Mahmud of Ghazni

Mahmud of Ghazni conducted seventeen military campaigns into the Indian subcontinent between 1001 and 1027. He plundered wealthy Hindu temples and kingdoms, including Somnath, Mathura, and Kannauj, amassing enormous wealth and spreading Ghaznavid influence.

Mahmud defeated the Hindu Shahi king Jayapala at the Battle of Charkh near Peshawar. Jayapala committed suicide after the defeat, and Mahmud annexed the Hindu Shahi kingdom, establishing Ghaznavid rule over the Punjab region.

Mahmud patronized Persian poets, scholars, and artists at his court in Ghazni. He commissioned the Persian poet Ferdowsi to write the Shahnameh, though they later quarreled over payment. His court became a center of Persian literature and Islamic learning.

Mahmud led a raid to the Somnath temple in Gujarat, one of the wealthiest Hindu temples. He destroyed the temple and carried away its treasures, including the famous lingam, which he sent to Ghazni. This event became legendary in both Islamic and Hindu traditions.