Shihab-ud-din (later Mohammed or Mohammed of Ghur) was a Moiz-ud-din great conqueror. After setting up his government in Ghazni (1173 AD), he directed his expeditions further towards India. In 1175 AD, he captured Multan and then Sindh.
Three years later, he tried to enter into Gujarat, but found the local Rajputs stronger than him. He was defeated by Mularaja of Anhilwara and was repulsed with heavy losses in 1178 AD. By 1182 AD, however, the whole Sindh was subdued. The next object of his attention was Lahore which was ruled by Khusrau Malik, the last prince of the house of Ghazni.
He captured Lahore, deposed Khusrau Malik and annexed Punjab in his domain. The Muslim rivals, have been disposed of Mohammed Ghur, turned to the conquest of the Hindu kingdoms.
He tried to enter India through Gujarat, but was defeated by Bhima II, brother of Chalukya King Mulraja in the Battle of Neharwala, Gujarat near Abu mountains in 1178-79 AD. He again tried his luck in 1191 AD, but the Chahamana ruler of Ajmer, Prithviraj III confronted him. Prithviraj defeated the invading army at Tarain near Thaneshwar in 1191 AD. But in the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 AD, Prithviraj was defeated, captured and executed. Mohammed followed up his success by conquering Ajmer.
He then returned to Ghazni leaving the conduct of the Indian campaigns to his trusted slave, Qutb-ud-din Aibak who captured Delhi, Meerut, Ranthambore and Koil in 1193 AD and then marched towards Benares.
The Sultan in the meantime, returned from Ghazni and defeated Raja Jaichandra (or Jaichandra) of Kannauj in the Battle of Chandwar (Firozabad near Agra in 1193-94).
Gwalior fell in 1196 AD and next fell Anhilwara. Bakhtiyar Khilji one of Ghori’s commanders annexed Bihar and Bengal and destroyed Nalanda and Vikramshila University. With the reduction of Kalinjar in 1203 AD, the conquest of upper India was complete by the time of Mohammed’s assassination in 1206 AD Bihar and Bengal were also conquered.
CAUSES FOR THE DEFEAT OF THE INDIAN RULERS BY THE TURKS
Political Causes
- Disunity amongst the rulers
- Neglect of the frontiers
- absence of political insight
- Absence of powerful Central Authority
- Feudal system weakened the power of king
Social Causes
Hinduism’s emphasis on fragmentation of society as against Islam, which preached brotherhood amongst all.
Religious Causes
- Invaders spirit of jihad, meaning a crusade to protect and spread Islam.
- Fragmented Hindu religion with many sects as against unitary Islam.
Military Causes
- Absence of appropriate military organisation
- Defensive attitude of the Indian rulers at war.
- Lack of offensive
- Absence of mlitary leadership
- Overdependence of the Indian rulers on elephants and swords against the Turks who used superior horses, armoured horsemen and mounted archers