During the tenth century, the Turks from Afghanistan started invading Indian from the north-west. At that time a new kingdom of the Turks had arisen in Afghanistan with Ghazni as capital. A slave of Turkish origin called Alptagin started a new dynasty. He was succeeded by one his relative called Sabakhtagin in 1977 AD. He extended his kingdom till river Chenab. His eldest son was Ghazni Mohamed.
Between 1001 to 1026 AD, Ghazni Mohamed conducted 17 campaigns in India. He took with him a large amount of wealth and a large number of slaves from India to Afghanistan.
In 1001 AD., he attacked Peshawar and defeated its ruler Jayapal. Unable to face this humiliation, Jayapal committed suicide. He was succeeded by his son Anandpal. In 1009 AD., he faced Ghazni at Vaihand (Peashawar0. The rulers of Kanauj and Ajmer and the Khokar hill tribes of the Punjab helped Anandpal. But Anandpals’s elephant fled in panic and Anandpal’s son died. Punjab and Multan fell in the hands of Chazni’s army. Anandapal had to take shelter at Nagarkote.
Ghazni had heard of the vast wealth that had accumulated in the temples of India. He destroyed and looted many temples in the region. He called himself the `breaker of images’. In 1018 Ad. He looted Mathura after destroying many temples at the place. Kanauja and Sthaneswar cities also fell into his hands.
Next in 1026 AD., he attacked the rich Somanath temple of unrivaled beauty in Gujarath and destroyed and looted it. Bhimadeva of the Solanki family heroically resisted him.
Alberuni, a scholar from his court who visited India and stayed here for long wrote `Kitab- ul- Hind’ in the Arabic language. This work describes in detail the people of India, their life and the scholar accomplishments of the Indians. The Arabs came to know about Indian literature accomplishments through his writings. This knowledge reached Europe from the Arabs. For example, the Indian figures and the decimal systems of writing figures, reached Europe with the new name `Arabic figures’.
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