Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India, A.D. 1000–1800 c9.31

c9.31

Evidence for the decline of population in the eleventh and twelfth centuries is quite strong. Firstly, Mahmud Ghaznavi's invasions had resulted in loss of Indian population and the recession of Indian territorial boundaries. Kabul and Lamghan had been taken by Subuktagin, and under Mahmud the western Punjab up to Lahore at least had been annexed to the Ghaznavid empire. Khwaja Salman gives the boundaries of this empire thus: "Its length extends from Lahore to the Euphrates, and its breadth from Kashmir to the borders of Sistan".¹⁸ Governors of the Punjab like Ariyạruk, Niyaltigin etc. were now appointed by Ghazni. Naturally, the portion of the Punjab annexed to the Ghaznavid empire had been written off as lost to India by the Indian rulers, and it does not figure in their struggle for their supremacy in the country.¹⁹ Recession of frontiers meant a smaller India with a smaller population.