EARLY MEDIEVAL INDIA

Brief History of Islam

Arab Conquest of Sind
Mahmud of Ghazni
Mohammed Ghori

By - Mahipal Singh Rathore

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 Brief History of Islam
• PROPHET MOHAMMED (570-632AD)

• Mecca and Medina region of Saudi Arabia

• Hijra 622 CE –Migration from Mecca to Medina – Hijri Calendar

• Caliphs after the prophet – religious and political head

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 Rashidun Caliphate 632-661 – 4 rightly guided caliphs
Ummayyad Caliphate 661-750 - Damascus
Abbasid caliphate 750 -1251 – Baghdad
Ottoman Caliphate 1517 -1924- Istanbul

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©DrMahipalRathore
 Arab Conquest of Sind (712 AD)
• Muhammed Bin Qasim (18 years old)
• Sent by Gov. of Baghdad under Ummayyad caliphate
• Attacked and defeated Dahir,ruler of Sind
• Established Arab rule over Sind
• Laid ground for later conquests

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• By 10th century – Caliphate broke into regional kingdoms,
many led by Turks

• Caliph was now only religious figurehead

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 North India: 7th -12th Century AD
• After the death of Harsha, there was no political unity in north India for
about five centuries.
• The country was split up into a number of states which were constantly
fighting and changing their frontiers.
• Kashmir, Gandhara, Sind, Gujarat, Kanauj, Ajmer, Malwa, Bengal and
Assam.
• In the early 8th century, Kashmir was dominant, later Pals of Bengal, finally
Pratihars became the most powerful rulers of north India

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 Rajput Age
• 7th-12th century –Early medieval age- dominance of Rajputs, lasted
till the Turko-Muslim conquests in the 12th century.
• Around 30 major Rajput dynasties ruled over north and central
India
• Many Rajput states continued to rule over their areas even after
sultanate and Mughal rule was established - Rajasthan
• Main defenders of the Hindu religion and culture against Muslim
aggression

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©DrMahipalRathore
Scholars have different theories about the origin of the Rajputs.
i) They are the descendants of Lord Rama (Surya vamsa) or Lord
Krishna (Chandra vamsa) or the Heroes who sprang from the
sacrificial fire(Agni Kula theory)
ii) They belong to the ancient Kshatriya families,
iii) They are of foreign origin- descendants of ISPK who assimilated into
the Indian society

Lack of political foresight, constant rivalries & no political unity

prevented any combined opposition to the Muslim invaders

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 The Pratiharas/Gurjara Pratihars of Kannauj - paramount
 The Palas of Bengal
 The Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer
 The Tomars of Delhi
 The Rathores of Kannauj
 The Guhilas or Sisodiyas of Mewar
 The Chandelas of Bundelkhand
 The Paramaras of Malwa
 The Solankis of Gujarat

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©DrMahipalRathore
 Mahmud of Ghazni (998-1030 AD)
• Ruler of Ghazni, Afghanistan
• 1001 AD -Defeated Hindu Shahi ruler -Jayapal of Punjab/Kabul
• 17 Raids in north, west and central India
• Purpose - Looting the treasures of rich temples and taking slaves
• No empire building intention
• Somnath temple destroyed

• Kitab ul Hind –AL-BIRUNI

• Shahnamah - Firdausi
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 Muhammed Ghori [1173-1206 AD]
• Sultan of Ghur,Afghanistan
• 1175 – Annexed Multan, Sind
• 1186 – Annexed Punjab

• Confederacy under the command of Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer/Delhi

• 1st Battle of Tarain 1191 AD
• 2nd Battle of Tarain 1192 AD
• Battle of Chandawar -1194- Jaichanda of Kannauj defeated
• 1203- Bakhtiyar Khilji, Ghori’s general - attacked Bengal and Bihar

• Left behind a governor at Lahore to RULE – Qutub ud din Aibak

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THANK YOU

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