THE GHAZNAVIS
An adventurer Alp-Tegin founded the principality of Ghazni in 962 AD. After his death in 977, his slave and son-in-law, Subuktigin, succeeded him. His policy of conquest brought him in conflict with the Sayyid dynasty. He defeated its ruler, Jaipal twice and thus extended the kingdom beyond the Indus. After a reign of 20 years, Subuktigin died in 997 AD and was succeeded by his son Mahmud, a brilliant general and a mighty conqueror.
MAHMUD GHAZNAVI
He led as many as 17 expeditions into India during the years 1000-1026. As out of these, the one against the temple of Somnath in 1025 AD was the most important as it gave Mahmud a vast treasure.
Mahmud was posed as a great but shikan or destroyer of the images for the glory of Islam. He patronised Firdausi Al-Biruni (scholar), who wrote Kitab-ul-Hind, Utbi (court historian).
Mahmud did not make any systematic effort to capture Indian territories, except for that held by the Sayyid dynasty. However, Mahmud may be seen as the founder of Turkish rule in India to the extent that his conquests opened India to conquest from the North-West. The Yamini dynasty, to which Subuktigin and his successors belonged was soon overthrown by Mohammed of Ghur.
Decline of the Ghazni Rule in India
- Little or no attention was paid to internal strengthening and organisation of the empire.
- Excess use of military power in external security. Mahmud Ghazni had incompetent successors.
- Lack of definite and Universal Law relating to succession to throne resulted in constant fighting amongst the successors of Mahmud.
- Ala-ud-din Hussain, a Gaud king, attacked Ghazni in 1155. Khusrau Malik, the last Ghazni ruler, was killed by Mohammed Ghur in 1192.
- It exposed political disunity and military weakness of India.
- There was no new source of income which weakened the economic condition of India.
about Al-Biruni
Al-Biruni worked during the first half of the 11th century AD, first in his native Khwarazm under the patronage of the last of the local rulers. In 1017, on the conquest of Khwarazm by the Ghaznavi ruler Mahmud, Al-Biruni was carried off to Ghazni, as a part of the booty. Under Masud 1 (reigned 1030-40), successor of Mahmud, Al-Biruni was able to go on with his writing and scientific work. It was here in about 1036 that he completed his great astronomical work Kitab-ul-Hind (Qanum-al-Masudi). Im-al-Nujam, the Masudic canon, includes not only his astronomical tables but also table of geographical coordinates of important places throughout the world. This table has over six hundred entries and hence, is, double the size of Al-Battani or of Ibn Yunus.