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Muhammad Shahab-ud-Din Ghori (Persian: محمد شہاب الدین غوری), also spelled Mohammad Ghauri, originally named Mu'izzuddin Muhammad Bin Sam but famously known as Muhammad of Ghor (1162-1206), was a governor and general under the Ghorid dynasty. He was the governor of Ghazni and surrounding area from 1173 to 1192.

Ghori Emipre

Ghor lay on the western boundary of the Ghaznavid Empire. Before 1160, the Ghaznavid Empire covered an area running from central Afghanistan to the Punjab, with capitals at Ghazni and Lahore. In 1160, the Ghorids conquered Ghazni from the Ghaznavids, and in 1173 Muhammad Shahab-ud-Din Ghori became governor of the province while his brother Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad of Ghor became the Sultan of the Ghori Empire. In 1186-87 Muhammad Shahab-ud-Din Ghori conquered Lahore, ending the Ghaznavid Empire and bringing the last of Ghaznavid territory under his control. As a result, He managed to push Muslim rule much further east than Mahmud of Ghazni did.

Indian Conquest

Sultan Muhammad Ghori attacked the north-western regions of the Indian Subcontinent twice. In 1191, he invaded the territory of Prithviraj Chauhan of Ajmer, who ruled much of present-day Rajasthan and Haryana, but was defeated at Tarain in present-day Haryana, by Govinda-raja of Delhi, Prithviraj's vassal. The following year Ghori assembled a large army and once again invaded the Kingdom of Ajmer. On the same field of Tarain, a second battle was fought in 1192. This time, Jayachandra, one of the enemies of Pritviraj Chauhan, assisted Muhammed Ghori and Prithviraj was defeated. Govinda-raja was slain, Prithviraj captured, and Muhammad Ghori marched onwards unchallenged towards Ajmer. Rajput kingdoms like Saraswati, Samana, Kohram and Hansi were captured without any difficulty. Finally He advanced on Delhi, capturing it soon after. Within a year Muhammad controlled northern Rajasthan and the northern part of the Ganges-Yamuna Doab.

Sultan Muhammad Ghori spared the son of Prithviraj Chauhan, Kola, who in turn took the oath of loyalty to Ghori. As a prisoner in Ghor, Prithviraj was brought in chains before Sultan Muhammad Ghori, who ordered for his eyes to be burnt with red hot iron rods as a punishment and threw him in jail for the rest of his life. Prithviraj could not bear the disgrace of defeat and the pain of punishment, hence defeated, blinded and humiliated he lost his will to survive and committed suicide in jail.

Aftermath

After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, Sultan Muhammad Gaori established an empire, appointing a regional governor at Delhi. He controlled much of northern and central India. Sultan Muhammad Ghori returned west to Ghazni to deal with the threat to his western frontiers from the Turks and Mongols, but his armies, mostly under Turkish generals, continued to advance through northern India, raiding as far east as Bengal. A few years later a rebellion rose in Punjab. He returned to India and crushed the rebels, but on his way back to Ghaznī was assassinated.

The most profound effect of Ghori's victory was the establishment of Muslim rule in India which would last for centuries and have great impact on life and culture of South Asia for centuries. Sultan Muhammad Ghori further expressed his intentions of promoting Islam to convert "The Land Of The Idols"; however, he died before he could extend his conquests further.

Personal life

Muhammad Shahab-ud-Din Ghori was a loyal brother. He refrained from declaring his independence in the Indian Subcontinent, knowing that it would result in civil war between the two brothers. Till the death of Ghiyas-ud-din Muhammad in 1202, After every victory Generals of Ghauri would send the best of the looted items to his elder brother in Afghanistan. Ghiyas-ud-din reciprocated by never interfering in the affairs of his younger brother. Thus they were each able to concentrate on their own responsibilities.

Heirs Of Sultan

Sultan Muhammad Ghori had no heirs and thus he treated his slaves as his sons. It is said that he trained thousands of Turkish slaves in the art of warfare and administration. Most of his slaves were given excellent education. During his reign many hardworking and intelligent slaves rose to positions of excellence. Once a courtier lamented; that Sultan has no male heirs. Ghori immediately replied;

Other monarchs may have one son, or two sons; I have thousands of sons, my Turkish slaves who will be the heirs of my dominions, and who, after me, will take care to preserve my name in the Khutba throughout these territories.

Ghori's prediction proved true when he was succeeded by a dynasty of Turkish Slaves. Upon his death, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, Muhammad Ghori's most capable general who had started of by sacking Ayodhya in 1193 A.D., took control of Muhammad's Indian conquests and declared himself the first Sultan of Delhi thus establishing Sultanate of Delhi in 1206 CE.

Pakistan's Nuclear Missile

In response to India's development of its surface to surface missile Prithvi, Pakistan launched its own missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads on April 6, 1998 called Ghauri - I. It was symbolically named after Sultan Muhammad Ghori, who is highly revered in Pakistan for his Muslim conquest of the Indian Subcontinent. Pakistan has since developed the Ghauri - II and Ghauri - III as well.

See also

• Ghaurids
• Ghor Province
• History of Pakistan
• History of Afghanistan

Notes

1. http://books.google.com/books?id=tU1yDpYlu38C&pg=PA187&dq=%22First+Battle+of+Tarain%22
2. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761588379/Muhammad_of_Ghur.html
3. The Geography of War and Peace: From Death Camps to Diplomats by Colin Robert Flint, Publ Oxford University Press US, 2005, p149

Further reading

• John Keay (2001). India: A history. Grove Press; 1 Grove Pr edition. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Elliot, Sir H. M., Edited by Dowson, John. The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; published by London Trubner Company 1867–1877. (Online Copy: The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; by Sir H. M. Elliot; Edited by John Dowson; London Trubner Company 1867–1877 - This online Copy has been posted by: The Packard Humanities Institute; Persian Texts in Translation; Also find other historical books: Author List and Title List)

• History of Afghanistan
• Islamic rule in India
• History of India
• History of Pakistan
• 1162 births
• 1206 deaths
• Muslim generals