Sultan Mahmud
Sultan Mahmud, who carried to fruition the policy of his father, Sabuktgin, was undoubtedly one of the greatest military leaders the world has ever seen. Great as a warrior, the Sultan was no less eminent as a patron of arts and letters.
Muhammad Ghori
The empire of Ghazni began to fall to pieces under the later successors of Sultan Mahmud, who were too feeble to maintain their position at Ghazni and in North-West India in the face of the rising power of the princes of Ghur, a small obscure principality in the mountainous region of Afghanistan to the south-east of Herat. In the course of this contest, Qutbuddin Muhammad of Ghur, and his brother Saifuddin, were cruelly executed by Bahram Shah of Ghazni. Alauddin Hussain, a brother of the victims, took a terrible revenge of Ghazni by sacking the city and the giving it to the flames for seven days and nights. Ghazni remained in his possession for about ten years. Saifuddin Muhammad, son and successor of the Alauddin was killed in fighting; but his cousin and successor, Ghiyasuddin Muhammad, drove the Turkmans from Ghazni in 1173 and appointed his younger brother. Muhammad Ghori, governor of that province. He began his Indian campaigns while still a lieutenant of his brother.
The first Indian expedition of Muhammad Ghori in A.D. 1175 was success. But his invasion of Gujarat in A.D. 1178 proved a failure. Nevertheless, he occupied Peshawar in the following year and established a fortress at Sialkot in A.D. 1181. Its occupation by Muhammad Ghori opened the way for his further conquest of India, which, however, made inevitable a conflict with the Rajputs, particularly with his neighbour, Prithviraj, the powerful Chauhan king of Ajmer and Delhi.
The political condition of Northern India had changed considerably since the days of Sultan Mahmud. Bundelkhand was under the rule of the Chandellas. Delhi and Ajmer were under the Chauhans. Jaichand the ruler of Kannauj, who lived mostly at Benares, was jealous of Prithviraj’s proud position. His beautiful daughter is said to have been carried away by the Chauhan hero. This is said to have added to the bitterness of their relations so that Jaichand did not ally himself with Prithviraj when Muhammad Ghori appeared on the scene.
When, in the winter of 1190-1191, Muhammad Ghori marched beyond the Punjab, Prithviraj, the bold and chivalrous hero of the Rajputs, who were in no way inferior in bravery and courage to the invaders, advanced to oppose him with a large army. Prithviraj had the support of many of his fellow Rajput princes, but Jaichand held aloof. Fighting with their usual vigour, the Rajputs greatly harassed the Muslim troops, who were soon overpowered, and their leader, being severely wounded, retired to Ghazni. But Muhammad Ghori did not become disheartened at this initial failure. He soon raised a strong army with a view to avenging his defeat, and with adequate preparations, invaded India once again in 1192 and met his Rajput adversary on the same field. By superior tactics and generalship, the invading army inflicted a severe defeat on the Rajputs. Prithviraj was captured and put to death, and his brother was also slain. This victory of Muhammad Ghori was decisive. It laid the foundation of Muslim dominion in Northern India. Different parts of Northern India were conquered in the course of a few years by Qutbuddin Aibak, the most faithful of Muhammad Ghori’s Turkish officers.
Qutbuddin Aibak was originally a salve of Turkistan. In his childhood he was brought by a merchant and then a Qazi purchased him and provided for his religious and military training along with his sons. After the Qazi’s death, he was sold by the Qazi sons to a merchant, who took him to Ghazni, where he was purchased by Muhammad Ghori. Thus Qutbuddin began his career as a slave, and the dynasty founded by him in India is known as the Salve dynasty.
Qutbuddin was endowed with all laudable qualities and his qualities gains for him the confidence of Muhammad Ghori. He rendered valuable services to his master during his Indian expeditions.
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