encountered no opposition of any moment. The rajah, Koowur Rái, was unprepared for defence, and made the best terms he could, in unconditional submission. Mahmood then passed on to Meerut, which also submitted: and thence to Muttra and the sacred shrines of Krishna, which were found so splendid as to excite even the sooltan's admiration. All the gold and silver idols were melted down, and many of the temples destroyed; but some were spared on account of their beauty. From Muttra the sooltan appears to have turned homewards, attacking and subduing all petty princes who fell in his way. These were Rajpoots, and the same miserable results were observable everywhere, in the destruction of their women by the men, followed by a frantic attack upon the Mahomedans, in which they perished. On his return to his capital, Mahmood, emulating the beautiful architecture he had seen in India, erected a splendid mosque, which was called 'the Celestial Bride,' and this example was followed by the nobility of his court, who vied with each other in adorning the capital. Eighth inva attacked by The year 1021 was remarkable for a confederation of the Hindoo sovereigns against the Rajah of Kanouj, who had maintained friendly relations with the sooltan; and son, A.D. 1021. to assist him, Mahmood again advanced into India, but was too late to save Kanouj, which had been taken by the Kanonj Rajah of Kalinga, in Bundelkund, and its sovereign the Rajah of put to death. To avenge this act, Sooltan Mahmood Kalinga. proceeded to Kalinga, but the rajah fled before the Mahmood Mahomedan army, and after devastating the country, Kalinga. the sooltan proceeded homewards. Anundpál, the rajah of Lahore, had probably joined the Hindoo confederation against Kanouj; for, on this occasion, Mahmood returned from Kashmere, whither he had proceeded, and took and sacked Lahore, while Anundpál fled to Ajmere. attacks Kanouj attacked. Although foiled in his purpose of reducing Nandá Rái of Kalinga, in 1021, Sooltan Mahmood did not forego Ninth invait; and in A.D. 1023 marched against him by way of son, A.D.1023. Lahore. Passing by Gwalior, he laid siege to the fort, but its rajah submitted, and was not interfered with; Nandá Rái also made no resistance, and having presented some valuable gifts, was confirmed in his possessions. Sooltan Mahmood had long heard of the sanctity and wealth of the temple of Somnath, situated on the sea-coast, in Tenth expedi the province of Kattiawar, and as it was a place of tion, A.D.1024. pilgrimage for Hindoos from all parts of India, burned to destroy so notorious an example of idolatry. In September Pope John 1024 A.D., therefore, he marched from Ghuzny with XIX his army, accompanied by 30,000 volunteers who served without pay, for the express purpose of destroying Somnâth. Having reached Mooltan, Mahmood struck across the desert to Ajmere, which had been evacuated by its rajah, and thence reached Anhulwara, the capital of Guzerat, now ruled over by a prince of the Solunkee or Chalúkya dynasty, which had succeeded the Chowras in A.D. 942. The rajah, however, had retired into the mountains, and the Mohamedans pushed on to Somnâth. The temple fortress was bravely defended by the Rajpoots, and the assaults were continued for three days, but without effect; while a diversion against the besiegers was made in their rear by Bheem Déo, the rajah of Guzerat, which had well-nigh proved successful. Mahmood, however, as on a former occasion, prostrated himself in prayer before his troops, and remounting his horse, cheered them on to victory. 5,000 of the garrison were slain, and the remainder escaped by boats, pursued however by the Mahomedans, who slew many more of them. Although Mahmood had seen many noble Hindoo temples, he was not prepared for the magnificence of Somnâth. Entering the great hall, the idol, nine feet in height above the ground, was before him, and with a blow of his mace he struck off its nose. The Brahmins offered an immense sum if he would spare it, but the sooltan replied that he desired to be known to posterity as 'Mahmood the idolVast booty breaker, not as the idol-seller,' and the image was broken obtained. to pieces. In its inside were found precious stones and pearls, of a value far exceeding what had been offered, and the wealth of the temple was immense. Anhulwara After a short stay at Somnath, the sooltan followed Rajah Bheem Déo, who had retired to the fort of Gundaba, probably Gundava, in Kutch, which was stormed and taken, but the rajah escaped. Believing the place to be impregnable, the rajah had lodged all his valuables there, which fell into the sooltan's hands. Mahmood then proceeded occupied. to Anhulwara, which was a magnificent capital, and contemplated making it his permanent abode; but being dissuaded from such a step, and having conferred the throne of Guzerat upon a prince of the country, he marched for Ghuzny by way of Sinde, avoiding Rajah Bheem Déo, who had occupied the ordinary route; but the army narrowly escaped destruction by heat and thirst in the desert. This expedition, and the campaign and residence in Guzerat, had occupied two years and a half; and though in the year 1027 the sooltan undertook a campaign against the Juts, or Játs, a tribe on the river Indus, who had molested his army on its return from Somnath, and reduced Mahmood invades Guzerat. Temple of Somnath captured. Gundaba taken. them to obedience, yet no further invasion of India on a large scale was attempted. He became seriously afflicted Hugh Capet with the stone, and died on April 29, 1030, in the sixty- reigns in third year of his age, having reigned thirty-three years. France. Sooltan Mahmood's character is a favourite one with all Maho mood. medan historians, and doubtless possessed many ele- Character of ments of greatness and of generosity, though of a variable Sooltan Mahcharacter. While he could be liberal to profusion to some, he was niggard to others; and the famous satire of the poet Ferdousi, whom he had invited to his court, and treated inhospitably, is a bitter memorial against him, redeemed too late by his generosity to the poet's daughter. Mahmood was, nevertheless, a sincere patron of learning and of literature. He established colleges and schools at Ghuzny, and endowed them richly; and he beautified the city by many noble buildings. His justice was inflexible, and by his natural strength of character and personal bravery, he possessed himself, in an eminent degree, of the affections of his people. It will have been seen by the detail of his invasions, that he had no desire to make any permanent settlement in India, and took no part in its politics. The fierce iconoclasm of his nature, and lust of booty, were the foundations of all his Indian campaigns, and after he had plundered and devastated any Indian territory, and carried off thousands of its people to become slaves, he left it to its ancient rulers, to recover gradually from the desolation he had caused. It is probable that thousands of forcible conversions were made as a principle of faith; but Islamism took no root in India, and the destruction and plunder of their temples, and the slaughter of their priests and bravest warriors, established in the hearts of the Hindoo people a terror and hatred of the Mahomedans which was never afterwards redeemed. No instances, it may be said to his credit, are recorded of wanton or revengeful massacre or executions; and in his dealings with Hindoo princes he was in all cases merciful, even though they had proved unfaithful to their promises. Tried by the standard of his times, therefore, Mahmood must be considered on the whole humane, and his unquenchable thirst for gain by plunder is the worst feature in his character. In regard to the Hindoo princes, it is evident that their efforts to resist the invaders were comparatively feeble. Their greatest coalition, in A.D. 1006, did not amount to a representation of the warlike power of India, and was so quickly overthrown, that it scarcely deserves the name of resistance; while Anundpál of Lahore, the head of the Rajpoot dynasty of the Chôhans, was the only prince who appears to have had the national honour really at heart. At his death, the dominions of Mahmood extended as far as Isfahan westward, and their extent, already great, only perhaps prevented a permanent occupation of the greater part of India. Thirteen invasions of India are claimed for him; but ten only, as detailed, are of consequence. CHAPTER III. FROM THE DEATH OF SOOLTAN MAHMOOD TO THE END OF MAHMOOD left twin sons, Mahomed and Musaood: and by his will, created Mahomed his successor. The brothers had never been on good terms, and while their father kept Mahomed near him, on account of his docile and tractable disposition, he conferred on Musaood the government of Isfahan, in order that his turbulent nature might find employment in the subjugation of the warlike tribes around him. On his father's death, Musaood wrote to his brother relinquishing his claim to succession, provided the Persian provinces were assigned to him, and his name were read first in the public prayers; this, however, was refused by Mahomed, who, contrary to the advice of the officers of state, marched with an army to meet his brother. By the way, Mahomed halted for the forty days' fast of the Rumzán, during which time a conspiracy was formed against him in camp by his uncle and two other chief officers, and he was seized and imprisoned. The confederates then marched to Herat with the army, and joining Musaood, swore allegiance to him. Musaood, however, though he did not release his brother, hanged one and beheaded the other of the two treacherous officers, and imprisoned his uncle for life. According to the cruel custom of the time, Mahomed was blinded and deposed, after a reign of five months, and Musaood became sooltan Musaood, 1031. of the whole Ghuznevy dominions. Musacod's India From the period of his accession, in 1031 A.D., till 1033, Musaood was engaged in warfare with the Seljuk Tartars; but peace being concluded with them, he turned his attention to the invasion of affairs of India, whither he proceeded; captured the fort of Sursooty, in the Kashmere hills; and while he was engaged in this campaign, heard of the defeat of his general by the Seljuks, and was obliged to proceed to that expedition. part of his dominions to restore order. In the year Harold Hare- 1036, having returned to India, Musaood reduced the fout king of fort of Hansy, before deemed impregnable, established Renews the Eugland. Mahomed succeeds Sooltan Mahmood. Mahomed, blinded and deposed, succeeded by his brother defeated by the Seljuks. And is de army. Mahomed him. a garrison in it, and also in Sonput, near Dehly; and returning to Lahore, left his son Mâdood in possession, and pro- Musaood ceeded to Ghuzny. Here he found the kingdom in confusion from repeated attacks by the Seljuks, and in May 1040 himself received a sore defeat by them, by which posed by the he was so disheartened, that he determined to reside for the future in India. As he proceeded to Lahore succeeds in 1042, his army mutinied, deposed him, and put him to death, raising to the throne his blind brother Mahomed, whom he had brought with him. Musaood had reigned nine years. Though of a warlike temperament, he was fond of the society of learned men; he built and endowed schools and colleges, and for a period was very popular; but he lacked the energy of his father, and perhaps the Ghuznevy dominions, already spread over an immense tract of country, were become too large to be governed efficiently. Shortly after his deposition, Musaood was put to death by his cousin Soliman, in the fort of Kurry, where he had been confined. During his reign he had appointed his son Môdood governor of Balkh; who, on hearing of his father's murder, repaired to Ghuzny, where he was received with enthusiasm, assumed the crown, and immediately marched upon Lahore to avenge his father's death. Madood, son The blind king Mahomed opposed him at Duntoor, was defeated, and taken prisoner, and, with several crown, and officers who had taken part in the deposition of King India. Musaood, put to death. Finding his brother Mâdood, who had continued in charge of Lahore, was not disposed to accord his allegiance, Módood marched against him; but, before any engagement occurred, Mâdood was found dead in his bed, and all opposition ceased. Meanwhile the Seljuks had recommenced He returns to hostilities, and the king left India to oppose them. oppose the During his absence, the Hindoo princes of Northern India, taking advantage of the difficulties of the new king, organized an insurrection against the Mahomedans, which for a time threatened serious consequences. The Rajah of Dehly, in conjunction with other confederates, retook Hansy and Thanésur, with their dependencies. The fort of Na- insurrection, grakote capitulated, and an idol was replaced there with great pomp. This success encouraged other rajahs of the Punjâb; who, having coalesced, invested Lahore; but it was desperately defended by its Mahomedan garrison, street by street; and when, in despair of receiving aid, and in sore strait from famine, the garrison besiege sallied forth, the Hindoos fled, and the siege ceased. This event seems to have broken up the Hindoo confederation; of Musaood, assumes the proceeds to Seljuks. Hindoo A.D. 1043. The Hindoos Lahore, but are defeated. Turks conquer Persia. |