Hinglish

The Ghaznavid Invasions

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 16: Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 16.1

Learn

The Arabs had made little lasting impact, but in the 11th and 12th centuries Turkic powers from Central Asia pushed much deeper into north India, despite stubborn resistance. Historians record war more than peace, so it is worth facing such dark periods honestly to understand them, while remembering that no one today is responsible for them. The Hindu Shāhis ruled from Afghanistan to Punjab and guarded the Khyber Pass, a gateway through the Hindu Kush used for 2,500 years by traders, monks and invaders. Mahmūd of Ghazni, who took the title sultan, defeated King Jayapāla and in 1008 his son Ānandapāla, opening the road to the Indus plains.

Mahmūd led 17 campaigns into India, returning each time to Ghazni with huge booty. His fast cavalry of mounted archers beat strong resistance, including from the Chandellas. At Mathura (1018) he plundered and destroyed a magnificent temple; at Kannauj he looted many temples; and in 1026 he destroyed the Somanātha temple on the Gujarat coast. His campaigns killed many civilians and took prisoners, including children, to be sold as slaves. Historians debate whether plunder or spreading his faith mattered more; sources show both. Around 1030 his nephew was defeated and killed at Bahraich by the local ruler Suheldev. Somnath was rebuilt many times; today's temple, funded by public donations, opened in 1951.

Explore: place events on the timeline.

  1. Mahmūd defeated Ānandapāla in 1008. Put the marker there.
  2. Mahmūd destroyed the Somanātha temple in 1026. Put the marker there.

Remember

  • Mahmūd of Ghazni defeated the Hindu Shāhis and led 17 plundering campaigns into India.
  • He destroyed temples at Mathura, Kannauj and Somnath but did not rule beyond Punjab.

Quick check

Why was the Khyber Pass so important?

  1. it was a main route through the Hindu Kush into the Indus plains
  2. it was a sea port
  3. it was in south India
  4. it was a river
Answer

it was a main route through the Hindu Kush into the Indus plains. Traders and monks used it as well as invaders.

Think about it

Why do you think the new Somnath temple was built only from public donations?

One answer

So that it would belong to the people rather than the government, express shared heritage and resilience, and respect the idea that a secular state should not fund a temple.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.