The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c14.s18.2

c14.s18.2

Not that they were altogether indifferent to them. On the other hand, they laboured under a mistaken notion that it was none of their business to fight. They seemed to believe that their lot would remain the same, it did not matter who occupied the throne of Delhi. Had the people become the second line of defence behind our troops, the Rajput rulers would not have staked everything on the issue of a single contest and must have made repeated attempts at resistance. Fourthly, both Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad of Ghur, the former on a much larger scale than the latter, made use of shock-tactics to dishearten and demoralise our countrymen. With lightning rapidity they swooped down upon our troops and fair cities and devastated the land with fire and sword. These tactics were repeated times out of number and so much terrified our people that they began thinking that Mahmud of Ghazni’s troops were invincible. Political and military demoralisation, therefore, set in among the Indians of that age and made them think that resistance against the Turkish hordes was useless. It was this feeling that paralysed our society in that age. Fifthly, the Turks were inspired by a great religious and military enthusiasm, while our people had no such ideology to sustain them in their hour of trial. Mere physical strength and military weapons do not constitute the total equipment of an army. An inspiring ideology is as essential as military training and equipment.