1398

1398 was a year in the late 14th century marked by major military and political upheaval across Eurasia. The most consequential event was Timur (Tamerlane) launching a large-scale campaign into the Indian subcontinent, culminating in the siege and sack of Delhi. Timur’s forces defeated the Delhi Sultanate’s army and captured the city, resulting in extensive destruction and mass casualties. The sack significantly weakened Delhi’s central authority and disrupted northern Indian political and economic life for generations, contributing to a period of fragmentation and shifting power among regional polities.

In other parts of the region, the Ottoman Empire under Bayezid I continued its expansion into Anatolia and the Balkans, strengthening centralized control after the campaigns of the preceding years. Timur’s and Bayezid’s activities reflected a broader pattern of dynastic contest, frontier warfare, and the consolidation of imperial power that characterized late medieval Eurasia.

The year also sits within a broader context of ongoing religious, cultural, and commercial exchange facilitated by long-distance trade routes that connected Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. While detailed records from 1398 vary by region, the year is typically viewed as part of a transitional era that set the stage for subsequent changes leading into the early modern period.