CAUSES OF MAHMUD’S INVASIONS

The chief motive of Mahmud’s invasion in India was the desire to secure its wealth. He had to suffer heavy losses in both men and money in the course of his victories. To satisfy his needs in wealth he decided to invade India. His main consideration in invading India was the money he needed for building a large central Asian Empire which could be easily available in India.

2.    Being a capable military leader, he also knew that it would be much easier to defeat his Central Asian enemies by a proper use of elephants. He thus wanted to invade India to secure a strong contingent of war elephants.

3.    Many Muslim traders and travelers had visited India before his time and some had left behind valuable topographical information in their diaries which would facilitate his work of conquest. Peshawar which commanded entry into India was already in his possession and there was less possibility of any strong opposition from the side of Jayapala, the master of the frontier region, because he had differed successive defeats at the hands of Turks. Thus the invasion of India was not only militarily and financially profitable, but it was also easy to secure victory by raising the cry of Jihad and by exploiting the military weakness and the political disunity of Indian rulers.

4.    Some historians believe that Mahmuds chief objective was to spread Islam in India and to break the idols of the nonbelievers. While other historians, do not agree with the former statement, they say that by plundering the innocent people Mahmud had rendered no service to his religion. Mahmud was a conqueror who plundered and destroyed temples only because of their untold wealth.  

5.    Political objective was also another reason for Mahmud’s invasions. This is why he annexed Punjab to his Empire. But if Mahmud had desired to establish his Indian Empire, he could do so very easily because he had conquered almost all the rulers of North India.

6.    It is stated that when the Khalifa appointed Mahmud as lieutenant, he asked him to lead every year an expedition against India, so Mahmud led expeditions against India.

7.    Also, on the eve of Mahmud’s invasion, India was politically weak and divided. There was no strong Central Government under whose banner the people could be. Wars of successions and quick dynastic changes contributed to political decline as well.

Consequences of Invasions: Mahmud’s invasions did not create significant results for it was never his aim to conquer India. His only aim was to plunder India’s immense wealth. He made no permanent conquests.

1.    He coveted only the wealth accumulated in the Indian cities and had a reputation of being an idol breaker. He used the wealth for the maintenance of a large army and employed it for the protection and extension of his Central Asian possessions. Without wealth, it would not have been possible for him to wage continuous warfare.

2.    He made use of the newly acquired wealth for the promotion of art and learning. He patronized many men of letters in his court. He built magnificent buildings in Ghazni.

3.    He secured from India fine war elephants and skilled drivers which he used in his Central Asian Wars.

4.    He carried from India also reputed craftsmen who by their artistic creation won for him high reputation in the contemporary Muslim world.

5.    He permanently occupied Multan and Punjab which not only furnished a rich annual tribute but also provided an asylum to his successors.

6.    Indians on the other hand suffered heavily. His invasions destroyed some Hindu dynasties, while others were so badly shaken that they could not survive the shock. Thousands of brave Indian soldiers were killed in these invasions which did irreparable damage to the Indian military power.

7.    As the Indians lost almost every battle in this series of invasions, the weakness of India’s military power became exposed to the outside world. Mahmud carried enormous wealth and raised to the ground countless temples. The famous Somnath Temple at Kathiawar was one such temple. In this way his invasions deprived India of her immense wealth and caused irreparable damage to her art and culture

8.    Mahmud converted several of the Hindus to Islam by force, which considerably swelled the number of the Muslims in India.

9.    But the success of the Turks had no effect on the political disunity of the system of government of Indian princes. The military + administrative weakness in the time of Mahmud of Ghazni continued to exist even at this time of Muhammad Ghoris invasions.

Sultan Mahmud appeared in India as a ruthless invader whose only interest was to rob the country of its wealth. Many flourishing cities of India were raised to the ground. So were the temples which were great works of art. Death + desolation marked the Hail of Mahmud and his army.

He is still remembered as a breaker of idols + a conqueror with an unbounded lust for wealth. Mahmud's expeditions to India were considered as Jihad by his court historian 'Utbi’. By virtue of his military genius he built up his empire which extended from Iraq + the Caspian sea to the Ganga.  Mahmud emulated the Khalifas of Baghdad in many ways, like them he became a patron of the arts + letters. However, Mahmud's expeditions to India were promoted both by his lust for plunder as well as his zeal to spread Islam.