In the western part of Asia lies a vast country called Arabia. From the beginning the Arabs had their eyes on the rich ports of Western India and the outlying parts of the north-west borderland. About the middle of the seventh century, Zaranj in Southern Afghanistan fell into the hands of the Arabs. The turn of Makran in Baluchistan came next. The Arabs now made repeated onslaughts on the Shah of Kabul. Muhammad bin-Kasim, the young Arab commander stormed Debal, captured Nerun and some other cities and strong holds. With the assistance of some traitors, soon, the whole of the lower Indus valley was dominated by the Arabs. But the invaders had no mind to stop there. The progress of the Arabs was stopped by the Chalukyas in the south, the Pratiharas in the east, and the Karkotas in the north. But a new scene opened with the foundation of the kingdom of Ghazni in or about A.D. 962.
In 1006 Mahmud of Gazni took Multan. In 1014 he took Thanesar, and in the following years made an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Kashmir. He also burnt the temple of Mathura. In 1018 he sacked Kannauj. In 1022-1023 he received the submission of Gwalior and Kalinjar. His most famous expedition, that against Somnath in Kathiawar, was undertaken in 1025. Four years later the Sultan died.
Mahmud’s expeditions were mostly regular raids undertaken mainly with the object of destroying Hindu temples, desecrating Hindu idols and plundering the wealth of the country. Altogether seventeen expeditions are set to his credit.
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