The 8th Century Arabian and Turkish Invaders in India

In this chapter of Indian History, we would cover the first Indian invaders, Arabs the Turks. But before that you must have read the history of the origin of Islam and spread of Islam, and the brief history of Arabia, I have discussed that in the previous chapter, have a read.

Content

1. Arabs

2. Turks

   1. Mahamud of Ghazni

   2. Muhammad Ghori

Arabs

1. The Arabs were the first Muslim conquerers of India. 

2. In the beginning of CE 712, Sindh was attacked by the Arabs. Muhammad-bin-Qasim, an Umayyad general, conquered the Sindh and Punjab regions of India. This gave birth to the cultural and trade connection to Central Asia. Arabs introduced Islam in India, but could not extend their rules because of the strong Rajput opposition. From this time, the north Indian rulers became weak due to constant wars.

3. From the 11th century onwards, Indian rulers were threatened by repeated invasions from the north-western side.

Turks

1. The period from CE 1000 – 1200 saw changes in Central and Western Asia and in India. 

2. These developments led to the incursion of Turks into northern India towards the end of this period.

3. The Turks became a powerful force after the decline of the Abbasids. They established two major kingdoms. The Gazni and Ghor.

Mahmud of Ghazni

1. Mahmud was the first Turkish invader who invaded India from the north-western side. He was the ruler of Ghazni.

2. The weak political condition of India attracted him the most. During the 33 years of his reign, he carried out 17 raids on India from CE 1001 to CE 1025. He did not face any tough resistance from the Indian side. He was interested in wealth rather than setting up an empire in the Indian subcontinent. Mahmud used the wealth of India to make Ghazni a beautiful city with mosques and gardens, museums and colleges. He also founded a university. He also needed a lot of money to organize a well-equipped army.

3. Mahmud defeated Jaipala, the Hindu ruler of Punjab in 1001 CE, and defeated a confederacy led by Anandapala in 1008-09 CE. His war skills and intellect played a great role in his victory. He invaded temple towns such as Multan, Alwar, Mathura, nagarkot, Thaneshwar and Somnath. The plunder of the Somnath Temple (CE 1025) brought him immense wealth.

4. Though Indians know him as an invader, Mahmud of Ghazni was also a patron to art and learning, he built many mosques and public buildings in Ghazni.

5. Many scholars like Alberuni, Firdausi and Qutubi flourished  in his kingdom and were patronized by him. Firdausi wrote the famous epic “Shahnama”, which is a biography of Mahmud of Ghazni.

6. Alberuni, a scholar, spent 10 years in India and wrote a book Kitab-ul-Hind which describes the plunder by Mahmud.

7. Mahmud died in CE 1030.

Muhammad Ghori

1. When in Central Asia the successors of Mahmud were engaged in endless wars and internal conflict, the ruler of a small kingdom,Muhammad of Ghori conquered Ghazni in CE 1173.

2. After 150 years of Mahmud’s invasion Muhammad of Ghori attacked India and at that time 5 Rajputa Kingdoms were in power: Rathors of Kanauj, Solankis of Gujarat, Chandelas of Bundelkhnad, Parmers of Malwa and Chauhans of Delhi and Ajmer. 

3. Muhammad first captured Multan in CE 1175 and then moved on to Gujarat and defeated Solankis. 

4. He then captured Punjab, Peshawar and Sialkot.

5. Battles of Tarain:

   1. One of the most significant battles of the medieval India, faught between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan.

   2. Prithviraj Chauhan, the ruler of Ajmer and Delhi, was a Rajput king. In the first battle of Tarain, in CE 1191, Ghori was defeated by Prithviraj.

   3. In CE 1192 with a rage he attacked again. This time he won the second battle of Tarain.

   4. Ghori also defeated Raja Jaichand of Kannauj in 194 as his army was fully prepared.

   5. The ruler of Kanauj. Raja Jaichand refused to be united with Prithviraj Chauhan even after his appeal to fight together.

   6. After defeating Jaichand, Ghori captured the Ganga-Yamuna Doab and thus became the founder of Turkish rule in India.

Why Turk Succeeded in India?

1. Though the Rajputs were brave and skilled swordsmen, they lacked political unity. Their internal conflict and fight caused their defeat. For instance: The ruler of Kanauj. Raja Jaichand refused to be united with Prithviraj Chauhan even after his appeal to fight together. Rajput chiefs were jealous of each other.

2. The Rajputs had no standing army of their own, they depended on the feudal lords.

3. Individually skilled Rajputs were no match to the army strategy of the Central Asian warriors.