Mahmud of Ghazni and Mohammad of Ghur were rulers from the 11th-12th century who invaded northern India from their power bases in Ghazni and Ghur, located in modern day Afghanistan. Mahmud raided India 17 times between 1001-1025, plundering wealthy temples and cities to fund his empire. Mohammad of Ghur conquered the Rajput kingdoms in the late 12th century and established the Delhi Sultanate under his general Qutb al-Din Aibak, laying the foundations for Turkic rule in northern India.

1. Mahmud of Ghazni and
Mohammad of Ghur
Lesson - 2

2. The name Turk was first applied
to a clan of tribal chieftains who
founded the nomadic
Göktürk Empire (“present
Turkey"). These nomads roamed
in the Altai Mountains in northern
Mongolia and on the steppes of
Central Asia. The Göktürks were
ruled by Khans whose influences
extended during the sixth to
eighth centuries from the
Aral Sea to the Hindu Kush

3. Cities of Ghazni and Ghur
• In the 9th century Arab Empire started disintegrating and
declined.
• Two kingdoms emerged prominent, the two cities of Ghazni
and Ghur which are in present day Afghanistan.
•The rulers of these two kingdoms invaded and plundered the
Indian Subcontinent in the 11th and 12th centuries.
•By the 10th and 11th century the North India had disintegrated
into many small kingdoms which gave huge advantage to these
rulers.
•These attacks were done to finance their ambition of expanding
their empire.

4. Mahmud of Ghazni ( AD 971-1030)
•After the decline of Abbasid dynasty Subuktigin a Turkish noble
acquired the adjoining parts of Ghazni.
•His son Mahmud wanted to achieve the glory of the greatest
conqueror of the world.
•He had heard about the wealth of the Indo- Gangetic plains.
•He attacked and plundered North India 17 times from AD 1001
to 1025.
•He believed in the jihad (holy war which will lead to heaven)
and plundering the region.
•He looted the rich temples and trade centers e.g Siestan and
Multan.
•He also fought with the rulers of Ghur to establish is superiority.

5. LIST OF INVASIONS
•In AD 1001 he attacked Punjab, Ujjain, Gwalior,
Kalinga, Kanauj and Delhi.
•He also attacked and raided rich cities and
towns like Nagarkot, Multan, Alwar, Thaneshwar,
Mathura and Somnath.

6. SOMNATH TEMPLE
When Mahmud’s army was advancing to plunder the Somnath,
the Hindu inhabitants were so sure that the iron lingam would
save them that they stood calmly. But killing and plundering took
place. 50,000 people were killed, 1300 kg of gold and millions of
dinars were looted.

7. Mahmud was a successful
general and a conqueror
who never suffered
defeat.
Apart from war , he was a
patron of art , architecture
and literature.
His capital Ghazni was adorned with many
beautiful buildings, mosques, libraries, a
museum and a university.
In his court scholars like Al-Beruni and
Persian poet Firdausi received his patronage.
Firdausi wrote the great epic – Shahnama. Al-
Beruni spent 10 years and wrote a book
describing India called Tahqiq-i-Hind.

9. DEATH OF MAHMUD OF GHAZNI
•Before Mahmud died he annexed Punjab.
•He died in AD 1030.His death brought an end
to his empire and the frequent raids to the
Indian sub-continent.
•He was truly a warrior more than a man of
faith.
•He used the wealth plundered from the
temples to protect his empire from the
expanding kingdoms of Central Asia.

10. Mohammad of Ghur
• After a gap of 150 years in AD1175
Mohamad of Ghur a turkish ruler of a
small kingdom in Afghanistan
attacked the Indian sub-continent.
•He was also called
Mohammad.Ghori.
•The invasion laid the foundation of
the Turko-Afghan rule in India.
•Mohammad Ghori attacked the five Rajput
kingdoms.-
•The Rathore of Kanuaj
•The Chuahans of Delhi and Ajmer.
•The Solankis of Gujarat
•The Parmaras of Malwar
•The Chandellas of Bundlekhand

11. MOHAMMAD GHORI’S CONQUEST
•In AD 1175, he captured Multan.
•Later he defeated the Solanki of Gujarat.
•He conquered Peshawar, Sialkot and Punjab
•In the First Battle of Tarain Mohammad Ghori
defeated Prithviraj Chauhan but he narrowly escaped
from being killed.
•In the Second Battle of Tarain he defeated Prithviraj.
•Later he also defeated Jaichand of the ruler of
Kanuaj in AD 1198
•The Second Battle of Tarain put an end to the
Rajput Dynasty.

13. Qutb-ud-din Aibak
• Mohammad Ghori appointed his faithful
general Qutb-ud-aibak as the governor over
his territory.
• Qutb-ud-din – aibak further defeated the
empires of Mathura, Gwalior, Bundelkhand
and Malwa.
•Another general Bakhtiar Khalji conquered
Bengal and Bihar.

15. DEATH OF MOHAMMAD GHORI
•Mohammad Ghori died while trying to suppress the
revolt of the Khokhars.
•He did not have any son, so his governors became
independent rulers.
•Fight for power broke out among these governors
and Qutb-ub-din aibak asserted his supremacy.
•This is laid the foundation of the Turko-Afghan rule in
India.

16. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
Mahamud of Ghazni Mohammad Ghori
To loot and plunder To set up an empire.
India
Did not appoint Appointed faithful
governors generals who
continued to expand
the kingdom

17. CAUSES OF
THE
SUCCESS
OF
INVASION

18. There were number of reasons that
led to the defeat of the Rajputs.
• Weak war machinery- Slow moving
elephants Vs guerilla warriors.
• Jealousy and hatred- Prithviraj
Chauhan and Jaichand
• Feudatory nature of the society – no
standing army.
• Fighting between the feudal lords.
• Lacked vigour and determination.
• No outstanding leader.

19. Impact of the raids.
•Intermingling of cultures. –lot to give and take
between Hindu and Muslim culture.
•Sharing of knowledge.
•Composite culture- manifested in architecture,
language, music and food.
•Migration of large number of people-soldiers,
traders, workers.
•Laid the foundation of the slave dynasty.

22. RECAP
MAHMUD OF GHAZNI
(1001-1025)
BACKGROUND AREAS
• Rise of empire in central OVERRAN
Asia •Siestan, Multan
• Encouraged Persian culture
and important
even though he was Turk.
trading centers in
• Looted and plundered India
to accumulate resources. lower Indus.
• Patronized art, architecture •Rich temples of
and literature.- Al-beruni north-west.
and Firdausi. •Punjab, Ujjain,
• Not interested in building an Kalinga, Kanauj,
empire in India. Delhi, Gujarat.

23. Mohammad of Ghur
(1175-1206)
CAMPAIGN
CONSEQUENCES
•Fought five rajput
•Turkish rule extended to
kingdoms-
Rathors,Chauhans, Ganga-Yamuna –Doab
Solankis, Paramars, •Suppression of Rajputs and
Chandellas other smaller kingdoms.
•Fought two battles at Tarain •Delhi Sultanate established
against Prithviraj Chauhan- by Aibk after Mohammad
won the second battle. Ghori.
•Appointed Qutb-ud-din-aibk •Intermingling and
as governor of indian
emergence of Indo- Islamic
provinces.
culture.
•Killed by rebels in 1206