The 20 Bloodiest Battles Of Pre-Industrial History

This battle was fought during the War of the Spanish Succession. The war shaped the landscape of the eighteenth century. The general estimate for this battle was 95,000 casualties.

The battle that ended the Tokhtamysh–Timur War. This was a major war between the Timurid Empire and the Golden Horde. The battle claimed over 100,000 casualties. A massive amount for the time.

The Timurids were a massive and powerful empire that ravaged India. The Conquest of Delhi was part of Timur's Indian Campaign. Around 100,000 people died in the conflict.

The Napoleonic Wars changed everything. Essentially all of Europe allied together to take down Napoleon. With casualties as high as 79,000, this battle was part of the War of the Fifth Coalition, which ended in a victory for Napoleon.

One of Napoleon's worst mistakes was invading Russia and getting stuck in the middle of winter. This battle was part of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia. It claimed 74,000 casualties in an ultimately failed campaign.

The Punic Wars changed the face of history. It determined who would rule the Mediterranean. The Battle of Cannae was fought during the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, there were casualties as high as 92,000.

The Sengoku Period of Japanese history is awash in bloodshed. There was little order and warlords ruled the land. Each one vied for control over as much territory as possible. This battle claimed an estimated 60,000 casualties.

Islam isn't just a religion. People often forget that it is a civilization in itself. Part of its wildfire-like spread throughout the Middle East was due to battles like this. The Battle of Yarmouk was part of the Arab Conquest of the Levant with casualties numbering almost 70,000.

Fought by the legendary general Alexander The Great, the battle took over 53,000 casualties. Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world, from Greece to India. It was an achievement none had accomplished before, or since.

This battle took place during the Greco-Persian Wars of antiquity. It was a conflict that shaped Western perspective and philosophy. The Battle of Plataea claimed at least 52,000 casualties.

The Reconquista was when Christian Iberian kingdoms reconquered the Iberian peninsula from Muslim rule. It was a major event in history, ultimately leading to Christopher Columbus' journeys. This battle claimed over 60,000 casualties.

A massive battle fought between the Marathas and Afghans, this battle halted further raids from Marathas. These raids were caused in part to the decline of the Mughal Empire. The battle easily caused over 100,000 casualties.

The Napoleonic Wars were a bloody affair that thoroughly scarred Europe for a century. Part of the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon, coalition forces had a decisive victory against Napoleon with 124,000 casualties counted. It was one of the defeats that dispelled the myth of French invincibility.

The Mongols conquered more land than any other empire on Earth. Their flexibility in battle proved them a force to be reckoned with. This battle was fought during a Mongol raid against the Rus, there were an estimated 136,000 casualties.

China went through multiple periods of stability and conquest. With over 150,000 casualties, this battle was fought during the Wu Hu era of Chinese history. This battle signaled the end of the Qin dynasty and the rise of the Jin.

One of the bloodiest battles of Indian history, it was fought between the Maurya Empire and the feudal kingdom of Kalinga. This battle had many civilian casualties, as well as military casualties. The accepted estimate is well over 150,000 casualties.

The invasion of the Huns traumatized the landscape of Western Europe. For the Western Roman Empire, it was a death knell. The battle of Catalaunian Plains cost around 165,000 casualties, according to an ancient source.

The Tumu Crisis was fought between the Mongol Empire and the Ming Dynasty in China. The Ming were famous for completing the Great Wall of China, precisely because of Mongol attacks like these. There were over 200,000 casualties resulting in a Mongol victory.

A Georgian-Seljuk battle of the 12th century. It is seen as the beginning of the Georgian Golden Age of the Middle Ages. The battle counted over 200,000 casualties with a decisive Georgian victory.

This battle occurred during a massive conflict between China and Korea. The battle is considered one of the most lethal classical formation battles in world history. It counted 302,000 casualties, in the seventh century. The battle also caused the collapse of the Sui dynasty in China.