The reasons behind the success of Mahmud Gazni and Muhammad Ghori’s invasions of India.
a. First important reason was the
availability of finest breeds of horses in the steppes of central Asia. They
were the best varieties in the entire world and they were bred by sturdy,
disciplined warriors. They were imported to Arabia and India because the native
breeds there were not as good as the central Asian ones. The people of Ghur
enjoyed far-reaching fame as horserearers.
b. Second cause was the easy
availability of war implements. The region of Ghur (also spelled Ghowr or Ghor)
– one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan – and its neighbouring areas were rich
in metals, especially iron. The mountain ranges of this topographic zone were
of huge metalliferous value and it appears that particularly iron was available
in hefty quantities. The people of Ghur specialized in production of weapons
and war-equipment and exported them to neighbouring lands. In the words of the
anonymous author of Hududul Alam2 , “From this province come slaves, armour
(zirah), coats of mail (jaushan) and good arms.” According to another writer of
that time the entire region from Ghur and Kabul to Qarluq/Karkluk/Qarluk/
Karluq – a prominent Turkic tribal confederacy west of Altay mountains in
central Asia – was metal-working. Therefore, war implements and materials were
easily available to the Turkish warriors. When Mahmud Ghazni attacked Ghur in
1020 CE its chief Abul Hasan Khalaf brought him shields and cuirasses and a
tribute of arms was levied on him. The value of Ghurid arms was identified and
admired by Mahmud and he employed Ghurid officers as experts in siege-warfare.
Thereby, the supply of goodquality horses and war materials to the Turks helped
them in their military pursuits everywhere. Ghur had very recently opened its
doors to Muslim cultural interface and possessed two most significant and
crucial requisites of war in the middle ages – horses and iron.
c. Another factor responsible for
success of the Turkish warriors was their Ghazi spirit. This was seen for the
first time in West Asia when the Turkish warriors had to constantly fight
against the non-Turkish nomadic warriors called the Turkmen or Turkomans. At
this time the region of TransOxiana was under Iranian rule and its surrounding
areas were inhabited by Turks and non-Muslim nomadic Turkomans. There were
constant fights between the Turks and the Turkomans like Guzz or Oguzz etc.
living in the KaraKhitai (central Asian steppes). During this period the
Turkish emperors made continuous inroads into the Turkmen areas for capturing
slaves who were in great demand in slave-markets of Herat in present-day
Afghanistan, Sistan in present-day Iran, Samarqand/Samarkand and Bukhara in
modernday Uzbekistan. Ghur had a reputation for supplying slaves to these
markets. The warriors who were involved in such raids were free to earn through
plunders in such expeditions. However, another aim of the Muslim Turkish
warriors behind such loot and plunder was to spread Islam amongst the
non-Muslim population and so, they were known as the Ghazis. Hence, we see that
the Ghazi spirit was first employed and exhibited in fighting the central Asian
nomadic tribes and later it was deployed against the “unbelievers” in India.
Mahmud Ghazni – a plunderer from Afghanistan – embodied and displayed the same
spirit in his raids in India. Few historians view his invasions and conquests
in the Indian subcontinent as some sort of a Holy War for which there was no
dearth of volunteers to aid and assist in. His triumphs were popularly known
all over the East and some 20,000 warriors came to him from the land beyond the
Oxus4 , praying and urging to be granted the privilege of fighting for Islamic
faith, and possibly, attaining the crown of martyrdom for this lofty and noble
cause. With a huge army strengthened and solidified by such zealots he
undertook and fought his greatest campaign in India in 1018 CE and forayed
farther into east than ever before.
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