ESTABLISHMENT AND EXPANSION OF
THE DELHI SULTANATE
The First Battle of Tarain (AD 1191)
Muhammad Ghori’s possession of Punjab
and his attempt to advance into the Gangetic
Doab brought him into direct conflict with the
Rajput ruler Prithivaraja Chauhan. He had
overrun many small states in Rajputana,
captured Delhi and wanted to extend his control
over Punjab and Ganga valley. The conflict
started with claims of Bhatinda. In the first battle
fought at Tarain in AD 1191, Ghori’s army was
routed and he narrowly escaped death.
Prithviraj conquered Bhatinda but he made no
efforts to garrison it effectively. This gave Ghori
an opportunity to re-assemble his forces and
make preparations for another advance into
India.
The Second Battle of Tarain (AD 1192)
This battle is regarded as one of the turning
points in Indian History. Muhammad Ghori
made very careful preparations for this conquest.
The Turkish and Rajput forces again came face
to face at Tarain. The Indian forces were more
in number but Turkish forces were well organised
with swift moving cavalry. The bulky Indian
forces were no match against the superior
organisation, skill and speed of the Turkish
cavalry. The Turkish cavalry was using two
superior techniques. The first was the horse shoe
which gave their horses a long life and protected
their hooves. The second was, the use of iron
stirrup which gave a good hold to the horse rider
and a better striking power in the battle. A large
number of Indian soldiers were killed. Prithviraj
tried to escape but was captured near Sarsuti.
The Turkish army captured the fortresses of
Hansi, Sarsuti and Samana. Then they moved
forward running over Delhi and Ajmer.
After Tarain, Ghori returned to Ghazni,
leaving the affairs of India in the hand of his
trusted slave general Qutbuddin Aibak. In AD
1194 Muhammad Ghori again returned to India.
He crossed Yamuna with 50,000 cavalry and
moved towards Kanauj. He gave a crushing
defeat to Jai Chand at Chandwar near Kanauj.
Thus the battle of Tarain and Chandwar laid
the foundations of Turkish rule in Northern India.
The political achievements of Muhammad
Ghori in India were long lasting than those of
Mahmud of Ghazni. While Mahmud Ghazni
was mainly interested in plundering Muhammad
Ghori wanted to establish his political control.
His death in AD 1206 did not mean the
withdrawal of the Turkish interests in India. He
left behind his slave General Qutbuddin Aibak
who became first Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate.
