol invasions of Japan, 1274Battle of the Maritsa river, 1284Battle of Beas River, 1285Third Mongol invasion of Poland, 1287Battle of Kili, 1299Chem River Battle, 1300Second Mongol invasion of Burma, 1301Mongol invasion of Byzantine Thrace, 1324Battle of Kulikovo, 138012091380Battle of Indus, 1221
77 placed engagements of Mongol invasions and conquests in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date24 November 1221
PlaceIndus River, Pakistan
33.770N, 72.180E
KindBattle, medieval
Territorial changeKhwarazm and Khorasan annexed by Mongols
Strength50,000 cavalry3,000 cavalry with 700 bodyguards; with 30,000–35,000 semi-irregular men
Casualties and lossesUnknownAlmost the entire army (30,000+ killed)
Commanders
Battle of IndusBattle of IndusBattle of AttockBattle of Hasan AbdalBattle of PeshawarBattle of JamrudBattle of BalakotBattle of AttockBattle of Hasan AbdalBattle of PeshawarBattle of JamrudSaiduRawalpindiBannuJalalabadAbbottabadKohatMansehraAsadabad100 km33.770N, 72.180E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Indus
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Indus today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-04-07. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 297 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 254 to 1,062 m, 808 m of relief, steep country and today it is 43% shrubland, 26% cropland, 21% tree cover.

shrubland: 43%cropland: 26%tree cover: 21%water: 6%bare ground: 2%shrubland 43%cropland 26%tree cover 21%water 6%bare ground 2%
west to east, 10.0 km254 to 374 mnorth to south, 10.0 km256 to 915 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1221

Battle of Indus is one of 629 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 76 in present-day Pakistan.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q3269760, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of the Indus, revision 1383918428, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.