However, he was unable to make adequate war preparations, and decided to take shelter in a well-guarded camp at the under-construction Siri Fort.

He strengthened military presence along the Mongol routes to India, and implemented economic reforms to ensure adequate revenue streams for maintaining a strong army.

Alauddin Khalji, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, had successfully warded off Mongol invasions from the Chagatai Khanate and its neighbours in 1297-98, 1298-99 and 1299.

[2] When the Mongols learned that two large units of the imperial army were absent from Delhi, they decided to capture the city.

[7] Alauddin reached Delhi around a month before the Mongols did, but he was unable to make adequate preparations for the impending battle.

[6] The army that Alauddin had sent to capture Warangal had abandoned its mission, and had reached close to Delhi after a long journey.

Neither side achieved a decisive victory in these conflicts, and the Mongols were unable to enter Alauddin's Siri camp.

Barani names these parts as Chautara-i Subhani, Mori, Hudhudi and the royal tank (Hauz-i Sultani).

The Mongols also ransacked the royal stores, and sold corn and other commodities from it to the public at a cheap rate.

[11] A later fabrication claims that Taraghai retreated as a result of the prayers of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya.

[12] Ziauddin Barani, who was a resident of Delhi at that time, later wrote that the city had never witnessed such fear of Mongols.

Barani suggests that his main objective was to ensure sufficient revenue inflows for the maintenance of a strong army to deal with the Mongol threat.