THE GHAZAVIDS
The empire of the Ghaznavids was built on
the ruins of the Abbasid Caliphate concentrated
in west and central Asia. From the end of the
9th Century, the abbasid empire disintegrated
and a series of aggressive, expansionist states
arose. These states were independent in all but
they accepted the nominal suzeriegnty of the
Caliph who legitimised their position by granting
them a formal letter or manshu. In course of time,
the rulers of these states began to be called
sultans. Most of these Sultans were Turks. The
Ghaznavids and the seljuq states were products
of the acculturation of the Turks had expanded
into the institutions of settled societies. Under
the Seljuq umbrella. The Turks had expanded
into the Meditarranean and Byzatine territories.
Anatolia (modern Turkey) was conquered and
settled by the Ottoman Turks. The Turks were
nomadas and lived in areas now known as
Mongolistan and Sinkiang since the 8th century.
They had been filtration into the region called
Mawara-un-nahar, i.e., Transoxiana, which was
the transitional zone between central Asia and
the land of ancient civilisations in east Asia. The
Iranian rulers of the area and the Abbasid
Caliph recruited the Turk as mercenaries and
slaves for their personal needs and security after
getting them converted into Islam. These Turks
quickly assimilated the Iranian Language and
culture and became Islamised and Persianised.
After the disintegration of the Abbasid
empire, the most powerful dynasty which arose
in the region was the Samanid dynasty (874-
999_. The Ghaznavids were displaced by the
Seljukids, and then by the Khwarizmi empire
which had its capital at Merv. These empires
fought with each other and this led to the growth
of militarism which spelt immediate danger to
India. Such a danger had become imminent also
owing to the fact that west and central Asia are
connected to India geographically across
mountain barriers having number of pass. The
nomadic and seminomadic hordes have
constantly tried to enter India through these
mountain passes, attracted by India’s wellwatered
plains with fertle soil. extending from
the Punjab to the eastern borders of Bengal.
Mahmud of Ghazni (997-1030)
He was also known as “But-Shikan”
(destroyer of the image) seventeen plundering
expeditions betweened 1000 and 1027 into north
India. Annexing Punjab as his eastern province.
He claimed to have come here with twin
objectives of spreading Islam in India, and
enriching himself by taking away wealth from
India. The contemporary Persian sources
mention that his motive was primarily spreading
Islam and that is why the got the title of Ghazni.
But recent research has provide that a religious
motive was highlighted by him in order to win
over the Caliphiate (Khalifa) at Baghdad and the
real intention of his invasion in India was to loot
the wealth hidden in the garbhagriha of the
Indian temples. The invader’ effective use of the
crossbow while galloping gave them a decisive
advantage over their Indian opponents, the
Rajputs. Mahmud’s conquest of Punjab foretold
ominous consequences for the rest of India.
However, the Rajputs appear to have been both
unprepared and unwilling to change their
military tactics which ultimatly collapsed in the
face of the swift and punitive cavalry of the
Turks. In 1025, he attacked and raided the most
celebrated Hindu temple of Somnat, near the
coast in the extreme south of Kathiawar
(Gujarat). Bhima I, the Chalukyan ruler of
Anhilwara, could not put much resistence and
the temple was looted.
Al Beruni who wrote Kitab-ul Hind, and
firdausi, who wrote Shah Namah, were the court
Historians of Mahmud Ghazni and give a good
account of the polity and society on the eve of
Mahmud’s invasion.
continued..........
