The invasion of Samarqand

After the great city of Bukhaara was destroyed, its inhabitants killed, and its houses, schools and mosques burnt at the hands of the Tatars, they moved to the neighboring city, i.e. Samarqand, lying within the borders of the Muslim Uzbekistan. On their way, they took with them a great multitude of the Muslim captives of Bukhaara. As Ibn Al-Atheer, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, says, "They drove them in the worst manner; they would kill anyone if he fell short of walking."

As for why they took the captives with them, many reasons could be drawn out:

First: They used to give each ten captives a Tatarian flag to raise, so that whenever anyone saw them from afar, he would think them to be of the Tatars. In this way, their number would increase in the sight of their enemies to a horrible extent, seeing it unimaginable to fight all those multitudes, thereby psychological defeat would start to creep into their hearts.

Second: They used to force the captives to join them in fighting their enemies, and they would kill anyone if he refused or did not fight fiercely.

Third: They used to be protected by them; whenever they fought the Muslims they placed them in the front rows as shields, and hid themselves behind them in order to be able to shoot arrows and throw spears safely, while being protected by them.

Fourth: They used to kill them at the gates of the cities, in order to cast terror into the hearts of their enemies, and show them that they would receive the same destiny if they resisted the Tatars.

Fifth: They used to exchange them for any Tatars falling as captives in fighting, although this case was exceptional for the Tatars were rarely defeated.

http://video.islamstory.com/en/artical/20710/invading-samarqand