Saturday, November 28, 2009

MUHAMMAD OF GHUR

MUHAMMAD OF GHUR

Shihab-ud-din (later Muiz-ud-din Muhammad, or Muhammad of Ghur) was a great conqueror. After setting up his government in Ghazni (AD 1173) he directed his expeditions farther towards India. In 1175, he captured Multan and then Sindh. Three years later, he tried to penetrate into Gujarat but found the local Rajputs too strong for him. He was defeated by Mularaja, of Anhilwara and was repulsed with heavy loss in 1178. By 1182, however, the whole of Sindh was subdued. The next object of his attention was Lahore then ruled by Khusrau Malik, the last prince of the house of Ghazni. He captured Lahore, deposed Khusrau Malik, and annexed the Punjab to his dominions.

The Muslim rivals having been disposed of, Muhammad Ghur next turned to the conquest of the Hindu kingdoms. The Hindu princes, realising the gravity of the situation, formed a confederacy and placed the allied army under the command of Prithviraj III. Prithviraj defeated the invading army at Tarain near Thaneswar in 1191. But in the second battle of Tarain in 1192, Prithviraj was defeated, captured and executed. Muhammad followed tip his success by conquering Ajmer. He then returned to Ghazni leaving the conduct of the Indian campaigns to his trusty slave, Qutb­ud-din Aibak. Qutb-ud-din captured Delhi, Meerut, Ranthambhor and Koil in 1193, and then advanced towards Banaras. The Sultan in the meantime returned from Ghazni and defeated Raja Jaichandra (or Jaichand) of Kanauj in the battle of Chandwar. Gwalior fell in 1196 and next fell Anhilwara. With the reduction of Kalanjar in 1203, the conquest of upper India was complete. By the time of Muhammad's assassination in 1206, Bihar and Bengal were also conquered.

Causes of the defeat of Indian rulers by the Turks
Political causes: (i) disunity among the rulers; (ii)
absence of powerful central authority; (ill) neglect of the frontiers; (iv) feudalism; (v) absence of political insight.
Social causes: (i) Hinduism's emphasis on fragmenta­tion of society as against Islam which preached brotherhood among all-low or high; (ii) high position given to slaves by the Muslim rulers.
Religious causes: (i) Invaders' Spirit of jihnd meanit1g a crusade to protect and spread Islam; (ii) fragmented Hindu religon with many sects as against unitary Islam.
Military causes: (i) absence of appropriate military organisation; (ii) defensive attitude of Indian rulers at war; (ill) absence of military leadership; (iv) overdependence of Indian rulers on elephants and swords against Turks' use of superior horses, armoured horsemen, and mounted archers.

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