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The history of Muslim invasions in India is often divided into two phases: the Arab phase and the Turkish phase. While the Turks (Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghori) eventually established large empires, the initial breakthrough was achieved by the Arabs in the 8th century. In 712 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim, the nephew and son-in-law of Al-Hajjaj (the Governor of Iraq), marched towards the Indus Valley with a specialised force of Syrian cavalry and camel corps targeted at the Brahmin Dynasty of Sindh in the Battle of Aror (Battle of Rewar) and saw the defeat and death of Raja Dahir.
This victory did not lead to the immediate conquest of all India, but it established Sindh and Multan as the easternmost provinces of the Umayyad Caliphate and opened the doors for future cultural and scientific exchange between India and the Arab world. Mahmud Ghazni was the first Muslim ruler who first invaded India in 1001 CE; he first encountered the Hindushahi ruler, Jaipal, in AD 1001.
MAHMUD GHAZNI
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Mahmud Ghazni invaded India 17 times during AD 1000–1026. He was the son of Sabuktigin, the founder of the Ghazni dynasty and a Turkish slave commander.
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Mahmud Ghazni first encountered the Hindushahi ruler, Jaipal, in AD 1001.
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In the years AD 1004–06 Mahmud Ghazni attacked the rulers of Multan, soon Punjab also passed into the hands of the Ghaznavids.
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Between AD 1014 and 1019, Mahmud enriched his treasury by looting the temples of Nagarkot, Thanesar, Mathura and Kanauj. The attack against Nagarkot in AD 1008 has been described as his first great triumph.
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In AD 1025, Mahmud embarked on the most ambitious Indian campaign, the attack on the Somnath temple in Saurashtra. Mahmud captured the city after a grim struggle in which more than 50,000 defenders lost their lives.
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Mahmud left Somnath after a fortnight when he came to know that the Gujarat king Bhima I had completed preparations to confront him. His attacks on India were an attempt to fulfil his ambition to make Ghazni the formidable power in the politics of Central Asia.
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Mahmud’s raids into India were only to acquire the famous wealth of India. This wealth would help him to consolidate his vast rule in Central Asia. He did not wish to establish an empire in India.
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The Ghaznavids had their control on parts of Punjab and Sind, which continued till AD 1135. However, his invasions exposed the weak defence of Indian kingdoms. They also opened the possibility of attacks in the future by the Turks.
Also read: Who was the first Mughal emperor in India?
Mahmud Ghazni's Major Indian Invasions (1000–1027 AD)
| Year (AD) | Primary Target | Key Opponent | Outcome |
| 1000 | Frontier Forts | Local Chieftains | Captured border outposts for future access. |
| 1001 | Peshawar/Waihind | Jaipal (Hindushahi) | Defeat of the Hindushahis; Jaipal committed suicide. |
| 1004–06 | Multan | Fateh Daud | Multi-year siege; Multan became a vassal state. |
| 1008 | Nagarkot (Kangra) | Anandpala | "First great triumph": seized massive temple wealth. |
| 1014 | Thanesar | Sacked the temple of Chakrasvamin. | |
| 1018–19 | Mathura & Kanauj | Rajyapala | Decisive defeat of the Pratiharas; city of Mathura looted. |
| 1021–23 | Gwalior & Kalinjar | Vidyadhara | Negotiated settlement; the Chandelas paid heavy tribute. |
| 1025 | Somnath | Bhima I | Massive loot; 50,000 defenders killed; temple destroyed. |
| 1027 | Indus Region | Jats | Final punitive raid against the Jats. |
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