Muhammad Ghori

Invasions of Muhammad Ghori
Name of the Topic: Invasions of Muhammad Ghori
Venue: Various Parts of India
Year: 1175-1206 AD
Teacher of the Paper: Mr. Muhammad Al-Hasan Kutti.
Historians say that the actual founder of the Muslim Empire in India was Muiz-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam, also known as Muhammad of Ghur, Muhammad Ghori or Shihabud Din Muhammad Ghori. Though, it was the Muslim invader Muhammad bin Qasim, who invaded India for the first time, followed by Mahmud of Ghazni, both of them could not create a Muslim empire in India in a true sense. It was Muhammad Ghori who was successful in establishing a secured and powerful Muslim kingdom in India, after a series of invasions. He was the true founder of the Muslim rule in India.
Reasons that led to the invasions: Muhammad Ghori was an ambitious leader. He was the younger brother of the ruler of Gaur, Ghais-ud-Din, who handed the responsibility to Ghori to rule over Ghazni in 1173 AD. But Ghori, being a very ambitious ruler, was not satisfied with only Ghazni and wanted to expand his empire to get hold of more power and control and wanted to conquer India. He was well aware of India's political, religious, social, and military weaknesses and also the enormous wealth and gold that India had. He wanted to attain more power and more wealth. He also had the desire to spread Islam in India by conquering the Hindus of the country. Thus, for all these reasons, he carried out a number of invasions to take over India.
The strength of the army: Though the exact number of forces is not known for all his invasions; according to historians, in the second battle of Tarain, the Rajput army consisted of 3,000 elephants, 3,00,000 cavalry and infantry, while Muhammad Ghori had 1,20,000 fully armoured men.
Aftermath of the battle: Winner and Loser ,Historians say that there were as many as 7 major invasions of Muhammad Ghori against India, in which he was the winner in most invasions. His invasions in India were:
Conquest of Multan and Sindh, 1175-1178: The first invasion of Muhammad Ghori was in 1175 AD when he attacked Multan, defeated the ruling Ismailian Heretics and was successful in capturing Multan. From Multan, he captured Uch in Upper Sindh in 1178 AD and established a fort there. He also conquered Lower Sindh later. Anhihvara, Capital of Gujarat, 1178: During the same year, he also invaded Gujarat but suffered defeat from Gujarat ruler Bhimdev at the battle of Kayadara. This was his first invasion against a Hindu ruler in India and he had to go back to his kingdom.
Conquest of Punjab and Lahore, 1179-1186: Muhammad Ghori realised that the main place to conquer India was not Sindh and Multan but Punjab. In 1179 AD, he captured Peshawar. In 1181 AD, he attacked Khusrau Malik, who did not fight against him and gave him gifts as compensation and also his son as a hostage. In 1185 AD, Ghori invaded Punjab once again and this time he looted the countryside and occupied the fort of Sialkot. Khusrau Malik took the help of Khokhars to take over Sialkot but was not successful. In 1186 AD Muhammad Ghori attacked Punjab once again and this time he besieged Lahore.
The First Battle of Tarain, 1191: In 1191, to conquer the whole of India, Ghori marched towards Delhi and he captured Sirhind. It was the Rajput King of Delhi and Ajmer, Prithavi Raj Chauhan, who put up a brave fight with his soldiers against Ghori in Tarain, a place near Karnal in the present Haryana state of India. In this first battle of Tarain, Ghori was badly injured and defeated and he had to retrace back his steps.
The Second Battle of Tarain, 1192: In 1192 AD, Muhammad Ghori invaded India again, this time he came with an army of 1,20,000 soldiers, which also included the help of Turks, Afghans, Persians etc. In the second battlefield of Tarain, Prithavi Raj Chauhan could not restrain the strong army of Ghori. Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithavi Raj, he was captured and killed. Thus, Ghori was successful in capturing Delhi and Ajmer.
The Battle against Jai Chand Rathor in Kanuaj, 1194 AD: Jai Chand Rathor, the king of Kanuaj was not in good terms with Prithavi Chauhan and was happy when he was captured and killed. But, in 1194 AD, when Muhammad Ghori invaded India again, this time he attacked Kannauj and defeated Jai Chand Rathor, in the battlefield of Chandawar. After this invasion, Qutab-ud-Din Aibak became the viceroy of Muhammad Ghori. After this, while Ghori returned back to the west to carry out his conquests in the western frontiers, Qutab-ud-din Aibak continued his conquests in India.
Conquests of Gujarat, Bundelkhand, Bengal and Bihar, 1195-1202 AD: Qutab-ud-Din Aibak attacked Bhindev, king of Gujarat. He was defeated first but in the next battle he defeated Bhimdev and conquered Gujarat. His next target was Bundelkhand, ruled by the Chandel Rajputs. He defeated them also and conquered Bundelkhand. During this time, Muhammad Khilji, a slave of Muhammad Ghori attacked Bihar in 1197 and Bengal in 1202. Both Bengal and Bihar came under the control of Ghori, and Khilji became the viceroy of Bengal and Bihar. Revolt of Khokhars, 1205 AD: In 1205, Ghori again came to India, and this time the Khokhars stood against him. But he defeated them. In 1206, when Ghori was going to Ghazni, he was killed by someone.
district of Jhelum (now in Pakistan). Some say that this act was the result of the revenge for the massacres that took place in India due to Ghori's invasions of India.
The larger implications of the invasions: He was the real founder of the Muslim rule in India and brought a major part of Hindu lands under his control. His slave and viceroy, Qutub-ud-Din Aibak and his successors were successful in expanding the Islam domination in India and formed a dynasty of Muslim rulers in Delhi. Muhammad Ghori was successful in creating a permanent settlement in India, in the hands of Qutub-ud-Din Aibak. This led to the downfall of the Hindu states. Also, there was no unity among the Hindu Rajput rulers. Ghori's successive invasions opened the gates of India to all foreign rulers.
The overall place and significance of the battle in the Indian History
Muhammad Ghori's invasions of India are always of great significance in the medieval history of India.As already mentioned, his invasions laid the foundation of the Muslim rule in India.These Muslim conquests of India led to the end of the multi-state system in India.The invasions of India by the Muslims led to the beginning of the centralised political administration under the monarch, which was the political ideal of the Muhammad Ghori.
During the invasions of India, trade received a new impetus. India got connected to the outer Asiatic world after the Ghori's invasions.For the first time, the invasions proved the weaknesses and in-capabilities of the Hindu rulers in protecting their territories from foreign conquests.Ghori's invasions led to the growth of a new dynasty known as the Slave Dynasty.The invasions also led to spread of communalism and anti-religious feelings towards the non-Muslim religions.

Factors behind the success of Gauri invasion:
Social Causes:
1- Lack of Unity:-  Rajput lacked unity and organisation and were divided by the rivalries . Every Rajput king had hostile thinking towards the other kings (both Rajputs and non-rajputs). It led to their defeat because Turks found it very easy to defeat them because they were divided into many small-small Kingdoms and they even not united when foreign troops (Turks) attacked on them. Because of this strategy every king and Prince of India had to fought with Turks single handed and it became easy For Turks to defeat them.
2- An attitude of indifference by the lower classes:- Another cause behind the success of Gauri and the defeat of Indians was that the lower caste which was surprised by  the kings all time  thought that conditions will be same for them. It doesn't matter whatever government is occupying the throne and who is the ruler so they did not show any interest against Turks.
3- Absence of a single ruler who could unite politically and economically the Indian states:- When we look at the Gupta and Mauryan rulers they were united the indian states economically and politically. But at the time of Turkish invasion  the condition of Indian states was differ. The Indian states were divided into different parts and their was the absence of a single leader who could unite them politically and economically.
Religious Causes:
1- Division of Indian society:- Indian society was divided into different sects and groups. When we look at the Hinduism, Hinduism was divided mainly in four Varnas and there was the subdivision of these Varnas into caste system. Turks took the advantage of this division. When will look at the Turks  they were united religiously.
2- Unity and equality among Turks:- Indian society was divided into different caste and religion. But when we look at the Turks, Turks were united religiously. They were follower of Islam. There was the equality among the turks socially and they took the advantage of the division of mens in Indian society. Because the position of man in Indian society differs from one to another(according to the birth). But when we look at the Turkish society,  all men was considered as equal. There was no such division as in India society.
3- Turks fought against Indians with a religious zeal:- Turks were follower of Sunny sect of Islam. They fought with Indians with a religious zeal. Turkish soldiers taught that if they succeeded  in war, then they will called Ghazis and if the failed then they will become Martyrs. So they fought with the Indians fully devoted religious feelings.
Military Causes:
1- Standing Army :- Army is the backbone of any Empire. When we look at the Indian Empires, Indian rulers did not maintain any standing army and they were depended on the feudal Lords for the soldiers. Because of this feudal system.There was no hard rules and regulations of the army administration.
                But if, we look at the Turks at the same time Turks maintained​ their standing army and there was rule of governance of military organisation. As, we all know that after the establishment of Delhi Sultanate, Iltutmish which was regarded as the real founder of Delhi Sultanate implemented the system of Iqta,  according to which the country was divided into different Iqtas and they were headed by the Iqtedars.  In return of these they had to provide the Military services. Before the establishment of Delhi Sultanate, the Turkish rulers was aware about the army regulation.
They were also  concerned about the rules regarding the military administration. This was also one of the main factor behind the  success of Turks.
2- Division of Army:- Another important factor which faciliated victory of turks was the division of there army. The turks divided there army into five parts ( Right, Centre, Left, reserve and advanced guard).
     But Indian rulers divided their army, according to the traditional military system. Indians rulers  divided their Army only into three parts (left guard centre guard and right guard). This also faciliated  the victory of Turks.
3- Lack of effective cavalry:- The another important factor which facilieted the victory of Turks was that Indian rulers faced the problem of an effective cavalry. Indians used elephants in war.
                             But when we look at the Turks, They use horses in the war. Horses are  more fast then compared to elephant so their cavalry helped them to a very much extent in their (Turks) victory.
Moral degeneration:-
a). Popularity of tantric philosophy:   
At that time popularity of tantrik philosophy increased and people start thinking that by the tantric mantras, they can find solution of any problem. They considered the Turkish invention as the dark age and they think that , this  is already decided by the God and they could not win against Turks.
b). Cultural degeneration of the people:
            In India, People started  drawing the scenes of sexual acts between men and women. It is symbolic from this, that the cultural degeneration of the people started and because of this cultural degeneration their thoughts also started decreasing(they are not now much worried about country). This factor also serve the purpose of Turks to a great extent.
Other Causes:
        a). As an impact of Buddhism and Jainism the people of India became votaries of Ahimsa and their martial spirit was greatly damp ended.
b). According to professor Smith  ,"Hindu Kings though fully equal to their assailants in courage and contempt of death, were distinctly inferior in the art of war and for that reason lost their Independence"