86 
LIVES OF THE MOGHUL EMPERORS. 
foreign conquests, made incursions into that sovereign’s 
dominions, where he committed cruel violence, in order 
to repair the losses of and make retaliation for his late 
defeat. Before Timur marched, he sent a messenger 
to the invader to demand the reason of his entering 
the Jagatay territories, and satisfaction for the ravages 
he had committed. Toktamish would willingly have 
concluded a treaty with his powerful enemy, but was 
persuaded to continue hostilities by his generals, who 
had become enriched by the late spoils, and therefore 
considered the enterprises of war far more profitable 
than the cold calculations of peace. 
The ambassador, upon his return to the imperial 
camp, found Timur at the foot of a mountain in the 
Georgian Caucasus, reviewing his army, which ex- 
tended a distance of fifteen miles, and was the greatest 
that had been assembled since the time of the re- 
nowned Jengyz Khan. The emperor, enraged at the 
answer returned by Toktamish, advanced with his 
martial host to meet that general, crossed the river 
Terk or Terek,* and proceeded towards Kulat, a for- 
tress on the Terk, in quest of provisions. Here receiv- 
ing a communication from his scouts that the Kipchak 
forces were marching by the lower bank of the river, 
Timur ranged his battalions, and taking care to se- 
cure the rising ground, wheeled round upon the foe. 
This famous battle was fought with such obstinate 
bravery, that it deserves to be particularly recorded. 
The Jagatay monarch divided his forces into seven 
bodies, placing before each some of the best soldiers 
A river of Asiatic Russia in the government of Caucasus. 
