The Ghurid campaigns in India were a series of invasions for 31 years (1175–1206) by the Ghurid ruler Muhammad of Ghor () in the last quarter of the twelfth and early decade of the thirteenth century which led to the widespread expansion of the Ghurid empire in the Indian subcontinent.
Muhammad of Ghor's incursions into India started as early as 1175 and thenceforth continued to lead his armies in the Indian subcontinent until his assassination near Sohawa on March 15, 1206. During these invasions, Muhammad conquered the Indus Basin from the Ghaznavids and other Ismāʿīlīya rulers and penetrated into the Gangetic doab after defeating a Rajput Confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan near Tarain avenging his earlier 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 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 of Lahore, Chauhans of Ajmer, Tomaras of Delhi, Jadauns of Bayana and possibly the Gahadavalas of Kannauj as well.
Background
During the later half of the twelfth century, the Šansabānī (Ghurids), a Persianate dynasty of presumably Tajik origin 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. In 1163, Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad succeeded as the Ghurid Sultan. 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. Ghiyath al-Din with his centre in Firuzkuh confronted the 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.
The Persian accounts only mentioned a few invasions by the Ghurids prior to their decisive victory of Tarain. Contrary to the Persian authorities, the local Hindu and Jain works claimed that the "Mleccha Ghori" (barbarian) was defeated several times before the First Battle of Tarain. While these accounts vastly exaggerate the number of Ghurid invasions 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.
Campaign timeline This list illustrates the significant events that occurred as a result of the Ghurid campaigns in India.
+Name of conflict (time) Ghurid commander(s)Opponent OutcomeCapture of Multan(1175)Muhammad of GhorLocal Isma'ilis KhafifGhurid Victory Mutan captured by Ghurids.First Battle of Kasahrada(1178)Muhammad of GhorRajput confederacy Mularaja II Kelhanadeva Kirtipala DharavarshaRajput Victory Ghurids retreat.Capture of Peshawar(1179)Muhammad of GhorGhaznavids (unknown)Ghurid Victory Peshawar annexed to Ghurid empire.Capture of Debal(1182)Muhammad of GhorSoomra dynasty (Umar I Soomro)Ghurid Victory Debal annexed to Ghurid empireCapture of Lahore(1186)Muhammad of GhorGhaznavids Khusrau MalikGhurid Victory End of Ghaznavid empire.First Battle of Tarain(1191) Muhammad of Ghor Qutbuddin Aibak Bahauddin Tughril Qazi Zia ud-Din TulakiRajput confederacy Prithviraj Chauhan Pajawan Kacchwala Skanda Govind RaiRajput Victory Ghurids retreat.Second Battle of Tarain(1192) Muhammad of Ghor Qutbuddin Aibak Bahauddin Tughril Taj al-Din Yildiz Husain ibn Kharmil Nasir ad-Din Qabacha Muhammad bin Mahmud Khalji Mukalba KharbakRajput confederacy Prithviraj Chauhan Samanthasimh Govind Rai Vijayraj Harapal Parmar Rajpal Parmar Rana MotishvaraGhurid 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.Battle of Bagar(1192)Qutbuddin Aibak* JatwanGhurid Victory Jatwan was killed in the battle.Capture of Bulandshahr(1192)Qutbuddin AibakDor Rajputs ChandrasenaGhurid Victory Bulandshahr and Meerut annexed to Ghurid empire.Revolt of Hariraja(1192–94)Qutbuddin AibakRajputs HarirajaGhurid Victory Rebellion suppressed by Qutbuddin Aibak. Hariraja committed Jauhar.Capture of Delhi(1193)Qutbuddin AibakTomara Rajputs Tomara KingGhurid Victory Complete decline of Tomara dynasty. Delhi becomes the centre of Ghurids in India.Capture of Koil(1193)Qutbuddin AibakDor RajputsGhurid Victory Fall of Dor Rajputs. Koil (Aligarh) annexed to Ghurid empire.Battle of Chandawar(1194) Muhammad of Ghor Qutbuddin AibakRajputs of Gahadavala dynasty JayachandraGhurid Victory Banaras captured by Ghurids.Siege of Bayana(1195) Muhammad of Ghor Qutbuddin AibakJadaun Rajputs KumarpalaGhurid Victory Kumarpala surrenders. Bayana annexed to Ghurid empire.Siege of Gwalior (1196) Qutbuddin Aibak Bahauddin TughrilKachchhpahata Rajputs SulakshanapalaGhurid Victory Sulakshanapala surrenders End of Kachchhapaghata dynasty Gwalior annexed to Ghurid empire.Second Battle of KasahradaGhurid Empire Qutubuddin Aibak Asaduddin Arsalan Qulji Sarfuddin Muhammad Chirak Nasiruddin Hussain Jahan PahalwanRajput confederacy Bhima II Jayatasimha Dharvarsha PrahladanaGhurid VictoryMher rebellion(1197)Qutbuddin AibakRajput confederacy and Mhers Bhima II Jayatasimha Dharvarsha PrahladanaGhurid Victory Rebellion suppressed by Battle of Kasahrada (1197). Anhilwara annexed by Ghurids.Capture of Badaun(1197)Qutbuddin AibakRashtrakuta Rajputs Rashtrakuta chief of BadaunGhurid Victory Badaun annexed to Ghurid empire.Conquest of Bihar(1200)Bakhtiyar KhaljiStates and inhabitants of BiharGhurid Victory Bihar annexed to Ghurid empire. Fall of Nalanda.Siege of Kalinjar(1203) Qutbuddin Aibak IltutmishChandela Rajputs ParamardiGhurid Victory Paramardi surrenders. Kalinjar, Mahoba and Khajuraho annexed to Ghurid empire.Ghurid invasion of Bengal(1203)Bakhtiyar KhaljiSena dynasty Lakshmana SenaGhurid Victory Lakshman Sena retreat to southeast Bengal Most of the part of Bengal annexed to Ghurid empire.Battle of Jhelum (1206)Muhammad of Ghor Iltutmish Qutubuddin Aibak Bahauddin Muhammad Sulaiman Sirajuddin Abu Bakhar Hindu Khokhar Raisal Bakhan SarkhaGhurid victory
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. 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. They were defeated and Mu'izz al-Din captured Multan after a stiff resistance by the Qaramatians in 1175.
Uch After capturing Multan, Muhammad marched to Uch (situated between Chenab and Jhelum river) which was annexed in 1176.
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 Rajputs. 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. 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. The territory of Uch, thus, was possibly ruled by another sect of the Ismāʿīlīyah monarchs before Mu'izz al-Din's conquest of the region.: "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"
The forts of Multan and Uch were placed under Ali Kiramaj and Mu'izz returned to Ghazna. Within a short span, Mu'izz al-Din swiftly moved across the Indus and annexed most of the North Sindh and its adjoining areas to facilitate his northward expansion, But was Ultimately Stopped by the Soomra Dynasty during the Soomra–Ghurid War
Early invasion 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 Ġhaznāvid ruler Mahmud of Ghaznavid in 1026, who also desecrated the Somnath temple. However, the Solankis regained their influence under Kumarapala. On the eve of Ghurid invasion, Anhilwara was ruled by Mularaja II who marshalled a formidable army of the Rajput veterans which included the Chahamana ruler of Nadol Kelhanadeva, Chahamana ruler of Jalore Kirtipala who was founder of the Jalore line of the Chahamanas and the 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 thoroughly routed by the Rajput host and Muhammad of Ghur barely managed to escape alive.: "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": "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."
The debacle of Kayadhara, made Muhammad change his route, who thence turned towards the Ghaznavids of Lahore.
Campaign against Ghaznavids In 1180 or thereabouts, Muhammad marched towards Peshawar and annexed it. 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.
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. He returned to Ghazni after erecting a fortress in Sialkot. 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.