The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c12.172

v1.c12.172

Soon after the conquest of Bhera, Maḥmūd turned his attention to Multan, whose rulers had most unwisely dissolved their alliance with the *Sāhis* and stood aside while the fortunes of Jayapāla and his son were being laid low by the cruel blows of the unscrupulous Turk. Its ruler Dā’ūd now realised when it was too late that "if a barrier was not expeditiously raised against this roaring torrent" it would soon overwhelm the states of India whether they be Hindu or Muslim. In 1005 A.D. when Maḥmūd's intention came to his knowledge, he appealed to Ānandapāla to come to his assistance, and Firishta informs us that the latter "true to his alliance," responded to the call.¹ According to 'Utbī, Maḥmūd after crossing the Indus sent to Ānandapāla "a person to request of him that he would permit a passage through the midst of his kingdom that the army of Islam might pass. He, however, placed the hand of repulse upon the face of the Sulṭān's request, and took the road to stubbornness and obstinacy.''² The struggle that ensued was thus caused by the perfectly legitimate objections of Ānandapāla to the use of his territory as a base of operations against a friendly and peaceful power. Maḥmūd at once extended "the hand of plunder, levelling, destruction and burning into his villages and cities.'' Ānandapāla was defeated and driven from "one strait into another and from one path to another" until he was expelled to the province of Kashmir. According to Firishta, Ānandapāla was defeated near Peshawar and pursued as far as the town of Sodra (Wazirabad, 50 miles north of Lahore) on the left bank of the Chenab.³ It seems likely that it was during this campaign that Sukhapāla, one of the sons of the Sāhi king, was taken prisoner in Peshawar by Abu 'Alī Simjuri, one of the generals of Maḥmūd. Sukhapāla appears to have accepted Islam under the name of Nawāsa Shāh, and when Maḥmūd hastened from Multan to meet the Turkish Ilak Khān, he "placed the management of the affairs of Hindustan" in the hands of this prince.⁴ The crossing of the Oxus by a fresh body of the Turks under Ilak Khān was only one of the acts of the drama which was being played in the North of Hindukush, at least from the beginning of historic times. Before the act was over the Yamīnīs of Ghazna, like the *Sāhis* before them, were driven into the valleys of the Punjab rivers. The struggle was even then extremely fierce. This war though in no way directly connected with the history of the *Sāhis*, yet affords us interesting evidence of their nobility, and if we may be permitted to say so, lack of opportunism which is the basis of all successful statesmanship. Al-Bīrūnī tells us that when Maḥmūd was thus fighting a life-and-death struggle with Ilak Khān and "imploring the Almighty to strengthen his right hand and forgive his errors," Ānandapāla sent the following letter to the Sulṭān of Ghazni:—