The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c12.s8.3

c12.s8.3

The Panjab remained a part of the Ghazni empire under Maudud; but the people of the province had little regard for his rule. In 1044 A.D. Mahipala, the raja of Delhi, wrested Hansi, Thaneshwar and Kangara from the Ghaznavide governor and re-established Hindu worship in those places. He even besieged Lahore, but had to return without success. In 1048 A.D. Maudud appointed his sons, Mahmud and Mansur, governors of Lahore and Peshawar respectively; but corruption and inefficiency continued as before. Maudud's death in December, 1049 A.D. led to a protracted intrigue and palace disturbance. One after another, there came to the throne of Ghazni a number of weaklings who were rulers in name only. One of them, Ibrahim, enjoyed a long and comparatively peaceful reign of forty-two years and died in August, 1099 A.D. His son, Masud III, reigned for seventeen years. Sometime after his death which occurred in 1115 A.D., the Seljuqs intervened in a succession quarrel and supported Bahram against Arsalam who was defeated and put to death in 1118 A.D. His son and successor, Khusrav Shah, was defeated and driven from Ghazni by the Ghuzz Turkomans about 1160 A.D. He fled to the Panjab, for that province alone remained in the hands of Ghaznavides. On his death, in 1160 A.D., the throne of the Panjab passed to his son, Malik Khusrav, who was a mild and voluptuous ruler and allowed the district officers of his dwindling kingdom to exercise semi-independent authority. A new danger for the Ghaznavides now made its appearance. Slice after slice the territory of the Panjab was conquered by Muhammad of Ghur, who was assigned the Jagir of Ghazni by his brother, Ghiyas-ud-din, until in 1186 A.D., he imprisoned Malik Khusrav and occupied the entire Panjab. Since 1186 A.D. Khusrav was kept a prisoner by Muhammad Ghur and was put to death in 1192 A.D.