University Of Karachi

Department of History
(EVENING)

Mahmud Ghaznavi
(971 A.D-1030 A.D)

Course Code : 531.

Course Title : History of South Asia (Delhi Sultanate).

Class : B.A (Hons) 3rd Year.

Seat No : EH1960043.

Submitted by : Muhammad Yaseen.

Submitted to : Ma’am Farah Deeba.

 Mahmud Ghaznavi
(971 A.D-1030 A.D)

INTRODUCTION:
Mahmud Ghaznavi, one of the most controversial figures in South Asian history, is
known as one of the greatest invaders the world has ever seen. He was one of the few
leaders who were undefeated on the battlefield. Born in 979, Mahmud became Sultan of
Ghazni in 998. He inherited the small state of Ghazni from his father, Sobktejin, and built
it into an empire that lasted for nearly a century. He was a brave man and took part in all
the battles of his troops. Despite his interest in expanding his empire into Central Asia,
the maneuvers of Hindu Punjab rulers forced him to conquer South Asia. He came to
South Asia seventeen times and returned to Ghazni each time with a great victory. He
fought against the powerful forces of Jaibal, Annabal, Trunnochalpal, Kramta and the
combined forces of Hindu Rajas and Maharajas, but they all had to flee the battlefield due
to Mahmud's war strategy as a general. After conquest of Multan and Lahore, Mahmud
made Punjab part of his empire in 1021.
Unlike other great conquerors such as Alexander and Chingiz Khan, Mahmud did not
leave the occupied territories at the mercy of his soldiers. After becoming the first
Muslim ruler to conquer northern Punjab, he consolidated his rule in the region and
established his regional headquarters in Lahore. He established law and order in the areas
he ruled, paying special attention to the people he ruled. The police department and post
office were efficient. Its judicial system was very good because everyone was equal
before the law and justice was the system that prevailed today.
Mahmud was also a great patron of learning. His court was filled with scholars, among
them giants such as the poet Ferdowsi, the historian Bahqi, and Al-Biruni the multi-
talented scholar. It is said that he spent four hundred thousand dinars on scholars. He
invited scholars from all over the world and thus he was known as the Scientist's
Kidnapper. During the reign of Mahmud, Ghazni became one of the most important and
most beautiful cities in the Islamic world. It was a city of mosques, schools and libraries.
He also established a museum in Ghazni. During his reign, Lahore also became a major
center of learning and culture. Lahore was called "Little Ghazni". Saad Salman, the poet
of those times, wrote about the academic and cultural life of Lahore.
Mahmoud was also a very religious man. He himself wrote a book on jurisprudence. He
respected other religions. A large number of Hindus lived in Ghazni and enjoyed
religious freedom. One of their leaders was a Hindu Tilak. Many of the soldiers in his
army were Hindus as well. Mahmud attacked Hindu temples in India for political, not
religious, reasons.
PERSONILITY OF MAHMOOD:
Sultan Mahmud considered himself "God's shadow on earth", an absolute force whose
will is the law. He paid great attention to detail in almost everything, personally
supervising the work of every department of his diwan (administration).
Mahmud appointed all his ministers himself without notifying his minister (chief advisor)
or his diwan, although he sometimes had to do so, as his religion dictated that Muslims
consult with each other on all matters. Most of the time, he was suspicious of his
ministers, especially the vizier, and the following words are believed to be his: “Viziers
are enemies of kings...” Sultan Mahmud had many spies (called supervisors) in all of his
empire overseen by the special department in his court.
Mahmud was a patron of literature, especially poetry, and was sometimes found
accompanied by talented poets in his palace or in the royal garden. He was often
generous with them, paying large sums for their works according to their talent and value.

LIFE BEFORE SETTING ON THRONE:

In 994, Mahmud joined his father Sabuktigin in capturing Khorasan from the rebel Fa'iq
in aid of the Samanid Emir, Nuh II. During this period, the Samanid Empire became
highly unstable, with internal political tides shifting as various factions vied for control,
the main ones being Abu'l-Qasim Simjuri, Fa'iq, Abu Ali, General Bekhtuzin as well as
the neighboring Buyid dynasty and the Kara-Khanid Khanate.

SUCCESSION TO THRONE OF GHAZNA:

Sabuktigin died in 997 and was succeeded by his son Ismail as ruler of the Ghaznavid
dynasty. The reason behind Sabuktigin's choice to name Ismail as heir over the more
experienced and older Mahmud is uncertain. It may be because Ismail's mother is the
daughter of Sabuktigin's former master, Alptigin. Mahmud soon rebelled and with the
help of his other brother, Abu'l-Muzaffar, the governor of Bust, defeated Ismail the
following year at the Battle of Ghazni and gained control of the Ghaznavid kingdom.
That year, in 998, Mahmud then traveled to Balkh and paid homage to Amir Abu'l-Harith
Mansur b. Nur II. He then appointed Abu'l-Hasan Isfaraini as his vizier, and then set out
west from Ghazni to take the Kandahar region followed by Bost (Lashkar Gah), where he
turned it into a militarized city.
Sabkatgin was given the opportunity to enter India and immediately after this
information, he began preparing to attack Multan and invaded Multan with a Lashkar-e-
Jarrar. He ran his horses and came to the borders of it. Hameed, the ruler of Multan, had
an idea of his military prowess.
He knew that he could not face Ghazni's army, so he sent a message of reconciliation to
Sabkatgin to avoid war. Sabkatgin pardoned him on the condition and promised that he
would continue to pay tribute to him every year. Meanwhile, Sabkatgin died and was
succeeded by his son, Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, in 998 A.D.

EXPANSION OF GHAZNI SULTANATE:

By the time he took over the government, the kings of the adjoining areas of Sindh,
considering him an inexperienced ruler, intensified their rebellious activities and aroused
in their hearts the desire to fight Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi.

CONQUEST OF MULTAN & LAHORE

Ghaznavi's first destination was Multan. He had no complaints about the governor of
Multan. Rather than resisting Ghaznavi, he not only gave him a warm welcome, but also
allowed him to pass through his territory because he did not want to fight him.
He invaded Bhatia and then moved to Ghazni. The governor of Multan was Sheikh Abu
Al-Fattah Dawood bin Nasr. After Ghaznavi returned to his capital, he began to ignore
him, causing Mahmud to doubt him. He decided to punish him by sensing his intentions.
Therefore, he began preparing to attack Multan and ordered his army to cross the Khyber
Pass and attack Multan. When the Afghan army reached the borders of Lahore, Raja
Anand Pal's army cut their way and Raja Anand was ready for war. This situation was
unsettling for Ghaznavi, he tried to negotiate, but when the matter was not resolved in
any way, the only way left was to end Anand Pal's rule first.
Therefore, he ordered his army to attack Lahore first and overthrow Anand Pal's
government. As soon as the Sultan's order was received, the Afghan army attacked
Lahore. There was such a bloody battle that Anand pal's soldiers clearly saw his defeat
and left the field. During this stampede, many soldiers of Anand pal's army were
trampled. Instead of standing his ground, he fled.
After capturing Lahore, he attacked Multan. At that time, Sheikh Abu Al-Fatah's
condition was dire. Fearing for his life, he preferred to close the fort in a state of shame.
Ghaznavi laid siege to the fort and blocked all supplies. When the food was over, Sheikh
worried about what would happen next. Out of remorse, he put his sword around his
neck, surrendered to Ghaznavi, apologized, and then surrendered much of the Indus River
ALLIANCE BETWEEN GHAZNAVI’S APPONENTS
Just a few months after this incident, the defeated ruler of Lahore, Anand pal, began to
increase his power by uniting the kings of neighboring states. At the same time, he made
the ruler of Multan, Sheikh Abul Fateh, his ally. Ghaznavi was aware of this situation.
After resting for a few days, he marched on Multan with all his forces and arrested all the
rebels and rebels, including Sheikh Al-Fateh. When his authority over Multan was
established, he rebuilt Jama Masjid built by Muhammad bin Qasim, which was left
uninhabited.

DEFEAT OF RAJA JAI PAL:

Raja Jai Pal of North India had attacked Ghazni twice during Subkatgin's reign when
Mahmud succeeded his father at the age of twenty-six, Jai Pal attacked a third time.
Mahmoud severely defeated him and arrested him.
The king made great promises and was released. In 1022, he annexed Punjab to his
empire. He is a shining star of Islamic history that the Muslims of the subcontinent
rightly take pride in. Under the most challenging of circumstances, he made seventeen
consecutive attacks on India, and each time he was successful.

ATTACK ON SOMNATH
About a thousand years ago today, Mahmud Ghaznavid invaded Somnath, destroyed the
temple there, and returned to his homeland with the loot found there. This attack has left
countless impressions on the history of the Indian subcontinent.
Although this was not his first invasion of India, nor was the Somnath temple the only
one toppled by a ruler. Muslims weren't the only ruling class to attack the Hindu temple
in this way, either. Before attacking Somnath, Mahmud Ghaznavi had invaded Thanesar,
Mathura and many other areas and put an end to the Hindu dynasty in the region.

VIEWS OF HINDUS ABOUT GHAZNAVI:

In the picture painted by the fanatical Hindus of he is a violent-tempered chief who loves
murder. Mahmud Ghaznavi was not like that at all. He had amassed so much knowledge
and grace in his time that the Islamic sultans of that time may or may not have got this
honour.
The famous Muslim scientist Abu Rehan al-Biruni, an expert in various sciences and arts
and Bu Ali Sina, was Mahmud’s court.
CONCLUSION:
On April 30, 1030, Sultan Mahmud died in Ghazni, at the age of 59. Sultan Mahmud had
contracted malaria during his last invasion. The medical complication of malaria had
caused lethal tuberculosis. He had been a gifted military commander, and during his rule,
universities were founded to study various subjects such as mathematics, religion,
humanities, and medicine. Islam was the main religion of his kingdom and Hanafi school
of thought was favoured. The Perso-Afghan Dari dialect became the official language.
The Ghaznavid Empire was ruled by his successors for 157 years, but after Mahmud it
never reached the same splendor and power. The expanding Seljuk Turkish empire
absorbed most of western Ghaznavid. The Ghorids captured Ghazni c. 1150, and
Muhammad Ghori captured the last Ghaznavid stronghold in Lahore in 1187. The
Ghaznavids continued to live as Nasher-Khans in their Ghazni home until the 20th
century.