Dateline: 1206AD-1526AD
With the dawn of the second millennia, Indian history entered a phase of volatility, with new ideas and religions making an appearance. India which had largely developed indigenously over the past thousand years of its history, would become a centre for invaders from Central Asia and Persia. Such events were significant because the invaders would bring with them a new set of ideas which would have a lasting impact on Indian culture. Until the rise of the Mughal Empire in 1526, North India and South India would have separate kingdoms. The North would be ruled by the new Sultans who formed the Delhi Sultanate whereas the South would be divided amongst many kings, out of which the Chola dynasty would emerge as the dominant force. The Mughal empire would however, once again reunite the two parts of the country.
In 1000 AD, the peaceful balance of power in North India was shattered by an invasion of an Afghan conqueror, Mahmud of Ghazni. Over the next 25 years he would launch 17 campaigns and each campaign was one of massive plunder. The kingdom of Ghazni in Afghanistan was adjacent to Punjab, separated by the Hindu Kush mountains. The lush, fertile plains of Punjab lay below them, and the temptation to
conquer India was strong. Mahmud in his several invasions of India, amassed a massive amount of wealth which was used to replenish the treasury at Ghazni. His main targets were the prosperous temple towns of North India, like Mathura, Thanesar, Kanauk and Somnath. These towns had a high concentration of wealth, and it was inevitable that they would be prime targets for Ghazni's invasions. Mahmud died in 1030 AD, much to the relief of the Indian population, but he had in his lifetime laid the foundations for Islamic kings in India. The Indian kings failed to realize the impact his invasions had, dismissing him as just another invader, a passing phenomena, not worth worrying about. In 1182 another Afghan was entering India. Muhammad Ghauri .His entry is important, because unlike Mahmud, he was not interested in looting India but was looking at it to settle down and establish a kingdom. He reliazed that even more fertile land lay east, and he slowly inched into India. This brought him into conflict with the Indian kings, and in 1191 the Rajputs in a rare show of unity, rallied around Prithviraja and defeated Muhammad. Muhammad was imprisoned, but Prithviraja released him and sent him back to Afghanistan. A year later Muhammad returned with re-inforcements and defeated Prithviraja. Muhammad became the ruler of Delhi, and went on to conquer other regions in North India. He appointed a general, Qutab-ud-din-Aibak to look after his India possessions. The years between 1193 and 1206 were of great uncertainty and had the Indian kings been more united, they might have been able to defeat the invaders. However, the opportunity to do so slipped by and the invaders slowly began consolidating their position. In 1206, Muhammed was assassinated. His general Qutab-ud-din-Aibak then declared himself independent of the Afghan state and founded what came to be known as the Slave Dynasty (for its founder was a former slave of Muhammed). This dynasty is the beginning of what came to be known as the Delhi Sultanate period.
Dateline: 1206AD-1526AD
With the dawn of the second millennia, Indian history entered a phase of volatility, with new ideas and religions making an appearance. India which had largely developed indigenously over the past thousand years of its history, would become a centre for invaders from Central Asia and Persia. Such events were significant because the invaders would bring with them a new set of ideas which would have a lasting impact on Indian culture. Until the rise of the Mughal Empire in 1526, North India and South India would have separate kingdoms. The North would be ruled by the new Sultans who formed the Delhi Sultanate whereas the South would be divided amongst many kings, out of which the Chola dynasty would emerge as the dominant force. The Mughal empire would however, once again reunite the two parts of the country.
In 1000 AD, the peaceful balance of power in North India was shattered by an invasion of an Afghan conqueror, Mahmud of Ghazni. Over the next 25 years he would launch 17 campaigns and each campaign was one of massive plunder. The kingdom of Ghazni in Afghanistan was adjacent to Punjab, separated by the Hindu Kush mountains. The lush, fertile plains of Punjab lay below them, and the temptation to conquer India was strong. Mahmud in his several invasions of India, amassed a massive amount of wealth which was used to replenish the treasury at Ghazni. His main targets were the prosperous temple towns of North India, like Mathura, Thanesar, Kanauk and Somnath. These towns had a high concentration of wealth, and it was inevitable that they would be prime targets for Ghazni's invasions. Mahmud died in 1030 AD, much to the relief of the Indian population, but he had in his lifetime laid the foundations for Islamic kings in India. The Indian kings failed to realize the impact his invasions had, dismissing him as just another invader, a passing phenomena, not worth worrying about.
In 1182 another Afghan was entering India. Muhammad Ghauri .His entry is important, because unlike Mahmud, he was not interested in looting India but was looking at it to settle down and establish a kingdom. He reliazed that even more fertile land lay east, and he slowly inched into India. This brought him into conflict with the Indian kings, and in 1191 the Rajputs in a rare show of unity, rallied around Prithviraja and defeated Muhammad. Muhammad was imprisoned, but Prithviraja released him and sent him back to Afghanistan. A year later Muhammad returned with re-inforcements and defeated Prithviraja. Muhammad became the ruler of Delhi, and went on to conquer other regions in North India. He appointed a general, Qutab-ud-din-Aibak to look after his India possessions. The years between 1193 and 1206 were of great uncertainty and had the Indian kings been more united, they might have been able to defeat the invaders. However, the opportunity to do so slipped by and the invaders slowly began consolidating their position. In 1206, Muhammed was assassinated. His general Qutab-ud-din-Aibak then declared himself independent of the Afghan state and founded what came to be known as the Slave Dynasty (for its founder was a former slave of Muhammed). This dynasty is the beginning of what came to be known as the Delhi Sultanate period.
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