View source for Ghurid campaigns in India

{{Short description|Campaigns of Muhammad of Ghor in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Ghurid campaigns in India
| place             = Present day [[Pakistan]], North [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]]
| partof            = Ghurid conquests
| image             = Ghurid Empire according to Schwartzberg Atlas, p.147.png
| caption           = Total extend of Ghurid Dynasty
| date              = 1175–1206
| territory         = Expansion of Ghurid Empire as far as [[Ganges Delta|Bengal Delta]]
| result            = [[Ghurid Dynasty|Ghurid]] victory
| combatant1        = [[Ghurid Empire]]
| combatant2        = [[Ghaznavid Empire]]<br>[[Isma'ilis]] of [[Multan]]<br>[[Chauhan Dynasty]]<br>[[Rajputs|Rajput confederation]]<br>[[Kachchhapaghata dynasty]]<br>[[Soomra dynasty]]<br>[[Chaulukya dynasty]]<br>[[Paramara dynasty]]<br>[[Bhati|Bhati Rajputs]]<br>[[Chahamanas of Shakambhari]]<br>[[Gahadavala dynasty]]<br>[[Chahamanas of Jalor]]<br>[[Chahamanas of Naddula]]<br>[[Mewar|Kingdom of Mewar]]<br>[[Jadaun Rajputs]]<br>[[Parihar (clan)|Parihar Rajputs]]<br>[[Sena Dynasty]]<br>[[Khokhars]]<br>[[Dor Rajputs]]<br>[[Chandelas of Jejakabhukti]]<br>[[Paramaras of Chandravati]]
| commander1        = [[Muhammad of Ghor]]{{WIA}} <br>[[Qutb ud-Din Aibak]]<br>[[Nasir ad-Din Qabacha]]<br>[[Bahauddin Tughril]]<br>[[Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji]]<br>[[Husain ibn Kharmil]]<br>[[Iltutmish]]
| commander2        = [[Khusrau Malik]] {{POW}} <br>[[Prithviraj Chauhan]] {{POW}} <br>[[Govindaraja IV]]<br>[[Hariraja]]<br>Sulakshanapala<br>[[Samantasimha (Guhila)|Samantasimha]]<br>[[Mularaja II]]<br>[[Bhima II]]<br>[[Jayachandra]] {{KIA}} <br>[[Harishchandra (Gahadavala dynasty)|Harishchandra]]<br>[[Kelhanadeva]]<br>[[Lakshmana Sena]]<br>[[Jayatasimha]]<br>Kumarpal<br>[[Paramardi]]<br>[[Trailokyavarman]]<br>Dharavarsha<br>[[Kirtipala]]
}}
The '''Ghurid campaigns in India''' were a series of invasions for 31 years (1175–1206) by the [[Ghurid]] ruler [[Muhammad of Ghor]] ({{reign|1173|1206}}) in the last quarter of the twelfth and early decade of the thirteenth century which lead to the widespread expansion of the [[Ghurid dynasty#The Ghurids at their zenith|Ghurid empire in the Indian subcontinent]].

Muhammad of Ghor incursions into India started as early as 1175 and thenceforth continued to lead his armies in the [[Indian subcontinent]] until his assassination near the [[Indus]] on March 15, 1206. During these invasions, Muhammad conquered the Indus Basin from the [[Ghaznavids]] and other [[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlīya]] rulers and penetrated into the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain|Gangetic doab]] after defeating a [[Rajput|Rajput Confederacy]] led by [[Prithviraj Chauhan]] [[Second Battle of Tarain|near Tarain]] avenging his earlier [[First Battle of Tarain|rout at the same battlefield]]. While the Ghurid empire was short lived and fell apart in 1215, Mu'izz al-Din's watershed victory in the [[Second Battle of Tarain]] established a [[Delhi Sultanate|permanent Muslim presence and influence in the Indian subcontinent]].

During his campaigns in India, Mu'izz al-Din extirpated several local dynasties which included the [[Isma'ilis]] of [[Multan]], [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids of Lahore]], [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari|Chauhans of Ajmer]], [[Tomaras|Tomaras of Delhi]], [[Jadaun Rajputs|Jadauns of Bayana]] and possibly the [[Gahadavala dynasty|Gahadavalas of Kannauj]] as well.

==Background==
{{Main article|Battle of Ghazni (1151)}}
{{South Asia in 1175|right|{{center|Main South Asian polities in 1175, on the eve of the [[Ghurid Empire]] invasion of the subcontinent (orange line: Ghurid territorial conquests from 1175 to 1205).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |pages=37, 147|isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=074}}</ref>{{sfn|Richard Eaton|2019|p=38}}}}|{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=32|N |long=67|E |label=|position=|label_size=|mark=Chess drt45.svg|marksize=35}}{{location map~ |South Asia |lat=24.5|N |long=75|E |label=|position=|label_size=|mark=Ghurid invasions in India (map overlay).png|marksize=225}}}}
During the later half of the twelfth century, the [[Ghurid|Šansabānī (Ghurids)]], a Persianate dynasty of presumably [[Tajiks|Tajik]] origin{{sfn|Richard Eaton|2000|page=100}} which was centred in present-day [[Afghanistan]] began their political expansion amidst the collapse of the [[Ghaznavids]] who were considerably weakened in their struggle with the [[Seljuk Empire]].{{sfn|Richard Eaton|2000|page=99}} In 1163, [[Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad]] succeeded as the Ghurid Sultan.{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=155}}{{sfn|Paramatma Saran|2001|page=117}} In a decade, Ghiyath defeated the [[Ghuzz Turks]] and annexed [[Ghazna]] and stationed his brother [[Muhammad of Ghor]] in Ghazna which was used by him as a base for further inroads into India.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=140-141}} Ghiyath al-Din with his centre in [[Firuzkuh]] confronted the [[Anushtegin dynasty|Khwarazmian Empire]] for the Ghurid expansion in [[Central Asia]] while Muhammad, motivated by the exploits of [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] began raiding in the [[Indian Subcontinent]] from 1175.{{sfn|C. E. Bosworth|1968|page=165}}{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=110}}

The Persian accounts only mentioned a few invasions by the Ghurids prior to their [[Second Battle of Tarain|decisive victory of Tarain]].{{sfn|Dasharatha Sharma|1975|page=58}}{{efn|Hasan Nizami who wrote ''Taj ul-Masir'' also omitted the [[First Battle of Tarain]] and [[Battle of Kasahrada]]{{sfn|Rima Hooja|2006|page=269}}}} Contray to the Persian authorities, the local [[Hindu]] and [[Jain]] works claimed that the "[[Mleccha|Mleccha Ghori]]" (barbarian) was defeated several times before the [[First Battle of Tarain]].{{sfn|Dasharatha Sharma|1975|page=59}}{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=254}} While these accounts vastly exaggerate the number of Ghurid invasions{{efn|All of the Hindu and Jain works collaboratively mentioned that Mu'izz al-Din was defeated at least seven times prior to his victory in Tarain and some of them even exaggerate the number to twenty one.{{sfn|Dasharatha Sharma|1975|page=81}}}} in order to magnify the scale of native resistance, though the [[Ghurids]] generals after their occupation of [[Punjab]] in 1186, possibly began to raid into the territories of north but were fended off by the Rajput chiefs.<ref>{{Cite book|author=David C. Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6h2_DwAAQBAJ |title=The Ebb and Flow of the Ghūrid Empire|date=2018|publisher=Sydney University Press |isbn=978-1-74332-542-1|page=37|quote= The frequency of Mu'izz al-Din dozen or more campaigns also indicates in part their lack of success in subduing the northern Indian Rajputs, until victory in the second battle of Tara'in in 588 AH/1192 CE opened the way to the conquest of northern India.|language=en}}</ref>

== Campaign timeline ==
This list illustrates the significant events that occurred as a result of the Ghurid campaigns in India.

{| class="wikitable"
|+
! style="background:orange;"|
<span style="colour: white">Name of conflict (time) </span>
! style="background:orange;"|<span style="colour: white">Ghurid commander(s)</span>
! style="background:orange;"|<span style="colour: white>Opponent</span>
! style="background:orange;width: 320px;"| <span style="colour:white">Outcome</span>
|-
|Capture of [[Multan]]<br>(1175)
|[[Muhammad of Ghor]]
|Local [[Isma'ilis]]
* Khafif
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Mutan captured by Ghurids.{{sfn|Wink|1991|p=245}}
|-
|[[Battle of Kasahrada|First Battle of Kasahrada]]<br>(1178)
|[[Muhammad of Ghor]]{{WIA}}
|[[Rajput|Rajput confederacy]]
* [[Mularaja II]]
* [[Kelhanadeva]]
* [[Kirtipala]]
* [[Paramaras of Chandravati|Dharavarsha]]
|'''Rajput Victory'''
* Ghurids retreat.
|-
|Capture of [[Peshawar]]<br>(1179)
|[[Muhammad of Ghor]]
|[[Ghaznavids]]
* (unknown)
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Peshawar annexed to Ghurid empire.
|-
|Capture of [[Debal]]<br>(1182)
|[[Muhammad of Ghor]]
|[[Soomra dynasty]]
* (unknown)
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Debal annexed to Ghurid empire
* Soomra ruler accepted the suzerainty of Ghurids.{{sfn|Mehta|1979|page=76}}{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=157}}
|-
|Capture of [[Lahore]]<br>(1186)
|[[Muhammad of Ghor]]
|[[Ghaznavids]]
* [[Khusrau Malik]]{{executed}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* End of Ghaznavid empire.{{sfn|Elphinstone|1866|page=361}}
|-
|[[First Battle of Tarain]]<br>(1191)
|
* [[Muhammad of Ghor]]{{WIA}}
* [[Qutb ud-Din Aibak|Qutbuddin Aibak]]
* [[Bahauddin Tughril]]
* Qazi Zia ud-Din Tulaki
|[[Rajput|Rajput confederacy]]
* [[Prithviraj Chauhan]]
* [[Pajawan|Pajawan Kacchwala]]
* [[Skanda (general)|Skanda]]
* Govind Rai{{WIA}}
|'''Rajput Victory'''
*Ghurids retreat.
|-
|[[Second Battle of Tarain]]<br>(1192)
|
* [[Muhammad of Ghor]]
* [[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
* [[Bahauddin Tughril]]
* [[Taj al-Din Yildiz]]
* [[Husain ibn Kharmil]]
* [[Nasir ad-Din Qabacha]]
* Muhammad bin Mahmud Khalji
* Mukalba Kharbak
|[[Rajput confederacy]]
* [[Prithviraj Chauhan]]{{executed}}
* [[Samantasimha (Guhila)|Samanthasimh]]{{KIA}}
* Govind Rai{{KIA}}
* Vijayraj{{KIA}}
* Harapal Parmar{{KIA}}
* Rajpal Parmar{{KIA}}
* Rana Motishvara{{KIA}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Prithviraj Chauhan was captured and executed.
* [[Hansi]], [[Kuhram]] and Sursuti annexed to Ghurid empire.
* [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari]] became a vassal of Ghurid empire.
* [[Tomara dynasty]] became a vassal of Ghurid empire.{{sfn|Srivastava|1966|pp=75-77}}
|-
|[[Battle of Bagar]]<br>(1192)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|* [[Jatwan]]{{KIA}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Jatwan was killed in the battle.
|-
|Capture of [[Bulandshahr]]<br>(1192)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Dor Rajputs]]
* [[Chandrasena]]{{KIA}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Bulandshahr and Meerut annexed to Ghurid empire.{{sfn|Srivastava|1966|p=77}}
|-
|Revolt of [[Hariraja]]<br>(1192–94)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Rajputs]]
* [[Hariraja]]
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Rebellion suppressed by Qutbuddin Aibak.
* Hariraja committed [[Jauhar]].{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|page=102}}
|-
|Capture of Delhi<br>(1193)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|Tomara Rajputs
* Tomara King
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Complete decline of Tomara dynasty.
* Delhi becomes the centre of Ghurids in India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=Ashirbadi Lal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Bdw9AAAAMAAJ |title=The History of India, 1000 A.D.-1707 A.D. |date=1964 |publisher=Shiva Lal Agarwala |language=en}}</ref>
|- 
|Capture of [[Aligarh|Koil]]<br>(1193)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Dor Rajputs]]
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Fall of Dor Rajputs.
* Koil (Aligarh) annexed to Ghurid empire.{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|p=59}}
|-
|[[Battle of Chandawar]]<br>(1194)
|
* [[Muhammad of Ghor]]
* [[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|Rajputs of [[Gahadavala dynasty]]
* [[Jayachandra]]{{KIA}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Banaras captured by Ghurids.
|-
|[[Siege of Bayana]]<br>(1195)
|
* [[Muhammad of Ghor]]
* [[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Jadaun Rajputs]]
* Kumarpala{{surrender}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Kumarpala surrenders.
* [[Bayana]] annexed to Ghurid empire.
|-
|[[Siege of Gwalior (1196)]]
|
* [[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
* [[Bahauddin Tughril]]
|[[Kachchhapaghata dynasty|Kachchhpahata Rajputs]]
* Sulakshanapala{{surrender}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Sulakshanapala surrenders
* End of Kachchhapaghata dynasty
* Gwalior annexed to Ghurid empire.
|-
|-
|[[Battle of Kasahrada (1197)|Second Battle of Kasahrada]]
|[[Ghurid Empire]]
*[[Qutubuddin Aibak]]
*Asaduddin Arsalan Qulji
*Sarfuddin Muhammad Chirak
*Nasiruddin Hussain
*Jahan Pahalwan
|[[Rajput confederacy]]
*[[Bhima II]]
* [[Jayatasimha]]
* Dharvarsha
* Prahladana
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
|-
|[[Mer (community)|Mher]] rebellion<br>(1197)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Rajput confederacy]] and Mhers
* [[Bhima II]]
* [[Jayatasimha]]
* Dharvarsha
* Prahladana
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Rebellion suppressed by [[Battle of Kasahrada (1197)]].
* [[Anhilwara]] annexed by Ghurids.{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|p=80}}
|-
|Capture of [[Badaun]]<br>(1197)
|[[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
|[[Rashtrakuta dynasty|Rashtrakuta Rajputs]]
* Rashtrakuta chief of Badaun
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Badaun annexed to Ghurid empire.{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|p=80}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Majumdar|first1=Ramesh Chandra|title=Ancient India|date=1977|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|isbn=9788120804364|page=315|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNxiN5tzKOgC&q=%22Vodamayuta%22&pg=PA315|access-date=23 May 2017|language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bakhtiyar Khalji#Military Career|Conquest of Bihar]]<br>(1200)
|[[Bakhtiyar Khalji]]
|States and inhabitants of Bihar
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Bihar annexed to Ghurid empire.
* Fall of [[Nalanda]].{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|pp=81-82}}
|-
|[[Siege of Kalinjar]]<br>(1203)
|
* [[Qutbuddin Aibak]]
* [[Iltutmish]]
|[[Chandel (Rajput clan)|Chandela Rajputs]]
* [[Paramardi]]{{surrender}}
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Paramardi surrenders.
* [[Kalinjar]], [[Mahoba]] and [[Khajuraho]] annexed to Ghurid empire.{{sfn|Srivastava|1972|p=81}}
|-
|[[Ghurid invasion of Bengal]]<br>(1203)
|[[Bakhtiyar Khalji]]
|[[Sena dynasty]]
* [[Lakshmana Sena]]
|'''Ghurid Victory'''
* Lakshman Sena retreat to southeast Bengal
* Most of the part of Bengal annexed to Ghurid empire.
|}

==Conquest of Multan and Uch==
In 1175, Muhammad crossed the river Indus through the [[Gomal Pass]] instead of the [[Khyber Pass]], as the former was a shorter route to make inroads into the coastal plain of [[Gujarat]] and for subsequent advance into the Peninsular India.{{sfn|Romila Thapar|2004|page=433}}{{sfn|Paramatma Saran|2001|page=118}} His first expedition was against the [[Isma'ilis]] ([[Shia]] sect) in [[Multan]]. The Isma'ili [[Emirate of Multan]] had been crushed by [[Mahmud of Ghazni]] in the early eleventh century, although the sect soon regained rule of [[Multan]] and even as far as the upper plain of [[Sindh]] and possibly [[Uch]] as well soon after his death in 1030.{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=157}}{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=110}}{{sfn|Iqtidar Alam Khan|2008|page=116}} They were defeated and Mu'izz al-Din captured Multan after a stiff resistance by the Qaramatians in 1175.{{sfn|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|page=167}}{{sfn|Iqtidar Alam Khan|2008|page=117}}

===Uch===
After capturing [[Multan]], Muhammad marched to [[Uch]] (situated between [[Chenab]] and [[Jhelum]] river) which was annexed in 1176.{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=158}}

The exact event of the Ghurid conquest of [[Uch]] is contradictory among the contemporary and the later sources. The contemporary author [[Ibn al-Athir]] claimed that Uch was under the rule of the [[Bhati]] [[Rajput]]s.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=244}} According to his account, when Muhammad besieged the fort, he made a proposal to the influential [[Rajput]] queen of Uch and promised to marry her, If she aids him in his conquest and put her husband to death. [[Ibn al-Athir]] further stated that she poisoned her husband and offered to marry her beautiful daughter to the Sultan instead on the condition that after the conquest of the fort, the Sultan will not plunder their royal treasure after the conquest of Uch. Muhammad agreed and married her daughter and converted her to [[Islam]].{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=110}} This story is also repeated by the later chroniclers including [[Ferishta]]. However, the authenticity of this account is uncertain as the annals of the Bhattis themselves do not mentioned their rule in Uch.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=244}} The territory of Uch, thus, was possibly ruled by another sect of the [[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlīyah]] monarchs before Mu'izz al-Din's conquest of the region.<ref>{{harvnb|Wink|1991|page=244}}: "We know that Muhammad Ghuri captured both Uch and Multan in 1175, but the history of the former city is less clear. Some Muslim authors, beginning with Ibn al-Athir, state that Uch was held by the Bhatti Rajputs, but the Bhatti annals do not record their ever having held Uch"</ref>

The forts of Multan and Uch were placed under Ali Kiramaj and Mu'izz returned to Ghazna.{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=110}} Within a short span, Mu'izz al-Din swiftly moved across the Indus and annexed most of the [[Sindh]] and its adjoining areas to facilitate his northward expansion.{{sfn|Rima Hooja|2006|page=211}}

==Early invasion of Rajasthan==
{{Main|Battle of Kasahrada}}
[[File:Kasahrada.jpg|thumb|Location of the battle site in the present-day state of [[Rajasthan]]]]
After the conquest of Mulan and Uch, Muhammad from the lower Sindh marched into the present-day state of [[Rajasthan]] and [[Gujarat]] in [[Anhilwara]]. The city of Anhilwara was sacked by the [[Ghaznavid|Ġhaznāvid]] ruler [[Mahmud of Ghaznavid]] in 1026, who also desecrated the [[Somnath]] temple.{{sfn|Iqtidar Alam Khan|2008|page=108}} However, the Solankis regained their influence under [[Kumarapala (Chaulukya dynasty)|Kumarapala]]. On the eve of [[Ghurid]] invasion, [[Anhilwara]] was ruled by [[Mularaja II]]{{efn|''[[Tabaqat-i Nasiri]]'' claimed that the Solanki ruler at the time was [[Bhima II]].{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=178}}}} who marshalled a formidable army of the Rajput veterans which included the [[Chahamanas of Naddula|Chahamana]] ruler of Nadol [[Kelhanadeva]], [[Chahamanas of Jalore|Chahamana]] ruler of Jalore [[Kirtipala]] who was founder of the Jalore line of the Chahamanas and the [[Parmar (Rajput clan)|Parmar]] ruler Dharavarsha of Abu. The Ghurids were famished in their long march from the arid desert of Rajasthan. In the ensuring battle, the Ghurid troops were [[Battle of Kasahrada|thoroughly routed by the Rajput host]] and Muhammad of Ghur barely managed to escape alive.<ref>{{harvnb|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=111}}:"Rai Bhim Deo of Gujarat collected his Rajput veterans and after a stiff battle, in which most of the invaders were slain drove Shihabuddun away from his kingdom"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Rima Hooja|2006|page=261}}:"Muhammad of Ghor advanced against Gujarat in AD 1178, which was then ruled by the Chalukyan ruler Bhima II (?Mularaj II?). The bravery and spirited fight put up by him and his allies (among them Kelhan of Nadol, his younger brother, Kirtipal Chauhan, founder of the Jalore line, and the Parmar ruler of Abu, King Dharavarsha, forced the enemy back from the vicinity of Abu, in Rajasthan. According to the Sundha Inscription, this decisive battle took place at Kasahrada, near Abu."</ref>

The debacle of Kayadhara, made Muhammad change his route, who thence turned towards the [[Ghaznavids]] of [[Lahore]].{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=68}}

==Campaign against Ghaznavids==
In 1180 or thereabouts, Muhammad marched towards [[Peshawar]] and annexed it where the [[Soomra dynasty|Soomra ruler]] acknowledged his authority. Afterwards, he turned his attention towards [[Lahore]] which was under the possession of [[Ghaznavid]] ruler [[Khusrau Malik]] who was not capable enough to offer a military resistance considered treaty. He accepted the Ghurid supremacy and further sent his son Malik Shah along with some elephants as hostage for the future conducts.{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=111}}

However, the treaty was for a short while as Muhammad again marched upon [[Lahore]] in 1184/1185. On the Ghurid advance, Khusrau Malik shut himself inside the city walls. Muhammad though, captured [[Sialkot]] in 1185.{{sfn|Paramatma Saran|2001|page=117}} He returned to Ghazni after erecting a fortress in [[Sialkot]].{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=111}} The advancement of Ghurids in Sialkot, lead to a response from Khusrau Malik who besieged the fort in 1185. However, the Ghurid governor of [[Sialkot]] managed to defy the Ghaznavid advance. Khusrau Malik, thus, returned to Lahore after a futile effort.{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=111-112}}

On the report of Ghaznavid advance in [[Silakot]], Muhammad advanced from Ghazna with 20,000 cavalry to eradicate the Ghaznavids. As the Ghurids laid siege to Lahore, Khusrau Malik was hard pressed and soon the garrison capitulated. Khusrau Malik was brought out of his castle in accordance with negotiations but was treacherously imprisoned by Mu'izz al-Din and later executed along with all of his family in 1191{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=159}} or possibly by 1186 itself.{{sfn|Iqtidar Alam Khan|2008|page=67}} Thus, Mu'izz al-Din overthrew the Ghaznavids by 1186.{{sfn|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|page=167}}

After the campaigns against the Ghaznavids, Muhammad captured the upper Indus plain and most of [[Punjab]] to march into the [[Northern India]].{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=144}}{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=67}}

==Invasion of the Doab==
{{Main|First Battle of Tarain|Second Battle of Tarain}}
Muhammad marched from [[Ghazni]] and captured [[Bhatinda]] in 1190<ref>{{Cite book|author=David Ludden|title=India and South Asia: A Short History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pBq9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT79|year=2013|publisher=Oneworld Publications|isbn=978-1-78074-108-6|page=71|quote=In 1190, he occupied Bhatinda, in Punjab, which triggered battles with the Rajput Prithviraja Chauhan, whom he finally defeated in 1192}}</ref> which was under the control of the [[Chahamanas of Shakambari|Chahamana (Chauhan) Rajput clan]] who emerged as the leading power of northern India in the later twelfth century.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Shail Mayaram|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52203150 |title=Against history, against state : counterperspectives from the margins|date=2003|page=22|quote=The Chauhans (Cahamanas) Rajputs had emerged in the later tenth century and established themselves as a paramount poweroverthrowing the Tomar Rajputs. In 1151 the Tomar Rajput rulers (and original builders) of Delhi were overthrown by Visal Dev, the Chauhan ruler of Ajmer|isbn=0-231-12730-8|location=New York|publisher=Columbia University Press|oclc=52203150 }}</ref> The Chahamana ruler of Ajmer, [[Prithviraj Chauhan]] (c. 1166–1192), aided by his Rajput allies gathered a vast army of 100,000 lancers and advanced to dislodge the Ghurid garrison in Bhatinda.<ref>{{harvnb|Kaushik Roy|2004|page=39}}:"In 1191, Ghori fought the Rajput confederacy of one lakh Rajput calvalrymen led by Prithviraj at place called Tarain"</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Iqtidar Alam Khan|2008|page=111}}: "Leading an alliance of Rajput Rajas, Prithviraja defeated Mu izz-al Din Muhammad Ghauri in first battle of Tarain (1191). The next year in another contest with Muhammad Ghauri at the same battlefield, Prithviraj was defeated, taken prisoner and killed."</ref> In a decisive battle fought north of Delhi in [[Tarain]], the outnumbered Ghurid forces were completely routed by the forces of Prithviraj.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=69}} Muhammad was himself wounded in personal combat with Govind Rai of Delhi. However, he was carried away from the battlefield by a Khalji stripling.{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=161}} The Rajputs, however did not chase the Ghurids in their retreat and followed up their victory by laying siege to the fort of Tabarhind (under possession of Mu'izz's general Qazi Ziauddin Tulaki) which was captured after a long siege of thirteen months.<ref>{{harvnb|Kaushik Roy|2014|page=41–42}}: "Cavalry was not suited for laying siege to forts and Rajputs lacked both the siege machines and infantry to storm and destroy fortress walls. Tulaki was able to keep Prithviraj at bay for thirteen months. Within this time, Mahmud Ghori had raised 120,000 cavalry."</ref>

[[File:The last stan of Rajputs against Muhammadans.jpg|thumb|The last stand of Rajputs portraying the [[Second Battle of Tarain]]]]
After the disaster of Tarain, Muhammad began his preparations to advance once more in the Chahamana kingdom and took an oath that he will not "visit his wife" and "change his clothes" till he avenge his defeat.{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=162}} He raised a vast army of Tajik, Turkic and Afghan troopers and advanced again in 1192 with an army consisting of 120,000 to 130,000 horsemen.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=144}} In the [[Second Battle of Tarain]] (1192), Prithviraj Chauhan fell for Muhammad Ghori's diplomatic deception, accepting a truce. However, Ghori exploited the opportunity, launching a surprise attack before sunrise, leading to Prithviraj's defeat and Ghori's decisive victory <ref>{{cite book |author=R. B. Singh |title=History of the Chāhamānas |publisher=N. Kishore |year=1964|pages=199–202, 461 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TKs9AAAAIAAJ |oclc=11038728 }}</ref> after the final assault by their contingent of 10,000 [[Turkish archery|mounted archers]] under [[Husain ibn Kharmil|Husain Kharmil]] which decided the issue.<ref>{{harvnb|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|page=167}}: "The first battle of Tarain was won by the Rajput confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer. But when Muhammad of Ghur returned the following year with 10,000 archers on horseback he vanquished Prithviraj and his army"</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author=Marc Jason Gilbert|title=South Asia in World History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1dhKDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA75|year=2017|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-066137-3|pages=68quote=In 1192, one of Mahmud's lieutenants and eventual successors, Muhammad of Ghur, defeated the chief opponent of the Muslim raiders, the Hindu Rajput Raja Prithvi Raj Chauhan, outside of his capital at Lolkat|language=en}}</ref>

Govindaraja of Delhi{{sfn|Nizami|1970|page=171}} along with the [[Guhila dynasty|Guhila]] Samant Singh of [[Mewar]] were among the slains.{{sfn|Rima Hooja|2006|page=350}} Prithviraj was captured and summarily executed. The Ghurids penetrated into the core kingdom of the Chahamanas and annexed whole of their Sapādalakṣa territory including [[Ajmer]].{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=72}} However, the Ghurids, as corroborated by the numismatic evidences, reinstated Prithviraja's minor son [[Govindaraja IV]] as their de facto ruler on the condition of tributary.{{sfn|Dasharatha Sharma|1975|page=87}}{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=70}} The Ghurids followed their victory by sacking [[Ajmer]] in the course of which they massacred several civilians, took many as [[History of slavery|slaves]] and destroyed several Hindu [[temples]] of [[Ajmer]].<ref>{{harvnb|Richard Eaton|2000|page=108}}: "From Ajmer in Rajasthan, the former capital of the defeated Cahamana Rajputs – also, significantly, the wellspring of Chishti piety the post-1192 pattern of temple desecration moved swiftly down the Gangetic Plain as Turkish military forces sought to extirpate local ruling houses in the late twelfth and early thirteenth century"</ref>

The decisive battle of Tarain is regarded as a landmark event in the Medieval India, which led to the destruction of Rajput powers for a while and laid the foundation of the [[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|Muslim rule in the Indian Subcontinent]].{{sfn|Rima Hooja|2006|page=458}}

==Further campaigns==
{{See also|Battle of Chandawar|Ghurid conquest of Bengal|Siege of Kalinjar}}
Mu'izz al-Din after his triumpth in Tarain, limited his presence in India to centralize himself in the Ghurid expansion in [[Transoxiana]].{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=67}}

In 1194, Muhammad returned to India and crossed the Jamuna with an army of 50,000 troopers to confront the [[Gahadavala dynasty|Gahadavala]] king [[Jayachandra]] who held his sway over extensive territories in the present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Bihar]]. In a decisive battle fought near the modern day Chandawar, the Gahadavalas managed to kept the Ghurid forces at bay until a chance arrow killed Jayachandra and his armies were routed.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Kaushik Roy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KyVnAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23 |title=Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400-1750: Cavalry, Guns, Government and Ships |date=2014-05-22 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|page=23|isbn=978-1-78093-800-4 |language=en}}</ref>{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=71}}{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=116}} The Ghurids pillaged the [[Holy city#Asia|holy city]] of [[Varanasi|Kāshí]] after capturing [[Kannauj]] and destroyed many Hindu temples there.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=248}}{{sfn|Richard Eaton|2000|page=128}}

Afterwards, Muhammad marched towards India again in 1196 and captured the territory of [[Bayana]] from the [[Jadaun Rajputs]] after a brief siege to guard the southern flank of Delhi.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=146}} The newly conquered territory was placed under his senior slave Bahauddin Turghil who further laid siege to the Gwalior fort and annexed it after subjugating the [[Parihar (clan)|Parihar]] ruler.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=146}}{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=117}}<ref>{{harvnb|Nizami|1970|page=171}} "In 592/1195-96 Muizzuddin again carme to India. He attacked Bayana, which was under Kumarapala, a Jadon Bhatti Rajput. The ruler avoided a confrontation at Bayana, his capital, but went to Thankar and entrenched himself there. He vas, howvever, compelled to surrender. Thankar and Vijayamandirgarh were occupied and put under Bahauddin Tughril. Mu'izzuddin - next marched towards Gwalior. Sallakhanapala of the Parihara dynasty, however, acknowledged the suzerainty of Muizzuddin"</ref>

Muhammad's slave commanders continued the expansion of the Ghurid empire and raided the Rajput strongholds in the [[Ganges Basin|Doab]], [[Rajasthan]], [[Malwa]] and uptil [[Kalinjar]] in the [[Ganges|Ganga Valley]]. In the decade of the 1200s, another lieutenant of Mu'izz al-Din [[Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji]] expanded the Ghurid influence in west of the Ganges Basin in states of [[Bihar]] and [[Bengal]]. He defeated the [[Sena dynasty|Sena king]] of [[Bengal]] [[Lakshmana Sena]] and expanded as far as [[Gauḍa (city)|Lakhnauti]] in [[Bengal]].<ref>{{harvnb|Romila Thapar|2004|page=434}}: "This campaign saw Muhammad in control of Lahore and led to visions of further conquests in India. An attack was launched on the Rajput kingdoms controlling the watershed and the western Ganges Plain, now beginning to be viewed as the frontier. The Rajputs gathered together as best they could, not forgetting internal rivalries and jealousies. Prithviraja defeated Muhammad Ghuri at the first battle at Tarain, north of Delhi, in 1191.Muhammad sent for reinforcements and, in 1192, a second battle was fought at the same place. Prithviraja was defeated and the kingdom of Delhi fell to Muhammad, who pressed on and concentrated on capturing the capitals of Rajput kingdoms with the assistance of his General, Qutub ud-din Aibak. Another General, Muhammad Bhaktiyar Khilji, moved to the east where he defeated the Sena King of Bengal. Although Muhammad was assassinated in 1206, this did not lead to the withdrawal of Turkish interests in India. Muhammad had been determined to retain his Indian possessions and his successors had equally ambitious visions of ruling in northern India"</ref>

==Final campaign==
{{See also|Battle of Andkhud}}
In March 1203, his brother died in Herat due to illness and Muhammad succeeded him as the sole ruler of the Ghurid dynasty. In 1204, he suffered a sharp reverse [[Battle of Andkhud|near the river Oxus]] against the combined forces of [[Qara Khitai]] (Western Lio) and the [[Kara-Khanid Khanate]] contingent led by Tayangu (as aid of Alauddin Shah) which lead to the loss of most of the [[Khurasan]] (except [[Herath]] and [[Balkh]]) and initiated a number of rebellions in his empire.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2004|page=29}}

[[File:The murder of Muhammad Ghori, A.D. 1206.jpg|thumb|Depiction of Mu'izz al-Din's assassination]]

The Hindu [[Khokhars]] rebelled by cutting Muhammad's supply line between [[Lahore]] and Ghazna. According to the 16th-17th century chronicler [[Firishta]], the Khokhars were a "disgraced race" who considered "slaying of [[Muslims]] as the path to paradise".{{sfn|Mohammad Habib|1981|page=134}} Muhammad dispatched a force under his slave [[Illtutmish]] to suppress the revolt, although he later himself marched for his last campaign into India in late 1205. In the ensuring battle, the Khokhars were routed after [[Qutb ud-Din Aibak]] or [[Illtutmish]] arrived with a contingent from [[Lahore]].{{sfn|Paramatma Saran|2001|page=118}} After the battle, Mu'izz al-Din ordered a general massacre of the Khokhars and further enslaved many of them.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=67}}

On his way back to [[Ghazna]], Muhammad of Ghor was assassinated near the Indus in [[Dhamiak|Dhamyak]] by the [[Isma'ilism|Ismāʿīlīyah Muslims]] on 15 March 1206.{{sfn|C. E. Bosworth|1968|page=167}}{{efn|Some later accounts stated that his assassins were Khokhars, see [[Muhammad of Ghor#Assassination|his assassination part on the main article]]}} After his death, his empire collapsed{{sfn|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|page=168}} as his successors were forced to acknowledge the suzerenity of [[Muhammad II of Khwarazm|Alauddin Shah of Khwarazm]] who overthrew them by 1215.{{sfn|Satish Chandra|2007|page=77}} However, his [[Mamluk dynasty (Delhi)|slave generals]] after a brief struggle sustained his conquests in north India and established the [[Delhi Sultanate]] in 1206.{{sfn|Wink|1991|page=152}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
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{{refend}}

[[Category:Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent]]
[[Category:Ghurid dynasty]]
[[Category:Military history of India]]
[[Category:12th-century military history]]
[[Category:12th century in India]]
[[Category:Wars involving medieval India]]
[[Category:Battles involving Turkic peoples]]
[[Category:13th century in India]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Rajputs]]
[[Category:12th-century conflicts]]