Question

Write a note on Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.

Answer 1

Hint: The Ghaznavid empire was established by Sabuktigin and this empire ruled from 975 to 1187 AD in Khurasan, Afghanistan and a few parts of central Asia ( including North India). From 1000AD to 1026 AD India was invaded for about seventeen times and a large amount of the country’s wealth was looted. Many people were brutally killed and temples were demolished.

Complete Answer:
Mahmud of Ghazni, who is known to be the first independent ruler of Ghazni, was the son of Sabuktigin. He ruled from 998 to 1030 AD. He belonged to Sunni sect of Muslims. He was the first Muslim who invade India to such a deep extent and expanded his empire to a very large part of Central Asia.

 The early life of Mahmud of Ghazni: his birthplace was in the town of Ghazni in the region of Zabulistan (which is present-day Afghanistan). He was born on 2 November 971AD. His mother belonged to the family of Iranian aristocrat.
- When his father died, the throne of Ghazni was ascended by his brother Ismail. Muhamad revolted against him and won the battle of Ghazni and thus occupied the throne.

His invasion and attacks in India:
- The initial raids were aimed against the rulers of Hindusahi who controlled Peshawar and Punjab at the time. There were three major kingdoms on the north-western frontier of India.
- The Shahiyas' Brahmana dynasty ruled over a large territory that stretched from Kashmir to Multan and from Lambhan to Sirhind. The Shia kingdom of Multan and the principality of Mansura were to the south of it where the Arab dynasty retained authority.
- The attacks by Mahmud on India were an attempt to fulfil his desire to make Ghazni a powerful force in Central Asian politics.
- The raids by Mahmud into India, for seventeen times from 1000AD to 1026AD, were only to acquire India's popular riches, which would help him consolidate his vast Central Asian rule.
- In Mathura, he demolished about 1000 temples. He even looted the temple of Somnath.
- Sections of Punjab and Sind were ruled by the Ghaznavids until 1135AD.
- The poet laureate of Mahmud was Firddausi, who wrote the Shah Nama in which he glorified ancient Iranian heroes.

Note: - Muhamad of Ghazni was the first Muslim ruler who used the title of ‘Sultan’, meaning Muslim sovereign authority, before his name.
- Alberuni who wrote a famous book titled as ‘Kitab Ul-Hind or An Enquiry Into India’ came along with Mahmud of Ghazni during his Invasions in India. In his writing, he included his knowledge about the wealth, prosperity and geography of India and his this book, later on, became a major source of information for historians.